Memoirs of Archpriest N. Karashevich on the Pilgrimage to Palestine and to Mount Athos in 1872
Abstract
The article analyzes the memories of one of Russian Orthodox pilgrims, who travelled across the Eastern Mediterranean priest N. Karashevich of the Starokostyantynov town in the Volyn province. The text gives external and internal criticism of these memories, which were printed in 1874 in the Volyn eparchial sheets magazine. The memoirist told about the journey, held in 1872; he visited Jerusalem, Bethlehem and other shrines of Palestine, as well as Mount Athos. Such category as “the other” is very important in this text, it is nonverbally present in memories describing the various facts, events and phenomena. For the author category “the other” is first and foremost – a Greek Orthodox Church, which was close to the Russian Orthodox Church, but had its differences. The article also addresses the rumors and fears, which had been circulating among Russian pilgrims. They concerned those surprises and dangers, which travelers from Russia could meet on their way. The article examines the provincial priest perception of another ethno-cultural and religious world, in particular, his attitude towards the Greek Orthodox clergy and Catholics in the Middle East. The author shows the attitude of Russian pilgrims to the holy sites of Mount Athos and its monks, which were considered in Russia a model of piety. The end of the article contains important conclusion: during the pilgrimage Russian travelers have experienced ethno-cultural and religious identity. They more clearly felt their place in the world as Russians and Orthodox.
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