The discussion on the relationship of patriarch St. Tikhon and Soviet authorities in modern Russian historiography

The formation of a conceptual understanding of the relationship between Patriarch St. Tikhon and the Soviet regime began shortly after he was recognized for canonization at the Bishop’s Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1989 in the context of a general scholarly and public interest in his personality and activity. Perestroika historiography was characterized by a sharply negative attitude to the actions of the Soviet government, a negative assessment of all its undertakings and initiatives. The policy in relation to the Russian Orthodox Church and personally to Patriarch Tikhon gave rich information and corresponded to the ideological trends of the era. In the 2000s, estimates became more restrained and accurate. The question of motivating the actions of Patriarch Tikhon, of the purpose and tactical design of his actions in relation to the Soviet government is a difficult cognitive problem, and a significant part of modern historiography concerning his patriarchal ministry is devoted to the interpretation of this issue. This article is devoted to a discussion of Patriarch Tikhon and the Soviet regime in contemporary Russian historiography. The article examines the totality of historical works on this topic from 2000 to 2018.