Relationship between the Russian and Alexandrian Orthodox Churches in the 1980s

Abstract

Background. The relevance of the analysis of the relationship between the Mos-cow and Alexandria Patriarchates in the last decade of the Soviet period is determined by the need for a conceptual understanding of the processes that took place in the sphere of state-church relations in the USSR in the 1980s, as well as the application of historical ex-perience in choosing the priorities of church and state policy. The purpose of the study is to analyze the relationship between the Russian and Alexandria Churches in the 1980s, as well as its nature, forms and significance in terms of the interest of Church and state. Materials and methods. The analysis of the relationship between the Russian and Alexandria Patriar-chates is based on documents from the State Archives of the Russian Federation introduced into scientific use for the first time. Methodologically the study is based on the principle of historicity, which allows us to analyze the nature and content of the relationship between the two patriarchates in the context of the USSR’s Middle East policy in the 1980s. The work uses the methods of historical science: problem-chronological, hermeneutic, compara-tive, synchronous and the combination of diachronic and hermeneutic methods. Results. The forms, directions and nature of the relationship between the Russian and Alexandrian Churches at the level of the heads of the Churches, as well as at the level of the institute of representative offices were analyzed. Conclusions. The relationship between the Moscow and Alexandrian Orthodox Churches in the 1980s remained smooth and friendly, largely due to the efforts of the Moscow Patriarchate. The activities of the rectors of the Alexander Nevsky Church in Alexandria, who performed the function of representatives of the Mos-cow Patriarch to the Patriarch of Alexandria, were of great importance in maintaining and developing relations between the Churches. The Alexandrian Patriarchate in the 1980s also sought to maintain friendly relations with the Russian Orthodox Church, hoping for its help and material support. The Soviet government, in the context of the aggravation of relations between the USSR and Egypt in the early 1980s, considered church channels as an oppor-tunity to maintain the Soviet presence in the country and attached great importance to the development of relations between the Churches. In the context of sharpening tensions be-tween two countries the Soviet state considered the church contacts as a possibility to main-tain its presence in Egypt and attached great importance to the strengthening of relations between Churches.

Keywords

• moscow patriarchate
• alexandrian patriarchate
• church representations
• soviet diplomates
• middle east