Russia, one of the largest empires of the world, containing in 1878 an area of 8,500,000 square miles, and a population of 87,800,000 souls, has under its rule about one sixth of the entire surface of the earth, and still continues to expand in Asia. It is in point of ter- ritory about equalled bj' the British empire, but is more than twice as large as anj' other country. Among the Christian nations it is the foremost standard-bearer of the interests of the Greek Church, being not only the only large state in which this Church prevails, but con- taining within its borders fully seventy-seven per cent, of the aggregate population connected with it. More than any Catholic or Protestant state, the government of Russia uses its political influence for advancing the power of its oflScial Church at home as well as abroad; and has recently not only co-operated in the re-es- tablishment of a number of independent co- religious states in the Balkan peninsula, but is rapidly plant- ing the creed of the Greek Church among the sub- jected tribes of Asia, and also, to some extent, in the adjacent countries. The Russian empire, by its vast conquests in Europe and Asia, embraces a variety of re- ligions, even the Mohammedan and heathen. The re- lation of the state to other forms of religion is deter- mined by Article 40 et seq. of the first volume of the Russian law, as follows: "The ruling faith in the Rus- sian empire is the Christian Orthodox Eastern Catholic declaration of belief. Religious liberty is not only as- sured to Christians of other denominations, but also to Jews, jNIdhammedans, and pagans, so that all people living in Russia may worship Ciod according to the laws and faith of their ancestors." This law, however, is in- terpreted in such a manner as to mean that religious liberty is assured only so long as a member of an imor- thodox Church adheres to the faith iu which he was
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born ; but all unorthodox churches are forbidden to re- ceive as members proselytes from other churches. A severe penalty is imposed upon any one who leaves a Christian for a non-Christian religion.
I. The Russian Church. — 1. Its Origin and Progress. ^The Russian empire begins with the elevation in 8f>'2 of the Norman Ruric to the throne. At that time, the territory inhabited by the Russians was without Chris- tian churches. A Russian tradition, according to which the apostle Andrew had planted the first cross at Kief, cannot be authenticated. TertuUian, Origen, and Chrys- ostom speak of the triumphs of Christianity among the Scythians and Sarmatians, and a doubtful inference has been drawn from their words that Christianity had also made converts among the Russians at this early period. If really any congregations were organized, thej' perish- ed during the migration of nations. It is reported that in the 9th century patriarch Ignatius of Constantinople sent again missionaries to the Russians, and patriarch Photius praised them for their enthusiastic desire for the Gospel — a praise which was not verified by subse- quent events. In 955, Olga, the widow of Igor (912- 945) and regent of Russia during the minority of her son Svatoslav, procured baptism for herself in Constan- tinople from the patriarch Theophylact, and had her name changed to Helena; but even to the close of her life she could enjoy the services of a Christian priest only in secret. Her pious desire to see her son con- verted was not fulfilled; but her grandson Vladimir I (980-1014), called Isapostolos (apostle-like), not only embraced Christianity himself (988), but at once de- cided the triumph of Christianity in the empire. After investigating the conflicting claims of Mohammedan- ism, Judaism, and Christianity, as represented by mis- sionaries of these various creeds, he was won over by the enthusiastic accounts which his ambassadors to Constantinople made of the splendor of the Eastern service in the Church of Sopliia. The people cried when the images of Feroun and other gods were cast into the Dnieper, but without active resistance yielded to the demand of Vladimir that the people be bap- tized. His son Yaroslav (1019-54) nearly completed the conversion of the Russians who remained in close con- nection with the see of Constantinople. A metropolitan see was established at Kief, which was called a second Constantinople. The fifth metropolitan, Hilarion (1051- 72), was elected by order of grand -duke Yaroslav at the Council of Kief without the co-operation of the pa- triarch of Constantinople. A cave-convent (Peczera) at Kief became in the Uth century a famous seminar_v of the Russian clergy and a flourishing seat of Russian literature. Here the monk Nestor (1056-1111) wrote his Annals, the chief source of information for the earliest history of the Russian Church. The rapid growth of the Church, and the great practical strength which it displayed so soon after its establishment, nat- urally attract the attention of the Church historians, who attribute it chiefly to the fact that the Church, at its foundation, found the translation of the Bible by Cyril and Methodius into the national Slavonic language ready for use. The practical strength displayed by the Russian Church at so early a period is the more surpris- ing, as Russia alone among the European nations (un- less Spain and Hungary be counted exceptions) was Christianized without the agency of missionaries, and cliieriy by the direct example, influence, or command of its prince. The Russian Church has dignified its founder, prince Vladimir, with the name of saint, and the same honor has been conferred upon another prince of the loth century, Alexander Nevski, so called from a victory on the banks of the Neva, in which he repulsed the Swedes. Besides these two saints, two other princes are held in high veneration — the one, Yaroslav (1017), for introcfucing the Byzantine canon law and the first beginnings of Christian education; the other, Vladimir Ii, surnamed Monomachos, for being a model of a just and religious ruler. Ivan I transferred (1325) his resi- IX.-L