History of the Russian Orthodox Church

Background

The Russian Orthodox Church is a branch of the Orthodox Church that received its faith from the Church of Constantinople in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. In Kievan Rus', the first East Slavic state, founded in Eastern Europe in the late ninth century, Slavic paganism predominated. Nevertheless, a small number of people had already been baptized, such as Olga, the wife of Grand Prince Igor.

Development

The Baptism of Kiev in 988

According to the early chronicles, Vladimir I (reigned 980–1015) examined Islam, Judaism, the Roman Church, and Orthodoxy before choosing Orthodoxy. Around 988 he received baptism from clergy who had come from Byzantium, and he is said to have ordered his family and people to be baptized in the Dnieper River. A metropolitan see (the see of a bishop who leads the church of a region) was subsequently established in Kiev under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople. In the mid-eleventh century, the Cathedral of Saint Sophia was built in Kiev.

The Mongol Invasion and Independence

After Mongol forces captured Kiev in 1240, the metropolitan see moved first to Vladimir and then to Moscow. In reaction to the Council of Florence, which had sought to reunite the Eastern and Western churches, the Russian bishops in 1448 elected Jonah of Ryazan as metropolitan without the approval of Constantinople. The Russian Church thereby became de facto independent. When Constantinople recognized this status in 1589, Job became the first Patriarch of Moscow (the supreme head of a regional church). The southwestern dioceses centered on Kiev, however, remained under the jurisdiction of Constantinople until 1686.

The Reforms of Nikon and the Schism

Beginning in 1653, Patriarch Nikon (in office 1652–1658) revised the liturgical books and worship rites to conform to Greek practice. A notable example was the requirement to make the sign of the cross with three fingers rather than two. A church council in 1666 confirmed these reforms. However, those who sought to preserve the old rites, such as Avvakum, refused to comply, and from them arose a separate movement known as the Old Believers (Old Ritualists).

The Synodal Period (1721–1917)

When Patriarch Adrian died in 1700, Peter the Great prevented the election of a successor. In 1721 he abolished the patriarchate and established the Holy Synod (a governing council of the church) composed of bishops and monks. The Synod was placed under a lay official, the Chief Procurator, and the church thus became bound to the state administration.

The Revolution and the Soviet Era

In 1917 the Local Council of the Russian Church restored the patriarchate and elected Tikhon as patriarch. Soon afterward, however, the church suffered severe persecution under the antireligious policies of the Soviet government. After Tikhon died in 1925, the government prevented the election of a new patriarch. When war with Germany broke out, Stalin again permitted church activity in order to gain support for the war effort, and in September 1943 a church council elected Sergius as patriarch. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the church again grew significantly.

Results and Influence

• Distinctive traditions such as worship in Church Slavonic and Russian liturgical chant took root. Today the Russian Orthodox Church is regarded as the largest church in the Orthodox world, and its current head is Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
• The baptism of 988 is regarded as a common point of origin not only by the church in Russia but also by churches in Ukraine and other East Slavic regions. In Ukraine, the event is also seen as the beginning of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Assessment

• While Vladimir's conversion is viewed as a choice of faith, some also interpret it as a political decision intended to unify his people.
• The Synodal period has drawn considerable criticism on the grounds that the church became something like a state institution. The fact that patriarchs after 1943 were elected without competition and with government approval is also cited as an example of state control.
• From a Protestant perspective, the Russian Orthodox Church belongs to the Eastern church tradition, which did not undergo the Reformation. Since the East–West Schism, it has also been understood as a church that has followed a path distinct from that of the Western Roman Catholic Church.