25th anniversary of V. O. Klyuchevsky’s professorial service at the Moscow Theological Academy

On October 27, in the halls of the Elizabethan “halls” of the main building of the Academy, a fraternal greeting took place for the historian and professor V.O., so famous in the Russian world. Klyuchevsky on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his professorial service at Moscow. Theological Academy. The intention of the colleagues of the hero of the day to celebrate this event in a closely closed circle with a fraternal meal was not entirely successful: as soon as a random note from some provincial correspondent appeared in the newspapers about the upcoming comradely dinner in honor of Klyuchevsky, so that this dinner would turn, so to speak, into an event in academic life, as numerous students and admirers of the hero of the day and the Academy were not slow to make it public throughout Russia: on the day of the anniversary of V.O. Klyuchevsky received a mass of welcoming telegrams, indicating that greetings to the handsome hero of the day were distributed not only in the Elizabethan palaces, but throughout Russia in circles of admirers and students of a highly talented and approximately zealous servant of Russian strictly national historical science. The irresistibly handsome personality of the hero of the day and his faithful service to the scientific goal made what was apparently a common occurrence of life, like a “comradely dinner”, became an event to the presentation of which an ordinary chronicler of the Theological Bulletin should devote quite a few pages. Twenty-five years ago, in the scientific movement of Russian thought and social self-awareness, the Slavic-Russian direction revealed itself with remarkably fruitful results. The names of the most influential representatives of Slavophilism, Russian and Slavic historians and Slavists belong to this time. The Moscow Theological Academy had among its midst the most sincere admirers and scientists of this direction. Naturally, therefore, it happened that when the master’s thesis of one of the graduates of Moscow University appeared, under the title: “Ancient Russian Lives of Saints as a Historical Source” by V. Klyuchevsky, the Moscow Theological Academy tried to attract into its midst a young scientist - the author of this work, who amazed him with his critical tact and talent, and - to say the least - with his hard work, and downright asceticism in his teaching hagiographic handwritten and printed material. At the professorial department, Vasily Osipovich introduced his listeners to the fascinating beauty characteristic of him in teaching Russian history in pure, characteristically flexible Russian speech. The strictly scientific tone of the lectures, combined with their artistic presentation and masterful manner of pronunciation, made Klyuchevsky’s audience very crowded and his personality unusually popular. Although during his 25 years of service Vasily Osipovich constantly lived in Moscow, however, with his heartfelt participation in all matters affecting the interests of the Academy, he became so close to it that she always considered him completely “one of her own” and looked at his every visit to a “lecture”, “dispute” or any “act” as if he were coming to her home. The Academy’s celebration of Vasily Osipovich’s twenty-fifth birthday was of the same homely, friendly nature. Apart from his colleagues, only Fr. Rector and teachers of Bethany Theological Seminary. On Sunday, chosen to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary, at the end of the liturgy, Fr. The rector of the Academy, in concelebration with the academic clergy, served a thanksgiving prayer service, then all Vasily Osipovich’s colleagues gathered in the rooms of Fr. Rector in the halls of the Academy. Briefly greeting the hero of the day, Fr. At the same time, the rector brought him a prosphora with a piece of it taken out for his health. Then four students, representatives of the Academy students, entered the hall, one of whom greeted the hero of the day with the following greeting: Your Excellency, Dear Mentor To the general chorus of congratulations and good wishes on the occasion of the past 25 years of your service to Russian historical science, we, the students of the Theological Academy, decide to add our humble voice. You have had the happy and enviable role of leading youth to the light of truth and knowledge in two higher educational institutions of the capital, and for a whole quarter of a century you have been fulfilling this high and honorable, equally difficult and responsible task with dignity, honor and great glory. It is not for us, of course, to evaluate your scientific activity; in general, it is so well known to everyone that any comments here, at least on our part, are inappropriate and unnecessary. As your real students and closest listeners, we allow ourselves to note at this moment that aspect of your pedagogical activity that most directly concerns us - here I mean your brilliant lecturing talent. If before entering the walls of this educational institution, most of us knew you as an outstanding modern historian, then all of us immediately upon entering became acquainted with you as a brilliant lecturer, capable of captivating and stunning the audience. Going to a lecture by V. O. Klyuchevsky, listening to his masterful essays on Russian history, rich in deep historical knowledge and subtle psychological analysis, means receiving not only great mental, but also high artistic pleasure. In your fascinatingly composed essays, forgotten pictures of our past rose up in all their irresistible vital truth and tactile reality; long-obsolete persons again appeared acting on the historical stage in all their individuality, with all their advantages and disadvantages, as real, concrete individuals. In a word, in your historical stories you resurrected the past of our history with inimitable artistry, and with your pastoral presentation you attracted the attention of your listeners, which did not weaken for a minute throughout your entire life. For your extensive, multifaceted and beneficial activities as an outstanding learned historian, for your sympathetic attitude towards us and for your inimitably artistic and talented lectures, we, your students and listeners, offer you our sincere gratitude and deep bow.” To this speech the hero of the day replied: “I get so much attention from both my colleagues and yours! And for what? For the sole reason that labor and love for the work were applied to the fulfillment of direct duty on my part. The reward is very high! With all my heart I wish you later - when you act in the field of teaching - to have the same attentive and grateful students. Thank you very much, and through you, to all my past and present students.” After this, lunch began, at the end of which, at the usual time of toasts, speeches poured out, one might say, in a whole stream from the colleagues of the hero of the day. The first to speak was Professor Vasily Aleksandrovich Sokolov (the eldest of Vasily Osipovich’s students present at the dinner). He said this: You dedicated twenty-five years, strong and fruitful years, of your life to serving our dear Moscow Academy. On this day, significant for all workers in Russian history, dedicated to the memory of the teacher. Nestor, the Academy, represented by all of us, its present representatives gathered here, expresses its sincere heartfelt thanks to you for your many years of valiant service. As a scientific institution, the Academy first and foremost honors you as a scientist. A deep researcher and expert on your subject, you have acquired such an honorable academic name that our academic family considers it a matter of just pride to have you in its midst. In your scientific works you have discovered such versatile merits that any interested historian can find in them high examples, completely worthy of imitation. In “Ancient Russian Lives” you showed how it is necessary to work on sources, how to spend whole years, sparing no time, labor and effort, delving into libraries and archives, studying many hundreds of manuscripts and, through their careful comparison, strict critical assessment, extracting from the mass of material grains of historical truth hidden in it. And in your “Boyar Duma” you showed how you need to create an elegant, harmonious building from the extracted material. Despite the difficulty of the task you undertook in this work, and the often extreme paucity of available data, by the power of your talent you unfolded before the reader such a broad picture in which he sees the entire political and social history of ancient Rus' based on the fate of just one institution. But this is not enough. You have proven yourself not only to be an exemplary historian-critic and a pragmatic historian, but also a historian-artist. Your “Good People of Ancient Rus'”, Your “Eugene Onegin”, Your “Memories of Novikov”, Your speech “about the importance of St. Sergius of Radonezh" represent such brilliant, truly artistic characteristics of eras and personalities that they can easily compete with the works of the pen or brush of any famous maestro. The happy, rare combination in you of deep learning with outstanding talent has always been highly valued by the Moscow Academy and therefore has always seen and continues to see in you one of its best scientific adornments. But the Academy is not just an academic institution, but together a school and, as such, it now greets you as one of its most worthy professors and leaders of its students. I personally have the happiness of belonging to the first year of your students. We first saw you when you were just entering the department as a candidate, so that in the presence of the entire academic Areopagus with the unforgettable Alec. Vasilyevich led the group to give his test lecture. We were also listeners of the first course of your lectures, to whom you revealed your glorious service at the Academy. I cannot resist now not testifying that from the very first year you were so able to captivate your listeners that we listened to you, one might say, with bated breath, and we began that long line of your admirers, which has now been continuously stretching for decades. If even then, in the very first year of your service, with all the difficulties and weaknesses inevitable for every beginner, you already made us bow before you, then what did you become for your students later, when you entered the time of a new flowering of your strength? We have now heard about this from your real students, and that colleague of yours, who is the youngest of our listeners in our corporation, will also tell us. The Academy, furthermore, is a corporation and we welcome you as our wonderful colleague and comrade. Without being a member of the Academy, having entered it from the outside, even living far from the Academy, you still became so close in spirit to it that you have always been and remain close to it and one of your own. All our academic joys and troubles have always been close to your heart as much as they are to you. More than once in my memory there have been and still are in the life of the Academy such things, for example. moments when the corporation must unite together and firmly stand in defense of the honor, good name and interests of the Academy, and always in such cases you - our Vasily Osipovich - are ours with all your heart; with experienced advice and energetic assistance, in word and deed we are ready to support our comrades and stand up for our Academy. And how many different kinds of personal comradely services have you provided and are providing to many of us? Whether you need anything at the University or in the Public Library or in some archive, or in one of the Moscow learned societies, we always ask our Vasily Osipovich and you work for us and get us what we need with such readiness and courtesy, as only the best disinterested friend and comrade can do. Finally, we, members of the academic corporation, also live our own social lives, forming a small but friendly friendly circle in which we spend our leisure time and share our thoughts and feelings with each other. With sincere pleasure we can say that you, dear Vasily Osipovich, while living in Moscow, have always been and remain one of the closest and beloved members of our posad academic circle. You always kindly respond to our call and come to us as if you were your own. We have all experienced and know how fun and pleasant those hours are when you are with us! It will be a great pleasure for us to have the opportunity to participate in your interesting, witty and intimate conversation. In our friendly circle you are always a kind, chief guest. Welcoming you now on the twenty-fifth anniversary of your academic service, we sincerely wish that in the future, as a scientist and professor, you will serve as an adornment of the Moscow Academy for many more years and continue to be a good comrade and dear welcome guest for us.” The long Lavra years that followed served as an expression of the general sympathy for the speaker of all those present. Then Associate Professor S.P. Smirnov (the youngest of the students of the hero of the day present) began to speak. Dear Vasily Osipovich! I listened to your lectures so recently, and then worked under your leadership, that I cannot regard you as anything other than my teacher. Let me, the youngest in the academic corporation and one of your last students here, speak as a student. Only you will forgive me if I have to repeat partly what your students of the present and long ago told you. From the seminary, we all come here a little bit of philosophers, little philosophers, taking on the solution of only the greatest questions of worldview. Naturally, we then look down on all history, and Russian history in particular. A boring seminar textbook, a long series of princely and other names that spoke little or nothing to either the mind or the heart, instilled in the soul the conviction that in Russian history there was no place for thoughts to unfold, nothing to think about, that the work of a Russian historian is purely mechanical - to pore through the archives and extract boring facts from there. And we seminarians somehow bypassed our native history in our studies and, I must admit, we come to your audience fully armed with ignorance, with half-forgotten seminary lessons and with random information from a heel of books, read without a plan or analysis, and most importantly, we are prejudiced against your science. What we heard in your audience was a complete surprise. Before our eyes, Russian historical life moved harmoniously, buried in a strict system, dressed in an exact concise phrase - and so from the beginning of history to the end, from the life of the Slavs in the Carpathians to the transformative era during the reign of Alexander II, inclusive. The figures of our past passed before us in a number of masterful characteristics. As if they were alive, they stood up in all the greatness of their historical feat, in the drama or comedy of their situation. Instead of the bare names of our textbooks, in the minds of your listeners there stood the same bright human types as the literary types of the best literary artists; instead of a series of unrelated historical episodes - a strict historical system. And we saw what energy of thought was required to develop this system, such power of feeling and artistic penetration was needed in order to make the people of our antiquity live again. From a distance we were afraid of historical monuments. But you extracted from them examples of incomparable folk laconicism, original expressions of all the close movements of the human mind and heart, on the basis of these monuments you painted such complete pictures of the past that your listeners involuntarily became imbued with a keen interest in them. So all our doubts about our native history disappeared spontaneously and imperceptibly and we understood how we can love it with all our souls and devote ourselves to it with our whole lives. But you appeared before us not only as a scientist and an artist, but also as an artist, talented in conveying in reading the most subtle shades of thought, infusing a living feeling into every image. In your lectures we were amazed by the music of your brilliant speech. Seeing you at the pulpit, we surrendered ourselves entirely to your power. And at times you control your audience, forcing them to either utter a whisper of delight or laugh. Noisily ushering you out of the classroom, we waited for your next lecture, next Monday. And how annoying it used to be when on Monday Stepan entered the large audience instead of you and announced to us: “Vasily Osipych will not be there, he didn’t come... sent a telegram!” In a word, your students must tell you that they studied with you with pleasure. However, I think you don’t even suspect, dear Vasily Osipovich, how many of your students have always been in our Academy, how many of them you visited during the 25 years of your professorship. If during one of your lectures you accidentally became interested and informed the composition of your audience, you would find out that in addition to one group of one course obligated to listen to you, you are being listened to from all groups and courses. Of course, it’s not for nothing that people are so willing to attend your lectures. Anyone who is interested in Russian history and studies it listens to every word you say, because you don’t say them in vain. Anyone who works in any other area of ​​history comes to you to learn the art of analyzing phenomena and synthesizing facts - comes to learn how to write history. Finally, many come to you in order to listen to subtle psychological observations, original thoughts that splash in every phrase of yours - to adopt the exemplary form of your speech, concise and elegant. Thus, your lectures for many student generations served and serve not only the immediate task of familiarizing themselves with the scientific formulation of Russian civil history... they are of great importance in a general educational sense. And it is not without reason that when leaving the Academy, every student who had the opportunity and money takes with him a detailed course of your lectures. And here is our wish to you, dear Vasily Osipovich - the wish of your students on the day of the 25th anniversary of your professorial service: may many more student generations listen to you with the same pleasure; let them learn from you to love our native past; let them remember you with delight when they leave school. May your brilliant work as a professor continue for many years to come! ... Then followed the speeches of professors: D.F. Golubinsky, G.A. Voskresensky, P.I. Gorsky. D.F. Golubinsky said: Dear Vasily Osipovich! I would like to offer you, as a Professor of Russian History, several historical memories that relate to you. Unfortunately, it happens to us that when we listen to a teaching in the Church or something similar, we have a sinful thought that interferes with the action of the teaching: a person speaks only out of obligation, and not out of deep inner conviction. But when a man of science unexpectedly tells us something instructive and edifying for the soul, it has a strong effect on us and remains in the soul for a long time. I would like to give you a few examples of when I heard something edifying from you. Remember what happened almost nineteen years ago. In November 1877, Father Archpriest Alexander Mikhailovich Ivantsov-Platonov, of blessed memory, defended his dissertation for his doctorate, and after that at the hotel he offered us a meal, by the end of which we were cheerful. At that time, both he and you taught at the Alexander Military School. Then the war with the Turks had not yet ended, and I gave Alexander Mikhailovich and you a short speech, in which I expressed the desire that under your leadership patriots would be raised who passionately love their Fatherland. Do you remember what you responded to my speech? You proposed a toast: to the study of nature in the spirit of faith. First of all, these words of yours were very joyful for me: for several years before this, when the class of physical and mathematical sciences was closed at the Academies, I was in danger of completely leaving my dear Academy. And only thanks to the kind participation of the ever-memorable Metropolitan Innocent and Father Rector Alexander Vasilyevich Gorsky, I survived in the rank of teacher of Natural Science Apologetics. Secondly, your words were instructive for me: for the position itself encourages me to try to study visible nature in the spirit of faith. I also remember with consolation your speech on the Academic Day in 1888, when the nine-hundredth anniversary of Christianity in Russia was celebrated. Your words on the second page of this speech are very significant: “Educating the believer for the coming city,” the Church “gradually renews and rebuilds the city that abides here. This restructuring of civil society under the influence of the Church is a mysterious and instructive process in the life of Christian societies.” And these words were revealed by you and proven by historical facts. The first day of October was a Saturday in 1888. Your speech had such an effect on me that, at the end of the all-night vigil in the parish church, I spoke about the content of your speech to our church warden, and he listened with attention and sympathy. My Parent, of blessed memory, treated Saint Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov, with reverence, and gave it to me in honor of him; Name. Several years ago I turned to you with a question about the significance of St. Demetrius in Russian History. I remember that you explained to me well that Saint Dmitry is a bright personality of that not very bright era in which he lived. Remember also your instructive speech in 1892, when the five hundredth anniversary of the memory of St. Sergius was celebrated. There is no need to say much about the sympathy with which this speech was received by the local holy monastery and society. I will only say that I also remember with gratitude that at that time you gave me a new donation to the Brotherhood of St. Sergius. From what I have said, the following corollary clearly follows: The works of conscientious scientists related to the History of Russia are very precious. For these works encourage us to love our Fatherland and treasure the sacred treasure of Orthodoxy. We sincerely wish you to work for many more years for the good of the dear Fatherland and for the glory of the Holy Church! G.A. Voskresensky said: For the fourth year you have been the chairman of the Imperial Society of Russian History and Antiquities at Moscow University. They began somewhat earlier than this period, but you actively supported them and now, one can hope, the best relations between the members of the academic corporation and the said Society have been firmly established. It is not uncommon that an academic worker, having collected valuable historical material or processed it, is at a loss with the question: where to publish the collected material or scientifically processed research? There are no funds for publication. Our academic journal, as well as other spiritual journals, understandably refuse to publish raw materials or studies that are too specialized and lengthy. How can we be here? Who should I contact? Who will come to the rescue? To help for. In recent years, the Society of Russian History and Antiquities has come into being. On the pages of its “Readings” it gives space to raw material if it is of historical value; It won’t be difficult to type an entire dissertation in one sitting. At the same time, thanks to the participation of workers of the highest theological school, the very “Readings” of the Society receive partly a church-historical, church-archaeological character, so dear to the heart of the Orthodox theologian. Examples of the Moscow Society's attentive and kind attitude towards the scientific works of members of the academic corporation in recent years are obvious to everyone. It is enough to name Evgeniy Evsigneevich, Nikolai Fedorovich, Alexander Petrovich. Exactly a year ago, I also used the services of the Society and, knowing your, Dear Vasily Osipovich, cordial relationship with our dear Academy, I allow myself to express my firm hope that the gratifying phenomenon I indicated will continue to have a place in the Society chaired by you. So allow me, Venerable Vasily Osipovich, to propose a toast to you, as the most worthy chairman of the Imperial Society of Russian History and Antiquities, and wish that the established good relations of the members of the academic corporation with the said Society will continue in the future, for the benefit of spiritual enlightenment and historical and archaeological science. P.I. Gorsky said this: It happened to me more than once to walk and sit near the Bethany pond on moonlit nights, with a light breeze, and admire the play of light on small waves, sometimes rolling along, sometimes across a narrow strip of water that reflected the shine of the moon. Look, the small fry, the waves, are running as if in a race and, flashing, sparkle with instantly flashing white-colored lights, as if released from Edison bulbs for the shortest possible time. I admired the play of light on small water ripples for a long time. It happened to me, passing by arable land, to stop and admire how a good sower sows. He will firmly step with his left foot, quickly move his right, lightly tap the basket with the lower end of his right hand, and rye or oat seeds will spread out from his handful in a wide fan. Look: the grains lay correctly, with the same thickness, without any gaps at all. The sower's hand did its job masterfully, no worse than a seeder. You look and admire. You listen to a Beethoven sonata or symphony and marvel at the power of his thoughts, his feelings, his imagination. Generous, almost to the point of extravagance, the rich man of the musical world, he, as if completely by chance, casually, scatters his goods in all directions: where - a full-sized chervonets, where - a ruble ruble, where - a brilliant one. a brand new, musical trifle. Just have time to notice where and what is flying, and just have time to grab it. You’ll grab it, but you’ll never guess what he’ll throw at your eagerly listening ears on the very next line. Essentially the same as on moonlit nights on the Bethan Pond, the same as near a skilled sower in the arable land, the same as listening to Beethoven, you experience while reading your, Vasily Osipovich, articles. Let us once again raise our glasses to the play of light, to the mastery of sowing, to the Beethovenian way of Russian thought and speech, and let us drink to Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky. A series of greetings concluded with speeches by Prof. – N.A. Zaozersky and Inspector of Bethany Seminary I.I. Lapensky. The hero of the day responded to all greetings with his usual courtesy, wit and sincerity, and the modest dinner dragged on for several hours, turning into an intimate, friendly conversation. During this conversation, to the general joy, His Eminence Arkady, Bishop of Balakhninsky - one of the many students of the Jubilee, who was passing through the Lavra - unexpectedly appeared in the hall and warmly greeted his teacher. Many letters and telegrams were received welcoming the hero of the day, which were read immediately upon receipt. So a simple friendly dinner turned into a unanimous discovery of the most sincere sympathy for the one who set the goal of his life to serve his native land with all the strength of his soul, tirelessly working on himself, using his God-given talent and appreciating most of all in life the very modest, but very difficult and very responsible calling of a professor. The celebration of the hero of the day was not limited to this day. The next day at 11 o'clock in the morning V.O. Klyuchevsky showed up for his usual lecture in the classroom. Here a completely unexpected, indescribable event occurred, both in its outward simplicity and in its deep inner content. The students, who had gathered in larger numbers than usual, greeted their professor-teacher with joyful, enthusiastic applause, and one of them, in simple and touching words, loudly testified on behalf of all those gathered his sincere love for the teacher, asking permission to capture it with a friendly kiss... Then the students asked the Professor to sit on the chair and with their own hands carried him to the department. The touched teacher, in response to this expression of love and respect, uttered an improvisation of rare inspiration and artistic beauty, expressing his view of the professorial vocation and speaking enthusiastically about some professors of the Academy - his predecessors, especially A.V. Gorsky and A.O. Lavrov - with whom he was on the most friendly terms: formed solely on the basis of a common view on the professorial vocation and service to scientific truth. Having told briefly and meagerly about these events, the chronicler, for his part, expresses a sincere desire that such simple events in the life of our schools, especially spiritual ones, be repeated more and more often. They are edifying and fruitful as exponents of the truth that the sorrows of serving the truth and the lesser young brethren, often crowning a modest leader with a cross and thorns, woven with envy and slander, reward him inevitably and sincerely with sympathy and quite unexpectedly bestow joy and triumph, which nothing in the world can take away. You might be interested in: