The Role of Orthodoxy in the Historical Development of the Russian People

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2026-3/101-122

Abstract

The article focuses on Orthodoxy within a historical context, as a phenomenon that has shaped the Russian state and culture. However, it uses a specific methodology since our analysis is based on a morphological principle (a uniform description of all components of the described structure) rather than an isomorphic one (the principle of uniqueness). We demonstrate that within the "great tradition," namely, the ancient one, a rigid framework for the functioning of culture, ideology, and tradition is formed. Russian Orthodoxy, the heir to Byzantine Orthodoxy, addressed its own challenges in integration with the "great tradition," the ancient and Eastern Christian traditions, and the Orthodox faith. For ideology, the most important typological principle was the protection of rationalism by tradition and religion; for culture, the principle of “non-secular secularity”; and for tradition, ethnic individuality. Throughout its historical development, Russian Orthodoxy has addressed both the challenges common to the entire great tradition and those specific to Russians and other peoples living within a common political and civilizational space. To this day, Orthodoxy in Russia remains integrated into the governmental, social, and cultural mechanisms for the protection, reproduction, and unity of Russian civilization.