FOR THE EVALUATION OF IOANE VOSTORGOV’S ACTIVITY (BASED ON THE MATERIALS OF THE PRE-COUNCIL MEETING OF THE RUSSIAN ECCLESIASTICAL ASSEMBLY

Abstract

The history of Georgia has involved largely antagonistic figures such as Arch priest Ivan Vostorgov, a student of Vasily Velichko and an “ardent Russian patriot”. The Russian archpriest was distinguished for his personal unfavourable attitude towards the Georgian Church and the issue of its autocephaly, attempts of persecution of the Georgian language, and his general hatred of Georgian people. During the period preceding the Russian Ecumenical Council (March-December 1906), the activities of Georgian priests (Bishops Kirion and Leonid) and scholars (Niko Mari, Alexander Tsagareli, Alexander Khakhanashvili), in particular, their disputes with the Russian clergy (both bishops and priests) and scholars (notable researchers of church law and history), would become a crucial part of materialization of the autocephaly of the Georgian Apostolic Orthodox Church.
Archpriest Ivan Vostorgov was one of the people who was heavily involved in the dispute.
The paper aims to reevaluate the activities of Ivan Vostorgov who explicitly opposed the issue of restoring the autocephaly of the Georgian Church and had many attempts to falsify the historical facts with his speeches, based on the materials of the pre-council meeting in Russia.