Вестник Свято-Филаретовского института (Nov 2021)
Ralf Hollinger’s Letter about the 1st Congress of the Russian Student Christian Movement
Abstract
In this fragment from the letter of Ralf Hollinger to W. W. Banton, dated 13 October, 1923, we have a report of the first large meeting, which took place in Přerov (Czech Republic), and has gone down in history as the gathering which gave birth to the Russian Student Christian Movement (RSCM). Russian emigrants of varying age and status were present at this gathering, including students, theology professors, Orthodox priests who had come from various European countries, and even representatives of various American Protestant organizations. In the memoires of the participants of the gathering, it gained the moniker “Přerov Pentecost”. The author of the materials published here is R. Hollinger, who was the secretary of the World Student Christian Federation, the secretary of the YMCA for work with Russian students in Europe, and was one of the organizers of the congress, itself. The letter is addressed to W. W. Banton, who was an employee of YMCA working in the Russian section. In the letter we learn of the number of participants and about who they are, about the most important conclusions made by the meeting and the results of its work, which became the foundation of the Russian Student Christian Movement. Hollinger notes the significance of participants’ liturgical experience at Přerov, and particularly the liturgy served by Fr. Sergei Bulgakov. The result of the conference he calls a “uniting together of Russian student Christian groups”, as well as Christian scholars’ groups. The letter’s author comes to the conclusion that the congress marked the beginning of a new era in the history of work with Russian students in emigration. This publication is a rare example bearing witness to the founding of the RSCM; the original is kept at Yale University in the US state of Connecticut. The materials are accompanied by an introductory article with comments from the publisher.
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