Russian Orthodox

The Russian Orthodox Church
History and Influence

A curriculum unit for grades 6-10

Developed by Annalise Blech, Curriculum Specialist,
Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies
at the University of Texas at Austin

2008
----------------------------------------------- The Russian Orthodox Church ----------------------------------------

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The Russian Orthodox Church: History and Influence
A curriculum unit for grades 6-10

Draft Version
Compilation Date: July 2008

Permission is granted to reproduce this unit for classroom use only.
Please do not redistribute without prior permission.
For more information, please see:
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/creees/

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Russian Orthodox Church Curriculum

Teacher's Notes............................................................................................................... 4
Activity 1: Timeline........................................................................................................ 5
Activity 2: T-Chart.......................................................................................................... 6
Activity 3: Learn the Cyrillic Alphabet............................................................................ 7
Reading 1: Russian History and the Orthodox Church..................................................... 9
Reading 2: The Orthodox Place of Worship .................................................................. 11
Reading 3: Basic Facts about the Russian Orthodox Church.......................................... 13
Reading 4: The Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian State................................... 15
Reading 5: The Russian Orthodox Church in the Nineteenth Century............................ 17
Reading 6: The Russian Orthodox Church in the Twentieth Century............................. 18
Activity 4: Timeline...................................................................................................... 19
Activity 5: Architecture................................................................................................. 20
Activity 6: The Firebird................................................................................................. 21
Activity 7: The Firebird II ............................................................................................. 23
Map Activity 1: Russian Orthodox Churches................................................................. 24
Map Activity 2: Borderlands ......................................................................................... 25
Reading 7: The Russian Far East ................................................................................... 26
Reading 8: The Russian Orthodox Church Reunification............................................... 28
Reading 9: The Russian Orthodox Church Reunification II ........................................... 29
Summation Activity...................................................................................................... 31

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Teacher's Notes

Goals:
Introduce students to the history and beliefs of the Russian Orthodox Church
Encourage students to understand religious similarities and differences
Familiarize students with the geography and culture of the Russian Federation
Encourage students to compare Russia and the United States

Standards
This unit is aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and National
History Standards that cover the impact and influence of religion in culture and history.

Assessment Evidence:
As students expand their knowledge of different countries around the world, they should
develop knowledge of the religious, cultural, and historical influences that have shaped
each area of the world. In exploring the vast land of Russia, it is especially vital that
students develop an understanding of the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church on
the history and culture of the Russian peoples.

Learning Activities:
Activities 1-3: These activities provide historical facts about Russian Orthodoxy and
require students to make comparisons with American history.
Readings 1-6: These documents give students an overview of the beliefs, practices,
and places of worship in the Russian Orthodox Church. Each reading is presented
with a set of comprehension and analysis questions.
Activities 4-7: These activities require students to research aspects of Russian culture
on their own and to connect culture to religion.
Map Activities: These maps provide students with visual representations of the
Russian lands and ask them to consider the influence of physical geography.
Readings 7-9: These readings help students to understand the current situation and
role of the Russian Orthodox Church both in Russia and abroad.
Summation Activity: This activity synthesizes the knowledge and predictions the
students have gained through the curriculum and asks them to speculate about the
complications and influence of history on the present situation in Russia.

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Activity 1: Timeline

Create a timeline of the important dates in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Important Dates in Russian Orthodox History

988 - Kievan prince Vladimir I accepts Eastern Orthodoxy as the official religion of
Kievan Rus'
1169 - City of Vladimir becomes the capital of the Rus' state
1271 - Moscow becomes the capital of Vladimir-Suzdal, soon to become the Russian
state
1340 - St. Sergius of Radonezh founds Holy Trinity Monastery
1410 - Rublev creates the Old Testament Trinity icon
1448 - First Russian-born Orthodox bishop, Jonas I
1453 - Constantinople falls to the Turks
1462-1505 - Reign of Ivan III (the Great). Declaration of Moscow as "the Third Rome"
1555-60 - St. Basil's Cathedral is built in Moscow
1589 - Russian Orthodox Church becomes independent of other Orthodox churches under
Metropolitan Job of Moscow
1613 - Mikhail Romanov begins the tsarist dynasty which endures until 1917
1652-1658 - Patriarch Nikon of Moscow revises the Russian liturgy, causing the Great
Schism
1689 - Peter I (the Great) comes to power; builds St. Petersburg, which becomes the new
Russian capital
1861 - Emancipation of the serfs
1905 - First Russian Revolution which establishes a constitutional monarchy
1917 - Bolshevik Revolution; Nicholas II abdicates the throne; establishment of the
atheistic Soviet Socialist state with the capital returned to Moscow
1936 - Stalin's Great Purge
1988 - Anniversary of Orthodoxy in Russia
1991 - Fall of the Soviet Union; beginning of reestablishment of Russian Orthodox
church
2007 - Reunification of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Russian Orthodox Church
Outside Russia

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Activity 2: T-Chart
Compare what was happening in Russia and the United States on the dates below.

RUSSIA U.S.
1776

1789

1796

1812

1825

1861

1867

1904

1905

1917

1959

1991


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Activity 3: Learn the Cyrillic Alphabet

Russian language is written using a different alphabet from English. The alphabet is
called Cyrillic and it is named after a missionary who developed the alphabet when he
came to live among the Slavic people. Read the short excerpt below about the Cyrillic
alphabet.

The Cyrillic alphabet is named after St. Cyril, a missionary from Byzantium who
was sent, with his brother Methodius, to convert the Slavs to Christianity. He also
decided to transcribe the Bible into Slavonic. The Cyrillic alphabet is based on Greek
letters, with several differences relating to pronunciation. The Cyrillic alphabet was
created in approximately the 10
th
century. It achieved its current form in 1708 during the
reign of Peter the Great. Four letters were eliminated from the alphabet in a 1917-1918
reform.
The Cyrillic alphabet has been adapted to write over 50 different languages,
mainly in Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. In many cases additional letters are
used, some of which are adaptations of standard Cyrillic letters, while others are taken
from the Geek or Latin alphabets.
Languages written with the Cyrillic alphabet include: Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe,
Avar, Azeri, Balkar, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Chechen, Chukchi, Church Slavonic,
Chuvash, Dargwa, Dungan, Evenki, Gagauz, Ingush, Kabardian, Kazakh, Komi, Kurdish,
Kyrghyz, Laz, Lak, Lezgi, Lingua Franca Nova, Macedonian, Moldovan, Mongolian, Old
Church Slavonic, Russian, Ruthenian, Serbian, Slovio, Tabassaran, Tajik, Tatar,
Turkmen, Ukrainian, Uyghur, Uzbek, Votic, Yakut, and Yupik.
From: http://www.omniglot.com/writing/cyrillic.htm

On the next page you will find a chart of the 33 letters of the Cyrillic alphabet and their
English pronunciation guide. Try to write out your own name in Cyrillic based on the
sound guides given next to each letter.
(From: http://www.madmappers.com/htm/Ru_alphabet.htm)


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Reading 1: Russian History and the Orthodox Church
Read the passage about the influence of the Church on the events of Russian history.

The Russian Orthodox Church played a leading role in unifying lands under the
power of Moscow, freeing them from the yoke of the Golden Horde. When the church's
center of power was transferred from Vladimir to Moscow at the beginning of the
fourteenth century, the Muscovy Princes profited greatly. As Moscow became a political
power and one of Eastern Europe's most potent centralized states, the significance of the
Russian Orthodox Church also increased. The voice of the Metropolitan of Rus' began to
be heard more and more loudly as Moscow declared itself true defender of the Orthodox
faith. Around the turn of the sixteenth century, a new political idea arose in the
monasteries of Russia, that of "Moscow, the third Rome." This phrase endured for several
centuries as the ideological core of the autocracy of Holy Russia. As the monk Philotheus
of Pskov wrote Czar Basil III in 1510, "All Christian Empires are fallen and in their
stead stands alone the Empire of our ruler in accordance with the Prophetical books.
Two Romes have fallen, but the third stands and a fourth there will not be."
At the end of the sixteenth century, shortly before the first Romanov became czar,
a significant event took place in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church. Through the
skillful diplomacy of Boris Godunov, then regent for Czar Feodor Ivanovich, permission
was granted by the hierarchs of the eastern Church to create a patriarchate (a self-
governing arm of the church) in Moscow. While the czar served as leader of secular life,
the patriarch became leader of ecclesiastical life. The two supreme political powers in
Russia, the monarchy and the Church, were inextricably linked. The Church played a
very important role in how the country was run, and at the same time, events decreed by
royal proclamations and government edicts were understood by the people to be primarily
of a religious character. Throughout Russian history, from the time of the forced adoption
of Christianity, religion had permeated society.
Over the course of several centuries, relations between church and state were
sometimes complicated and conflicting; however, at all times they were governed by the
basic principle of "symphonia," inherited from the Byzantine state, where the aim was for
balance between the two sides of the administration, the autocracy and theocracy.
The linkage between the state and the patriarch lasted for nearly 150 years, until
Peter I issued a decree rescinding the patriarchate in 1721, and Russia was under the
power of a sole ruler.
From "Treasures of the Czars." An Educational Guide and Video. Kansas International Museum.

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Now answer the following questions about the reading:

1. What role did the Church play in the formation of the Rus' state?

2. What is the significance of the phrase, "The Third Rome"?

3. What is symphonia?

Compare how the Orthodox Church helped create the state of Rus' and how religion
helped create the United States. What are the similarities in the beliefs? What was
different about the pilgrims' experience in America to the early Christians in Russia?

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Reading 2: The Orthodox Place of Worship
Read the following description of a typical Russian Orthodox Church.

A typical example of an Orthodox place of worship contains a complex synthesis
of various fields: architecture, icon and fresco painting and decorative art of all kinds.
The architecture creates the symbol of "heaven on earth," encompassing all of creation.
As opposed to a Western architectural tendency focusing the view toward the altar, the
Orthodox surroundings drawn one's view upward, toward the central dome, usually
bearing an icon of Christ the Patocrator, "the Ruler of all." Every fresco has a theological
basis, and each has a strictly defined position in a cathedral. The role of the frescos was
not purely didactic. The artistic quality of the medieval frescos played a significant role
in inspiring the devotion of worshippers at the cathedral.
Icons are very important to the Russian Orthodox Church. The symbolic center of
the icon is the countenance of the saint, portrayed in various spiritual states. The eyes and
mouth of the saint reflect the spirituality of the saint. The gestures of the arms and the
position of the hands are also important. In order that these elements can be clearly seen,
figures on icons are portrayed full-face or three-quarter-face.
Russian icons are unique not only for their distinct artistry but also for their
position in the church. Most icons were set in the iconostas', a unique feature of Orthodox
churches. The iconostas' is a wall of icons which separated the altar from the rest of the
cathedral.
A highlight is the early seventeenth century oklad of the "Tikhvin Mother of
God" icon. In the mid-sixteenth century a monastery was founded on the right bank of the
Tikhvinka river near Novgorod. It was built to the honor of an icon of the Mother of God,
which was a former sacred treasure of Byzantium. This icon is important because it is
closely connected with the transfer of the center of orthodoxy from the Byzantine Empire
to Russia. One of the numerous miracles ascribed to this icon was the salvation of the
Tikhvin monastery during the Swedish invasion of 1613.
The gilded silver covering of the Tikhvin Mother of God icon, with its full dcor
and varied workings of precious metal, typically reflects the strivings of seventeenth
century art for sumptuous designs. Large sapphires and emeralds weighing 90 and 30
carats respectively appear in the halo of the Mother of God. Two 40-carat sapphires and a
huge, golden 148-gram topaz on the tsata (pendant) give the oklad and incredible
splendor, festivity, and solemnity.Icons of the Tikhvin Mother of God were very popular
in Rus', so it would be a particular honor to commission an oklad for this revered icon.
Judging by the ornate work on the frame, clearly the work of a Moscow master, the
commission may have come from a member of the royal family.


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Examine this reproduction of the Tikhvin Mother of God
icon. What do you notice about the icon? Is it similar to
other works of religious art with which you are familiar?
Who would own an icon such as this? Where would it be
placed in a cathedral? What type of cathedral would be
able to have this icon displayed?

From:
http://yya.oca.org/pages/ChurchwidePrograms/Yo_Mail/graph
ics/0626tikvinicon01.jpg
Now examine this version of the Tikhvin icon.
How is it different from the first version? Where
would you expect to find this copy of the icon?
Who would own an icon like this one?

From: http://www.sestry.ru/church/content/jpg/01

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Reading 3: Basic Facts about the Russian Orthodox Church

Read the passage below about the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Russian Orthodox Church is the largest religious community in Russia. Their
onion-shaped domes are a recognizable feature of the Russian rural landscape. Inside the
churches the visual art form of icons and the fine art of a cappella choir singing lead the
worshippers' spiritual participation in a highly symbolic celebration, following the
cyclical church calendar of feast days. The icons and singing are developed in an orderly
fashion, in such a way that the illiterate majority could find meaning and understanding
in the Church's celebrations. The expressions of the Orthodox Church have left a strong
mark on the Russian character throughout history.
The Russian Orthodox Church celebrated its 1000
th
birthday in 1988. Through ten
centuries, it preserved both its dogma and its form of worship in the service of the Divine
Liturgy, maintaining the use of the ancient Slavic language.
The Orthodox Church teaches that God the Creator is everywhere. Historically,
the life of simple Russian people had been measured in the slow rhythms of nature and
regulated by the pulse of the cyclical calendar of the Church. "The devil's work is quick,"
so believed the peasant, "and it is bright and flashing. God works slowly - look at nature."
This idea is expressed in the patience evidenced by the Russian peasant. Faith in God was
so characteristic that the word for peasant in Russian, krestyanin, means simply "a
Christian." The sense of God's presence, of the supernatural, seems to penetrate Russian
life more deeply than that of any other Western nation.
Church ritual in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries maintained the forms of
previous centuries. Feast day services and traditional ceremonies such as baptisms,
marriages, and funerals all followed the ecclesiastical canon. However, from the time of
Peter the Great, new decrees were issued to regulate Church activities. Restrictions were
designed to keep the Church under the control of the State and additional
commemorations in the life of the Church were established. One example was the
inclusion in the calendar of the "Czar's days." These commemorated the coronation, the
name days of the czar and czarina, the birth of an heir, and other events. Printed tables
listing such days were distributed to all cathedrals in the country, where they were kept
on the altar or in the vestry, with the rubrics of church services following the church
calendar. On the Czar's days, services would begin with a prayer for the health of the
czar, and the traditional pealing of the church bells was accompanied by cannon and rifle
salutes. The facades of houses were decorated with state flags and royal monograms, and
the evenings were marked with promenades.

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Now answer the following questions about the reading.

1. What kinds of art and music are found in Russian churches?

2. When was the Russian Orthodox Church founded?

3. Was the Russian Orthodox Church separate from the Russian State?

Do some research about other religions around the world. What are some of the different
beliefs or practices? Where are these religions practiced? What languages are associated
with each religion? How does Russian Orthodoxy compare to:

Buddhism

Islam

Judaism


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Reading 4: The Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian State

Read the passage below about the Church in the eighteenth century.

Ceremonial church services were held to mark the conclusion of military
campaigns or to celebrate the anniversaries of past victories.
After the conclusion of a peace treaty with Turkey in 1755, during the reign of
Catherine II (the Great), a solemn prayer service was held in the Kazan Cathedral in St.
Petersburg; all the city nobility attended. The street from the Winter Palace to the
Cathedral was lined on both sides by two ranks of guards and artillery regiments. When
the prayer for long life to the sovereign ended, three volleys rang out, accompanied by a
canon salute from the St. Peter and St. Paul Fortress, followed by the ringing of the
church bells. All evening great crowds of people promenaded about the brightly-lit street.
At this time, the Empress Catherine was in Moscow. There the main thanksgiving
services were held in the Dormition Cathedral in the Kremlin (the same location for royal
coronations, weddings, and other celebrations). This notable occasion was marked by the
richest of royal donations to the Kremlin cathedrals. These included the magnificent
collection of liturgical plates made of gold with brilliant-cut diamonds and rubies. For
this thanksgiving service, Prince Potemkin, Catherine's "favorite," commissioned about
2000 icons from the Kremlin Armory to be placed on newly constructed iconostases on
the south and west walls in the Dormition Cathedral.
When Czar Peter I abolished the patriarchate in 1721, he entrusted the Church
government to a Holy Synod under his control. This reduced the position of the Church to
a department of the Russian State. No longer did the principle of symphonia as inherited
from the Byzantine Empire govern the relation between Church and State. Peter the
Great's first reforming decrees declared religion "the basis of the prosperity of the State,
and the strongest support of the monarch's throne."
It must be mentioned that many leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church were
horrified by the reforms of Peter, which required men in court to shave their beards and
wear European-style dress instead of caftans. The terem was abolished as an institution,
as were the inherited titles for the boyars - the old nobility. It was whispered that Peter
was the Antichrist, leading the country to ruin through his changes. Most of the reforms
took effect slowly even through the aristocratic level of society; however, many reforms
did not make it all the way through to the peasant levels of society.


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1. Who had more power in Russia, the czars or the Church?

2. What kind of changes did Peter I make in Russia?

After reading this passage, think about what it would have been like to live at this time in
Russian history if you were:

An heir to the czar's throne

A boyar or nobleman

A peasant

A noblewoman

A peasant girl

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Reading 5: The Russian Orthodox Church in the Nineteenth Century

Read the passage below about the changing relationship between Church and State.

In the early 19
th
century (beginning with Nicholas I), the importance of the
Church and State working together was again expressed more directly as Russian
emperors conducted their own policy on the basis of "Orthodoxy, Autocracy,
Nationality." This theory embodied the Russian belief that the monarch was a czar-
batushka, or paternalistic czar. To the Russian people, the narod, the Czar was always the
"Sovereign anointed by God," head of both Church and State.
Among the intellectual strata of society, the intelligentsia, the dilemma between
the traditional Slavic, pre-Petrine ways and the contemporary more European customs
became a formal standoff, known as the conflict of "Slavophiles" and the "Westernizers."
Both groups believed in Russia's mission as a world power, but they had different
opinions about how to fulfill it. The Slavophiles, or the "God-Seekers," were the segment
of society who believed that the key to Russia's future was in her own straight-line
thinking - civilization. The Westernizers, or "God-Builders," believed that Russia's
mission could be fulfilled in the context of Western civilization, challenging not only
Russian culture and Slavophilism, but also religion, society, and absolutely everything.
Out of the radical Westernizers came the nineteenth and twentieth century Russian
revolutionary movement.
Although the Church held a higher position in the lives of the nineteenth century
royalty, the pervading presence of the radical revolutionaries in Russian society, along
with the continued function of the Church as a State department, precluded any effective
Church power in the country. When Czar Nicholas II abdicated the throne in 1917, the
Church was finally independent of the monarchy's hold, and re-established the
Patriarchate in August of that year.


1. How did the peasants view the Czar?

2. What were the two competing ideas about Russia's future?

3. Did the Church have more or less power in the nineteenth century than before?

With a partner, debate whether or not the Church was glad about the abdication of the
czars. How would the feelings of the people in the Church have changed between
February and October of 1917?

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Reading 6: The Russian Orthodox Church in the Twentieth Century

When you read the passage below, think about the situation for ordinary Russians who
were Orthodox believers during the Soviet regime.

Under the Soviet regime, which came to power in November [1917], the church
was subjected to severe persecution. Thousands of clergy were killed or driven into exile;
most churches were closed and religious education was forbidden. A limited revival of
church activity was permitted by Stalin in the 1940s to inspire the war effort, but all
religious practice continued to be discouraged and strictly controlled until the end of the
Soviet regime in 1991. At that point, the number of Church membership, functioning
churches and monasteries was greatly reduced in comparison to pre-Revolutionary
figures.
Clergy are now taking part in the political and social life of society at all levels.
The Church hierarchy is being renewed, and more and more churches are being returned
by the State to the Church. Church activities outside the Divine services, such as
community service, charity, and even teaching, were not allowed during the Soviet times,
but have now begun again. Bibles and other religious literature once banned in the Soviet
Union, are being printed without restriction.
From "Treasures of the Czars." An Educational Guide and Video. Kansas International Museum


1. What happened to the Church under Soviet rule?

2. What is going on now that the Soviet Union no longer exists?

Imagine that you live in the Soviet Union and you have a chance to write a letter
describing your life to someone in the United States. What would you have to say if you
were a:
Bolshevik leader

Orthodox priest

Factory worker

Farmer

Ballerina

Student

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Activity 4: Timeline
Compare what was happening in Russia, Europe, and the United States in the arts.

RUSSIA EUROPE U.S.A.
18
th
Century
Painting

18
th
Century
Dance

18
th
Century
Music

19
th
Century
Painting

19
th
Century
Dance

19
th
Century
Music

20
th
Century
Painting

20
th
Century
Dance

20
th
Century
Music

21
st
Century
Painting

21
st
Century
Dance

21
st
Century
Music


20
Activity 5: Architecture

Use the internet and other classroom resources to find pictures of Russian Orthodox
Churches. What kinds of features do they have that are different from churches in the
United States? What are some of the most famous churches in Russia? What types of
shapes, colors, and sizes are Russian churches?

Once you have found several examples, create your own version of a Russian Orthodox
church. Where would it be? What would it look like? What colors and shapes would it
have? Draw a picture or write a description of your vision of a Russian church. Then
compare your idea with those of your classmates. What features are the same or different
in your own class? What can you guess about churches across a country as big as Russia?

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Activity 6: The Firebird

Along with religious stories, Russian culture is filled with fairy tales or skazky. This is
one of the most popular: The Tale of the Firebird.

Once upon a time a very long time ago there was an orphan girl named
Maryushka. She was a quiet, modest, and gentle maiden. None could embroider as
beautifully as she. She worked with colored silks and glass beads, making for one a shirt,
for another a towel or a pretty sash. And she was always content with the money she
received, however small.
The fame of her skill reached the ears of merchants beyond the seas. From near
and far they came to see her marvelous work. They gazed and were amazed, for they
never thought to find anything so beautiful. One after another, they tried to persuade
Maryushka to come away with them, promising her riches and glory. But she would only
lower her eyes and reply modestly: "riches I do not need and I shall never leave the
village where I was born. But of course I will sell my work to all who find it beautiful."
And with that, although they were disappointed, the merchants had to be content. They
left, spreading the story of her skill to the ends of the earth, until one day it reached the
ear of the evil sorcerer Kaschei the Immortal, who raged to learn that there was such
beauty in the world, which he had never seen.
So he took the form of a handsome youth and flew over the deep oceans, the tall
mountains and the impassable forests until he came to Maryushka's cottage.
He knocked at the door and bowed low to her, as was the custom. Then he asked
to see the needlework she had completed. Maryushka set out shirts, towels, handkerchiefs
and veils, each more beautiful than the other. "Kind sir," said she, "whatever pleases you,
you may take. If you have no money with you, you may pay me later, when you have
money to spare. And if my work should not find favor in your eyes, please counsel me
and tell me what to do, and I shall try my best."
Her kind words and the sight of all that beauty made Kaschei even angrier. How
could it be that a simple country girl could fashion finer things than he, the great Kaschei
the Immortal, himself possessed. And he took his most cunning tones and he said:
"Come with me, Maryushka, and I will make you Queen. You will live in a palace
built of precious jewels. You will eat off gold and sleep on eiderdown. You will walk in
an orchard where birds of paradise sing sweet songs, and golden apples grow."
From "Land of the Firebird" by Suzanne Massie.


22
Now answer the following questions:

1. What do you think Maryushka will do? Will she accept Kaschei's offer? Why or why
not?

2. Does the story of Maryushka remind you of any fairy tale that you are already familiar
with? If so, which one? What are the similarities or differences?

3. The fairy tale talks about Maryushka's talent at embroidery. Using the internet, find
pictures of traditional embroidered Russian linens. How do they differ from the towels
and linens that you use on a daily basis?

4. Fairy tales were often used to teach morals to children. What kind of lessons is taught
in the tale of Maryushka? What could be the link between fairy tales and the Orthodox
Church? How could the Church use fairy tales for their own ends?


23
Activity 7: The Firebird II

Now read the remainder of the story of Maryushka and The Firebird.

"Do not speak so," answered Maryushka. "I need neither your riches or your
strange marvels. There is nothing sweeter than the fields and woods where one as born.
Never shall I leave this village where my parents lie buried and where live those to whom
my needlework brings joy. I shall never embroider for you alone."
Kaschei was furious at this answer. His face grew dark and he cried, "Because
you are so loath to leave your kindred, a bird you shall be, and no more a maiden fair."
And in an instant a Firebird flapped its wings where Maryushka had stood.
Kaschei became a great black Falcon and soared the skies to swoop down on the Firebird.
Grasping her tight in his cruel talons, he carried her high above the clouds.
As soon as Maryushka felt the power in those steel claws and realized she was
being taken away, she resolved to leave one last memory of herself.
She shed her brilliant plumage and feather after feather floated down on meadow
and forest. The mischievous wind covered the feathers with grass and leaves, but nothing
could rob them of their brilliant glowing rainbow colors.
As the feathers fell, Maryushka's strength ebbed. And although the Firebird died
in the black Falcon's talons, her feathers continued to live, down on the ground. They
were not ordinary feathers, but magic ones that only those who loved beauty and who
sought to make beauty for others could see and admire.
From "Land of the Firebird" by Suzanne Massie

Here is a famous representation of the Firebird
skazka from the artists in the Russian town of
Palekh. This town is famous for their artistic
skills and lacquer boxes with elaborate
paintings, like this one. (From
http://www.mythinglinks.org/russia~firebird.jp
g)

Now that you have read this story and seen a Russian image, create a nine-part comic
strip depicting the main points of the story. Think about what colors are most popular in
Russian art and try to incorporate those into your own work.

24
Map Activity 1: Russian Orthodox Churches

Look at the map of Russia below. Research different towns in Russia and then plot ten
different Orthodox Churches in places in Russia.

From: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/cia07/russia_sm_2007.gif

25
Map Activity 2: Borderlands

Look at the map below. What countries border Russia? Compare Russia's borders with
those of the United States. What are some of the differences? What difficulties does
Russia face with borders?

From: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwealth/russia_rel94.jpg

26
Reading 7: The Russian Far East

Use the map in the preceding exercises to locate the province of Kamchatka. Then read
the excerpt below about some of the difficulties faced by people who live there.

American ideas and tastes set the agenda for Kamchatka's state-owned fishing
industry. One day I spotted a brand-new trawler in the harbor that looked very much like
sophisticated Seattle-based trawlers I had seen.
"It is just the same, built by the Norwegians," said Captain Valery Sologubov
when I boarded the Admiral Zavoyko to get a tour of the spotless fish-processing
machinery and a bridge crammed with the latest electronic gear. "We even have a new
machine that slices off an extra micro-thin layer of fat under the skin to produce low-fat
pollock fillets for the American market. That adds greatly to the value of our catch." The
ship is leased to a Kamchatka company by its Liberia-based British owners; the fish is
sold to a U.S. fishing company for hard currency.
"In our first season we paid the lease and had some profit," said Captain
Sologubov. "In eight years we'll own the boat." Ownership. The very idea still alarms
many Russians, especially when official policies blur the property lines.
"The government is now selling shops to private people - not to the people who
worked in them, but the new rich who have gathered capital in some way," said Tatyana
Kostynets, a business reporter for the local TV station. "Under the old laws, such
manipulations were called crimes. But now, when I wanted to find out about a certain
company, a government minister told me, 'You don't count the money in other peoples'
pockets. If yours are empty, it's your own fault.' Without clear laws, a lot of us don't
really understand what is good or bad."
Father Yaroslav Levko thinks he has an answer. He is a 32-year-old Russian
Orthodox priest whose hawk nose and wild black beard are softened by brown eyes that
say faith is possible, and a gentle smile that says you might even enjoy it. Presiding over
a new cathedral overlooking Avacha Bay, he has baptized more than 50,000 adults since
he arrived in Petropavlovsk seven years ago.
"For so many people with no religious education, I ask them only 'Do you believe
in God?'" he told me. "And I ask them only to promise to be kind in their deeds and to
visit church occasionally. The main thing is kindness."
From Bryan Hodgson's "Russia's Land of Fire and Ice: Kamchatka" in National
Geographic, April 1994.


27
Now answer the following questions about the reading:

1. Why does Kamchatka have so many American connections?

2. What are some of the differences between how and where people work now as
opposed to during the Soviet time? Why do people have to worry about owning their own
businesses?

3. The priest in the article only asks people one question. What are the difficulties faced
by priests and people in the Russian Orthodox Church after the fall of the Soviet Union?

28
Reading 8: The Russian Orthodox Church Reunification
Read the following article on the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) officially reunited
with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) on Thursday [May 17, 2007] after 80 years of
separation. ROC Patriarch Alexy II and ROCOR head Metropolitan Laurus led the
reunification ceremony, which was held in Moscow and attended by Russian President
Vladimir Putin. During the service, Laurus emphasized that the reunion of the churches is
not a merger since ROCOR will maintain its autonomy and continue to appoint its own
leaders. However, this sudden -- and largely symbolic -- reunification has caused many to
question the timing, the ROC's loyalty to the Kremlin, and how the church fits into
Putin's goal of creating a consolidated and powerful Russia.
The ROC and ROCOR, also known as the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad,
officially split in 1927, though the two sides had been moving toward separation since the
1917 Bolshevik Revolution. When the Bolsheviks declared separation of church and
state, the ROC found itself for the first time without state backing. The church had long
been an essential part of imperial Russia, and it was unsure how to function without
playing a role in politics and without the privileges of the government's protection.
In 1927, church Patriarch Sergei formally declared his "loyalty" to the Soviet
government, accepting Soviet authority over the church and expressing its commitment to
helping root out political and social dissidents. Though this caused the ROC-ROCOR
split (ROCOR refused to declare its loyalty to the Russian government), Sergei actually
succeeded in saving the ROC in Russia from complete annihilation. It suffered
immensely during the Soviet era, but the ROC was never wiped out (though it has had to
declare its loyalty to each new leader that has come to power since).
From: http://www.stratfor.com/products/premium/read_article.php?id=287803

Now answer the following questions concerning the article:

1. Why are the two branches of the Russian Orthodox Church reuniting now, in 2007?

2. When did the ROC split with the ROCOR? Why?

3. Was the Russian Orthodox Church truly an important part of the Soviet state?

29
Reading 9: The Russian Orthodox Church Reunification II
Read the continuation of the article concerning the joining of the branches of the ROC.

Talk of the reunification of the ROC and ROCOR began in 1991 after the collapse
of the Soviet Union. But ROCOR came up against a new roadblock: Patriarch Alexy II,
who vehemently opposed any changes to the church inside Russia. Under then-President
Boris Yeltsin, Alexy II wielded the power of the church, leading a crackdown on non-
ROC religions (though mostly sparing Jews and Muslims). Alexy II sought not to expand
the authority of the ROC outside Russia but to consolidate and maintain its power within
the country. These factors, along with Alexy II's refusal to discuss reunification, ensured
that the ROC and ROCOR remained divided.
But Putin brought to the office a new perspective on the church. He knew the
church could be useful in consolidating power within Russia -- especially since
approximately two-thirds of Russians consider themselves Orthodox, and large
institutions outside Russia were looking to reconcile their historic issues with the ROC. It
is not uncommon for states to use the church as a political and cultural tool, but this had
not been done in Russia since the fall of the empire. Though Alexy II attempted to
prevent the Kremlin from using the church in this way, he knew his job would be on the
line unless he surrendered to the Kremlin's agenda. Moreover, the Kremlin has lined up a
successor, Archbishop Kalinin, in case Alexy II needs to "step down early." Kalinin
already has been promoting the Kremlin's agenda abroad, especially with the Roman
Catholic Church.
During the past year [2006-2007], rumors of a reconciliation between the ROC
and the Roman Catholic Church have surfaced, along with reports that Alexy II could
soon hold a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. For his part, Putin has been pushing for
closer ties with the Orthodox and Catholic churches, particularly in Italy, where the
Roman Catholic Church is deeply embedded in politics and the prime minister is a devout
Catholic. Putin clearly sees this as an opportunity to use the church to further his goal of a
stronger Russia.
The ROC represents the majority of Russians, so it is only natural for the Kremlin
to maintain control over it after reunification. The Kremlin can also use the ROC to push
for the development of Russian nationalism under the umbrella of the church. The ROC
is politically tied to Orthodox churches inside the former Soviet Union, meaning it wields
influence in Central Asia, Georgia, Ukraine and Belarus. However, the reunification of
the ROC and ROCOR -- if only under the rhetoric of unity -- will allow the Kremlin to
extend its influence to any of the 400 churches outside the former Soviet Union and push
its agenda of a more powerful Russia abroad.
From: http://www.stratfor.com/products/premium/read_article.php?id=287803:


30
Now consider the following questions:

1. Why would the Russian Orthodox Church be less concerned with other religions such
as Judaism or Islam in Russia? What religions have historically been at odds with the
Russian Orthodox Church?

2. What political goals can be achieved by reuniting the Russian Orthodox Church in
Russia with its counterpart abroad? Who benefits from this situation?

3. Why would Putin seek closer ties specifically with the Roman Catholic Church in
Italy?

4. Find the following places on a world map: Central Asia, Georgia, Ukraine, and
Belarus. Why would these places be important for the Russian Orthodox Church?

31
Summation Activity

Divide up into two separate groups. One group will serve as the Russian Government and
one group as the Russian Orthodox Church. From what you have learned about the
historical relationship and current discussions between these two groups, come to an
agreement about the role of each group in making decisions about Russia's future.

Questions to consider:
Should there be a complete separation of Church and State?
Should the Church be allowed to help make decisions about political questions?
Should the State be involved in deciding where churches are built?
What complications arise if Church and State are united in governing the country?
Based on historical facts, what are the implications of separating the Church and the
State completely?
Who would be happy about the Church and State uniting?
Who would be upset?
Who would likely encourage separation of Church and State?
What would be the role of the President in each scenario?
What would be the role of the Patriarch?

When you have decided what would be best for Russia, come up with a plan for how the
change will be implemented. How will you tell Russian citizens what the plan is? How
will the new plan affect Russia's relationship with other countries? Come up with as
many ideas as you can and present your plan to the class.

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