Debate on Russian Saints in European Narratives about Sixteenth-Century Muscovy

Filyushkin, Alexander (2024) Debate on Russian Saints in European Narratives about Sixteenth-Century Muscovy. RUSSIANSTUDIES.HU, 6 (1). pp. 11-27. ISSN 2677-0660

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Abstract

In the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period, issues of endo- and exo-identity were closely related to religious affiliation. Description of the ‘religion of Muscovites’ played an important role in both Catholic and Protestant authors’ works. This article examines the works of Jan Lasky, Johann Fabry, Matvey Mekhovsky, Sigismund von Herberstein, Alexander Gvagnini and Heinrich Staden as well as Ivan the Terrible’s dispute with Jan Rokita. The author draws attention to the different interest in various aspects of religion shown by Catholics and Protestants. The Orthodox Church treated the Protestants worse, which is paradoxical given that Protestants (Danes, at one time Swedes) were allies of Ivan the Terrible. In 1596, the Brest Union was signed, which seemed to alleviate confrontation between the churches in Eastern Europe but in fact aggravated the conflict.

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