“The History of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem”. On the 65th anniversary of the dissertation of Archimandrite Nikodim (Rotov)

In 2024, Archimandrite Nikodim (Rotov) was awarded the degree of Candidate of Theological Sciences by the members of the Council of the Leningrad Theological Academy and Seminary for his term paper “The History of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem”. The dissertation, which was written while he was in the Holy Land, is the first major scientific work to describe the history of the Russian Mission in Jerusalem from its founding in 1847 until 1917. Archimandrite Nikodim’s significant contribution was his extensive use of archival materials from the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission’s archive in Jerusalem, many of which had never been published before. As a member of, and later head of, the Mission, Nicodemus balanced his ministry and administrative duties with his academic research, working diligently and productively with the documents. That is why Nikodim’s work remains relevant to this day. Its scientific significance has not diminished, and it continues to be supplemented by new sources and materials that have been introduced into the scientific community.