Вновь открытое письмо патриарха Адриана Петру I от 19 мая 1696 года в контексте взаимоотношений Церкви и государства в конце XVII века

Rediscovered Letter by Patriarch Adrian to Peter I of 19 May 1696 in the Context of the Relationship between Church and State in the late 17th Century

The article introduces an unpublished correspondence from Patriarch Adrian addressed to Peter I, dated 19 May 1696. A preliminary draft of the letter was preserved among the papers of Karion Istomin, a renowned poet, translator, and the patriarch’s secretary, who appears to have authored the document’s content. The purpose of the message, conveyed to the tsar, who was then commanding the siege of Azov alongside foreign, non-Orthodox military specialists such as F. Lefort and P. Gordon, was to respond to the publication in March 1696 of a translation of “Orthodox Confession of the Catholic and Apostolic Eastern Church” by Peter Mogila, a copy of which was included with the letter. In his introduction of the translated text, Adrian specifically emphasized Mogila’s prohibition against communication between Orthodox Christians and “heretics.” The patriarch’s preface to Mogila’s work further explicates this point. This publication challenges the conventional perception of the last pre-revolutionary Patriarch as a figure lacking the resolve to oppose Peter I’s policies. In fact, Adrian notably and consistently opposed the rapprochement of the Orthodox Church with “heretical” foreigners and the adoption of customs proscribed by the Church from these foreign influences. He utilized both the broad dissemination of his message through the press and direct channels of communication with the tsar to express his stance. Consequently, this published message constitutes a significant historical source, enriching our understanding of the dynamics between Church and State in the late 17th century.