History of the Russian Orthodox Church

This subsection traces the history of the Russian Orthodox Church from the Baptism of Rus’ in 988 through the Mongol and Muscovite periods, the Synodal era, the cataclysm of the Bolshevik Revolution and Soviet persecution, to the post-Soviet revival. Understanding this history is essential for grasping the context of Russian theology, the formation of ROCOR, and the current state of Russian Orthodoxy.

Tradition: Russian Orthodox

Contents

The files are arranged chronologically:

  1. The Baptism of Rus’ (988) — Prince Vladimir’s conversion, the Christianization of Kievan Rus’, the establishment of the Metropolitanate of Kiev, early saints, and the cultural transformation.

  2. The Mongol and Muscovite Periods (1237–1589) — The Church under Mongol rule, the rise of Moscow as ecclesiastical center, St. Sergius of Radonezh, autocephaly, and the establishment of the Patriarchate.

  3. The Old Believers and the Schism (Raskol) — Nikon’s reforms (1652–1666), what actually changed, Avvakum, the 1666–67 anathemas, persecution, the priestly and priestless branches, edinoverie (1800), the 1971 lifting of the anathemas, and Old Believers today.

  4. The Synodal Period (1700–1917) — Peter the Great’s abolition of the Patriarchate, the Holy Synod, Western scholastic influence, and the nineteenth-century spiritual renaissance.

  5. The All-Russian Council of 1917–1918 — The restoration of the Patriarchate, the election of Patriarch Tikhon, and the council’s comprehensive reforms, interrupted by the Bolshevik Revolution.

  6. Soviet Persecution (1917–1991) — The Church under Bolshevism: persecution, the New Martyrs, the Renovationist schism, Metropolitan Sergius’s Declaration, the Catacomb Church, wartime rapprochement, and the Khrushchev persecution.

  7. Post-Soviet Revival (1988–Present) — The Millennium celebrations, freedom of religion, church rebuilding, the canonization of the New Martyrs, the reunion with ROCOR, and current challenges.

Chronological Overview

Period Dates Key Events
Kievan 988–1237 Baptism of Rus’, Metropolitanate of Kiev, Pechersk Lavra
Mongol 1237–1480 Church under Mongol rule, move to Moscow, monastic revival
Muscovite 1448–1700 Autocephaly, Patriarchate (1589), Nikon’s reforms, Raskol
Synodal 1700–1917 Holy Synod, Western influence, 19th-century renaissance
Revolutionary 1917–1918 Council, Patriarchate restored, Bolshevik Revolution
Soviet 1918–1991 Persecution, New Martyrs, Sergianism, WWII thaw, Khrushchev
Post-Soviet 1988–present Revival, canonizations, ROCOR reunion, current challenges

See Also

References

  • Meyendorff, John. The Orthodox Church: Its Past and Its Role in the World Today. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1996.
  • Pospielovsky, Dimitry V. The Russian Church Under the Soviet Regime, 1917–1982. 2 vols. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1984.
  • Schmemann, Alexander. The Historical Road of Eastern Orthodoxy. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1977.
  • Ware, Timothy (Kallistos). The Orthodox Church. New edition. London: Penguin, 1993.