Bishop Porphyrius (Uspensky) and the ethiophian church

Russian-Ethiopian contacts go back several centuries. They include not only the natural diplomatic and political aspects, but also special ecclesiastic and literary connections. Important church historians and orientalists, such Professor V. Bolotov, Academician B. Turayev, and others, were involved in their development. In the present article, the author discusses the contribution of Archimandrite Porphyrius (Uspensky), graduate of St. Petersburg Theological Academy (Class of 1829), the first head of the Russian Ecclesiastic Mission in Jerusalem, and one of the first representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church to actively pursue religious contacts with the Christians of Ethiopia.