Sergiy Radonezhsky. Russian Path to Solidarity

Authors

  • Vladimir Vladimirovich Milkov

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15826/qr.2014.3.061

Abstract

The article analyzes the ideological and religious originality of Sergiy Radonezhsky and the impact of his activity on social and political life of Russia at the end of the 14th century. Radonezhsky’s involvement in monastery reform, as well as his role in the introduction of the cult of Trinity, a novelty cult for Russia, are scrutinized in detail. The paper shows that these measures were in fact carried out consciously by the Trinity father superior who had in mind the consolidation of the Russian nation in anticipation of the upcoming events to overthrow the foreign subjugation. The two main periods of Radonezhsky’s church and public service are explored in the article: 1) Sergiy’s participation in social and political life as a representative of the “national” church party and 2) his acceptance of spiritual leadership amidst the difficulties of the Church crisis caused by the struggle for the vacant chair of the primate after the death of Metropolitan Alexius. Also mentioned are the arguments that allow ergiy to be hailed as the spiritual leader of the nation on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo. It is concluded that Sergiy’s contemporaries deservedly distinguished him as a significant figure of the epoch of change, and the skepticism present in some historiographical works lacks solid foundation. It was Sergiy Radonezhsky who most audibly expressed the aspirations of the Russian spirit, when destruction, savagery and shock caused by foreign enthrallment, were replaced by the gathering of forces, marching hand in hand with the processes of cenralization.

References

Agapkina, T. A. (2012). Troicza [Trinity]. In Slavyanskie drevnosti. (Vol. 5, pp. 320–325). Moscow: Mezhdunarodny′e otnosheniya.
Aleksij (Kutepov), archim. (1989). Prepodobny′j Sergij kak ideal svyatosti [St. Sergeas an ideal of holiness]. In Bogoslovskie trudy′. (Iss. 29, pp. 183–193). Moscow: Izd-voMoskovskoj patriarhii.
Borisov, N. S. (2014). E′poha prepodobnogo Sergiya [The epoch of St. Serge]. Rodina,5, 4–8.
Danilevskij, I. N. (2014). Kak Sergij Radonezhskij stal geroem Kulikovskoj bitvy′ [About how Sergius of Radonezh became the hero of the Battle of Kulikovo]. Rodina, 5, 11–15.
Dmitriev, L. A. & Lihachev, O. P. (Comp.). (1982). Skazaniya i povesti o Kulikovskoj bitve [Legends and stories about the Battle of Kulikovo]. Leningrad: Nauka. Leningradskoe otdelenie.
Duhanina, A. (2014). Zhitie i pochitanie Sergiya Radonezhskogo [Life and veneration of Sergius of Radonezh]. Rodina, 5, 69–71.
Fedotov, G. P. (1990). Svyaty′e Drevnej Rusi [Saints of the old Russia]. Moscow: Moskovskij rabochij.
Florenskij, P. A. (1919). Troice-Sergieva lavra i Rossiya [Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius and Russia]. In Troice-Sergieva lavra. Sergiev Posad: TSL.
Georgievskij, G. P. (1893). Zavet prepodobnogo Sergiya [The testament of St. Serge]. Moscow: Izdanie Obshhestva lyubitelej duhovnogo prosveshheniya.
Gromov, M. N. & Mil′kov, V. V. (2001). Idejny′e techeniya drevnerusskoj my′sli [Ideological trend of the Old Russian thought]. St. Petersburg: Izd-vo RHGU.
Klibanov, A. I. (1971). K harakteristike mirovozzreniya Andreya Rubleva [On the characteristics of Andrei Rublev’s ideology]. In M. V. Alpatov (Ed.), Andrej Rublev i ego e′poha (pp. 62‑–102). Moscow: Iskusstvo.
Kloss, B. M. (2001). Izbranny′e trudy′. T. 1: Zhitie Sergiya Radonezhskogo [Selected works. Vol. 1: Life of Sergius of Radonezh]. Moscow: Yazy′ki russkoj kul′tury′.
Kuchkin, V. A. (1962). Skazanie o smerti mitropolita Petra [Legend of the death of metropolitan Peter]. In J. S. Lur′e (Ed.), Trudy′ otdela drevnerusskoj literatury′ (Vol. 18, pp. 59–79). Moscow; Leningrad: Izd-vo AN SSSR.
Kuchkin, V. A. (1988). O roli Sergiya Radonezhskogo v podgotovke Kulikovskoj bitvy′ [On the role of Sergius of Radonezh in preparation of the Battle of Kulikovo]. In Voprosy′ nauchnogo ateizma. (Iss. 37, pp. 100–116). Moscow: My′sl′. Kuchkin, V. A. (1992). Sergij Radonezhskij [Sergius of Radonezh]. Voprosy′ istorii, 10, 75–92.
Kuchkin, V. A. (2014). “Ne zelo bliz grada Rostova” [“Not very close to Rostov”]. Rodina, 5, 29–32.
Kuz′min, A. G. (1999). Mitropolit Aleksij [Metropolitan Alexis]. In A. F. Kiselev (Ed.),Velikie duhovny′e pasty′ri Rossii (pp. 156–182). Moscow: Vlados.
Kuz′mina, V. D. (1971). Drevnerusskie pis′menny′e istochniki ob Andree Rubleve [Old Russian written sources on Andrei Rublev]. In M. V. Alpatov (Ed.), Andrej Rublev i ego e′poha (pp. 103–124). Moscow: Iskusstvo.
Mil′kov, V. V. (2013). Koncept “zemlya” i Russkaya zemlya v predstavleniyah domongol′skoj e′pohi [Concept “land” and Russian land in the views premongolian epoch]. In T. B. Lyubimova (Ed.), Orientiry′. (Iss. 8, pp. 124–151). Moscow: Institut filosofii RAN.
Murav′ev, A. N. (1855). Russkaya Fivaida na Severe [Russian Thebaid in the north]. St. Petersburg: Tipografiya III otdeleniya.
Petrov, A. E. (1999). Sergij Radonezhskij [Sergius of Radonezh]. In A. F. Kiselev (Ed.), Velikie duhovny′e pasty′ri Rossii (pp. 183–220). Moscow: Vlados.
Pliguzov, A. I. & Horoshkevich, A. L. (1988). Otnoshenie russkoj cerkvi k antiordy′nskoj bor′be v XIII–XV vekah (po materialam Kratkogo sobraniya hanskih yarly′kov russkim mitropolitam) [Attitude of Russian church to the struggle against the horde in 13th–15th centuries (following the Brief collection of letters of the khans to Russian metropolitans)]. In Voprosy′ nauchnogo ateizma. (Iss. 37, pp. 117–130). Moscow: My′sl′.
Polnoe sobranie russkih letopisej. T. 15. Vy′p. 1 [Complete Edition of Russian Chronicles] (1965). (Vol. 15). (Iss. 1). Moscow: Nauka.
Prohorov, G. M. (1978). Povest′ o Mityae [Story of Mitya]. Leningrad: Nauka. Leningradskoe otdelenie.
Sergij (Spasskij), archiep. (1865). Istoricheskoe opisanie Moskovskogo Spaso-Andronnikova monasty′rya [Historical description of the Monastery of Our Saviour and St. Andronicus in Moscow]. Moscow: Universitetskaya tipografiya (Katkov i K).
Shibaev, M. A. (2007). Avtorskij variant zhitiya Sergiya Radonezhskogo [Author’s variant of Life of Sergius of Radonezh]. In TODRL (Vol. 58, pp. 290–319). St. Petersburg.
Smolich, I. K. (1999). Russkoe monashestvo [Russian monarchism]. Moscow: Pravoslavnaya e′nciklopediya.
Sofijskaya pervaya letopis′ starshego izvoda [Sofia first chronicle of the older recension]. (2000). In PSRL (Vol. 6. Iss. 1). Moscow: Yazy′ki russkoj kul′tury′.
Sokolov, R. A. (2012). Russkaya cerkov′ v XIII – nachale XV v. [Russian church in 13th–15th c.]. In A. Yu. Dvornichenko, Yu. V. Krivosheev, R. A. Sokolov, V. V. Shaposhnik, Russkoe pravoslavie: ot kreshheniya do nachala patriarshestva. St. Petersburg: IF SPbGU.
Sokolova, V. K. (1979). Vesenne-letnie kalendarny′e obryady′ russkih, ukraincev i belorusov [Spring-summer calendar rites of the Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians]. Moscow.
Toporov, V. N. (1998). Svyatost′ i svyaty′e v russkoj duhovnoj kul′ture. T. II: Tri veka hristianstva na Rusi (XII–XIV vv.) [Holiness and saints in Russian spiritual culture. Vol. 2: Three centuries of Christianity in Russia (12th–14th cc.)]. Moscow: Yazy′ki russkoj kul′tury′.
Vinogradova, L. N. (1986). Mifologicheskij aspect polesskoj rusal′skoj tradicii [Mythological aspect in Polesye mermaid tradition]. In N. I. Tolstoj (Ed.), Slavyanskij i balkanskij fol′klor: Duhovnaya kul′tura Poles′ya na obshheslavyanskom fone (pp. 88–133). Moscow: Nauka.
Zhitie Sergiya Radonezhskogo [Life of Sergius of Radonezh]. (1981). In Pamyatniki lateratury′ Drevnej Rusi. XIV – seredina XV veka. (pp. 256–429). Moscow: Hudozhestvennaya literatura.
Zubov, V. P. (1953). Epifanij Premudry′j i Pahomij Serb (K voprosu o redakciyah “Zhitiya Sergiya Radonezhskogo”) [Epiphanuis the Wise and Pahomius the Logothete (On editions of “Life of Sergius of Radonezh”)]. In V. P. Adrianova-Perecz (Ed.), TODRL (Vol. 9, pp. 145–158). Moscow; Leningrad: Izdatel′stvo AN SSSR.

Published

2023-10-16

How to Cite

Milkov, V. V. (2023). Sergiy Radonezhsky. Russian Path to Solidarity. Quaestio Rossica, (3), 57–74. https://doi.org/10.15826/qr.2014.3.061

Issue

Section

Vox redactoris