V.V. Bolotov and German church historical science

German was the first of the new European languages, which Vasily Bolotov thoroughly studied at the Tver Seminary 1869–1875. This opened up a vast field of activity for him: along with the works of the holy fathers of the Church, he could now read the lexicons of Gederick, the works of Kronberg, Wagner and Hartwig. While studying at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy 1875–1879, V.V. Bolotov was able to verify that the History of the Ancient Church, as a scientific discipline, was quite thoroughly developed by Western European scientists. For example, when writing their monographs, German scientists used primary sources in ancient Eastern languages, which they knew better than the Russian church historians of that time. Thus, V.V. Bolotov had to make a choice: either repeat the well-known facts presented by Western European researchers on the basis of primary sources known to them, or begin to study the ancient eastern languages ​​of V.V. Bolotov chose the most difficult and thorny path. As he himself later recalled, “based on this principle, I recognized the languages ​​of the primary sources of ancient church history as obligatory for myself: Greek, Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Coptic, Ethiopian and Armenian.” 1 This determined the position of the Russian church historian in science for decades to come. He did not popularize the scientific developments of Western theologians, but he himself delved into the study of primary sources on the history of the Ancient Church. This is how V.V. assessed the methodology. Bolotov, professor of St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences Alexander Ivanovich Brilliantov: “Bolotov began his scientific activity when, in place of the schools of Neander and Baur, a new direction was discovered in Western church history under the influence of Richlian theology, and the modern luminary of this science, A. Harnack, had already declared himself with his first works. The reaction against Baur's Hegelian historical constructions that manifested itself in this direction was expressed in an appeal precisely to a detailed, if possible, study on a wide scale of the ancient history of Christianity. The character and scientific activity of Bolotov corresponds to this tendency towards detailed study.” 2 Similar thoughts are expressed on this matter by Prot. G. Florovsky. Speaking about those years when V.V. Bolotov took his first steps in the field of church-historical research, Father Georgy notes: “That was the time of church-historical heyday in Germany. This was immediately reflected in us. Neander in particular was read with enthusiasm in our country back then. Sometimes we directly set ourselves the task: to combine Western “genius” and learning with Eastern “authority” and “spirit of life.” There is also a philosophical interest in history, under the influence of German idealism.” 3 However, V.V. Bolotov did not act as a lone scientist, but based on the latest publications of his time that appeared in Western periodicals. According to SPbDA professor A.N. Brilliantov 1867–1933, “Bolotov found leaders for his scientific activities among Western scientists in the person of the Göttingen professor of oriental languages ​​Paul de Lagarde 1891 and the Tübingen professor of ancient civil history Alfred von Gutschmid I887. Bolotov treated their names with special respect. 4 B.V. Bolotov especially closely followed the scientific activities of Professor Lagarde of the University of Göttingen. Paul Lagarde / de Lagarde // Boetticher himself, Lagarde’s mother // 1827–1891, a famous Protestant theologian and Orientalist, over the many years of his life he published a number of works in Syriac, Coptic and other languages. 5 V. B. Bolotov highly valued the works of Paul Lagarde; in 1891, when the department of the Holy Scripture of the New Testament was vacant at St. Petersburg, V. V. Bolotov addressed the Council of St. Petersburg with a note “about temporarily not replacing it and about sending a candidate for it to the Gottingen prof. de Lagarde for the study of Semitic languages ​​in order to then replace this candidate with the chair of Holy Scripture.” 6 But, unfortunately, in the same 1891. Professor Paul Lagarde died, and B. B. Bolotov’s project was not implemented. Moreover, 1891 correspondence between B.B. Bolotov and the German scientist F. Schwartz, who occupied the department first at Rostock and then at the University of Göttingen. The Berlin Academy of Sciences commissioned F. Schwartz to compare the manuscripts of the “father of church history” Eusebius Pamphilus ca. 260–340. They were talking about the manuscripts of the “Ecclesiastical History” completed by Eusebius in 324–325; this work in 10 books tells about events from the beginning of Christianity to 324. B. B. Bolotov offered F. Schwartz his verification of the code of “Church History”, which he completed back in 1886. However, this initiative was not realized. There is no information whether the letter reached V.V. Bolotov from March 23, 1891 to Schwartz. In 1909, after the death of Bolotov 1900, Schwartz published the “History” of Eusebius, but Bolotov’s verification was not mentioned in the accompanying article. 7 A similar story happened between B.B. Bolotov and another German scientist, Wurstenfeld. In 1879, this researcher published part of the Coptic Synaxarion in Göttingen. 8 In the Ancient Church, the Synaxarem was a book containing selected passages from works of Christian literature. Usually these were stories about the exploits of saints and the sufferings of martyrs. According to V.V. Bolotov, he offered Wustenfeld an index he had compiled to the published part of the Coptic synaxarion. This time, the letter sent from St. Petersburg reached the German researcher, but in his response message, Wustenfeld said that, unfortunately, it would not be necessary to use this index for printing, since the publication would not be continued for reasons beyond the control of the German scientist himself. 9 But the Russian researcher was little affected by such failures, since he already had great authority in the scientific world. As Vladimir Solovyov recalled, “it was enough to see Bolotov two or three times and talk with him in order to recognize him as a person who was completely devoted to one service. Church historical science in the broad sense of the word - with all related areas of knowledge - outside of this, nothing had any interest or meaning for him.” 10 B.B. had special scientific connections. Bolotova with Leipzig. He hardly read secular newspapers, but he subscribed to the weekly German newspaper “Luthard’s Theologisches Literaturblatt” from Leipzig. This “leaflet,” according to Bolotov, “will deign to report to me weekly on every book, almost every article published in German and capable of interest to a theologian, so that I can always keep an eye on every bird that again flies out of this vast backwater, where, of course, there is a lot of “game.” 11 B.B. Bolotov maintained regular correspondence with the Leipzig bookseller and publisher Harrasswitz. He ordered various publications on church history from his supplier. In turn, Harrasovitz sometimes turned to the Russian scientist with a request for bibliographic information, for example, about the St. Petersburg Syriac codex of Eusebius’s “Ecclesiastical History.” 12 On some of the books received from Germany by V.V. Bolotov wrote the reviews. These are, for example, his notes on the book: “Canons of the most important ancient church councils together with the apostolic canons” - published by Professor Fr. Lauchert / Lauchert, Leipzig, 1896. 13 Being a professor at St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, V.V. Bolotov advocated for Academy students to be able to familiarize themselves with foreign periodicals on church history. “It is enough to note that publications of the Academy of Sciences of Berlin, Vienna, and Munich are not subscribed to our library,” 14 he noted in a memorandum presented to one of the meetings of the Council of St. Petersburg. Peru of V.V. himself Bolotov owns a bibliographic review, published by him in 1882 on the pages of the magazine “Christian Reading.” In the article entitled “German theological literature. Bibliographic notes,” V. V. Bolotov placed brief but succinct abstracts about 15 books published in Germany in the late 70s - early 80s of the 19th century. These are books by such well-known authors as Holsten, Lipsius, Geltzer, Briger, Burckhardt, Francis, Bachmann, Hergenröter, Schmid, Landerer, Bühler, Michelis, Laurin, Som and Dikhof. 15 Among the names listed, the most prominent place is occupied by Joseph Gergonröter 1824–1890, the famous Catholic church historian, professor of church law and church history in Würzburg. Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy and Moscow University Alexey Petrovich Lebedev 1845–1908 called Gergenröter the most important church historian of the 19th century. Gergenreter is the author of many articles and several monographs. Gergenreter's major work is the Guide to the General History of the Church. In 1868, Hergenreter was included in the committee for the preparation of the 1st Vatican Council of 1869–1870, at which the dogma of the infallibility of the judgments of the Pope was proclaimed. Hergenreter was the most energetic defender of the new dogma. In 1879 he was elevated to the rank of cardinal and given the position of prefect of the Vatican archives. 16 The opposite position in relation to the dogma of “papal infallibility” was taken by Friedrich Micholis 1815–1886, whose printed works were also reviewed by V.V. Bolotov. Friedrich Michelis was a Catholic priest, but, having criticized the new dogma, he was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1871. Soon after the closure of the 1st Vatican Council, the Old Catholic movement arose, and Friedrich Michelis stood at its origins. 17 Introducing their readers to the ideas of Friedrich Michelis, V.V. Bolotov could hardly have imagined that in 1893, on behalf of the Holy Synod, he would have to take the place of clerk of the Commission “for preliminary clarification of the conditions and requirements that could form the basis of negotiations on the union of the Old Catholics with the Russian Orthodox Church.” However, the main area of ​​interest of V.V. Bolotov was a Christian East, and knowledge of ancient eastern languages ​​gave the Russian historian the opportunity to study the history of the Ancient Church from primary sources. But even in this activity V.V. Bolotov used the works of German orientalists. Thus, when compiling a description of the Ethiopian manuscripts transferred to the library of St. Petersburg, Vasily Vasilyevich noted that he had at his disposal a detailed monograph by Jovius Ludolf “History of Ethiopia” Frankfurt-Main, 1681, a number of works by A. Dillmann Dillmann, published in Leipzig and Berlin, as well as the works of his most valued Daoul Lagarde, published in Göttingen. 18 Summing up the scientific activity of B.B. Bolotova, his colleague V.A. Turaev 1868–1920 revealed an amazing parallel in the biographies of two orientalists - Lyudolf and Bolotov. Noting that V.V. Bolotov was in close relations with the Abyssinian deacon who had converted to Orthodoxy, Christodoulus Gabra Christ, who arrived in Russia in 1692 and was assigned to the Academy, Boris Aleksandrovich continues: “their relationship resembles to a certain extent the friendship that united Liudolf and his Abba Gregory and which has become classic in the history of Ethiopian studies. If not for the premature death of Christodoulos, he could have provided, through Bolotov, the same services to Russian science that he provided through Ludolf and Gregory to German science.” 19 The “German Line” is constantly visible in the scientific activities of V.V. Bolotova. This was evidenced even by those of his acquaintances who were far from his scientific interests. Visiting his home village of Kravotyni every summer, Vasily Vasilyevich often communicated with the local priest. This priest visited him almost every day when he lived in his mother’s house in the summer. According to this shepherd, Vasily Vasilyevich spent his summer leisure time entirely reading books, and he read mostly German books... 20 Death of B.B. Bolotova caused grief in Russian scientific circles, as well as in church circles. “It is bitter to think not only that this asceticism was interrupted halfway through life, but also about how much more fruitful it could have been within these years under other historical conditions of mental life,” 21 Vladimir Solovyov wrote in his obituary. Foreign scientists also highly appreciated the scientific merits of B.B. Bolotov in various areas of church history. According to the German professor N. Bonwetsch N.Bonwetsch, B.B. Bolotov “for Russian church historical science himself became a model and teacher of the critical method.” 22 ...On April 19, 1903, the grand opening of the tombstone at the grave of V.V. took place. Bolotova. And again, as 3 years ago at the funeral service, speeches were made in which the enormous merits of the Russian church historian were noted. One of the speakers was Dmitry Nikolaevich Yakshich, Master of Theology from St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Vienna. As if to sum up what was said on this day, A.N. Jakšić noted: “Speaking about Bolotov in general, as a learned theologian, we involuntarily recall the words of the poet Schiller, who said: “Wenn die K?nige bau[n haben die Korner zu [thu[n,” because Bolotov was a real king of theological science in the broad sense of the word." 23 Rubtsov M.B. Vasily Vasilievich Bolotov Biographical sketch. Tver, 1900, S.59 Diamonds A.M. Professor Vasily Vasilievich Bolotov. Biographical sketch. St. Petersburg, 1910, p.16. Florovsky G., prot. Paths of Russian theology. Ed.4. Paris, 1988, S. 364 Diamonds A.H., op. cit., C.I7 Encyclopedic Dictionary. Christianity. v.11. M.1995, p.7. Brilliantov A. M., op. cit., P.40 Diamonds A.H., op. cit., P.23. Synaxarium der coptischen Christen, ?bers V.E.W?stenfeld. Gättingen, 1879 Diamonds A.H., op. op., C.7I. Soloviev Vladimir. Vasily Vasilievich Bolotov. Necrology.// Bulletin of Europe, I900, July, P.4I6. Rubtsov M.B., op. cit., P.89. Diamonds A.H., op. cit., P.72. Right there. C.65. // Christian reading, 1896, P, no. 7–8, pp. 178–195 Uberskiy H.A. In memory of SPbDA professor Vasily Vasilyevich Bolotov. Shb1903, S45. Christian Reading, II, Nos. 9–10, pp. 514–574, 1882; I, No. 5–6, P.778–817, P, No. 11–12, P. 796–835. Christianity. Encyclopedic Dictionary. T.I. M.1993, p.408. Christianity. Encyclopedic Dictionary. T. II.M.I996, C.I38 Bolotov B.B. Description of two Ethiopian manuscripts donated to the library of St. Petersburg by His Grace Anatoly, Bishop of Balta. SPb. 1887, pp. 1–2. Diamonds A.H., op. cit., C25. Rubtsov M.B., op.cit., C92. Soloviev Vladimir, ykaz.soch., S4K. In memory of SPbDA professor Vasily Vasilyevich Bolotov. Collection of speeches. St. Petersburg 1912, p.40. From the speech of A.N. Brilliantov. Yaksich A.H. Professor V.B. Bolotov’s view on Old Catholicism and Roman Catholicism. SPb. 1903, p.3.