The course of political events that led to Moscow's rise was very difficult. The growth of the political power of Muscovite Rus is the result of very complex components.
One of such components is the attempt of Catholicism to forcibly carry out the “unification of the churches”, taking advantage of the plight of the Byzantine Orthodox Empire. Moscow has always looked at Byzantium as a fortress of Orthodoxy among the Latin and Basurman seas. And suddenly the news came to Moscow, which struck all its inhabitants, from the Grand Duke to the last beggar, that the Byzantine Emperor, the Patriarch and all the Bishops gave up on Orthodoxy at the Ecumenical Council held in Florence in 1493 and recognized the primacy of the Pope.
Professor Kartashev in the following words describes the deep impression that this message made on the whole of Northern Russia:
“The gloomy shadow from this eclipse of the sun of Orthodoxy touched Moscow and shook it to the depths of its soul. The Greek traitor, Metropolitan Isidore, brought in 1441 an act of betrayal of the faith and read it from the pulpit of the Assumption collection. The Russian bishops were attacked by a three-day tetanus of silence. The first to come to his senses was the Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich, declared Isidor a heretic, and the Russian church soul seemed to have risen from a three-day grave. Everyone understood that the sacrament of world succession to protect pure Orthodoxy until the imminent end of the century had henceforth invisibly passed from the fallen Second Rome to Moscow, and its truly blessed Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich received from above consecration into the true king of all world Orthodoxy, “the holder of the holy churches of God”. Since 1453, the judgment of God over the Second Rome has already become clear to all simple people."
The fact that Muscovite Rus refused to submit to the Florentine Union, according to the historian S. M. Solovyov, "is one of those great decisions that determine the fate of peoples for many centuries to come …"
“… Fidelity to ancient piety, proclaimed by the Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich, supported the independence of northeastern Russia in 1612, made it impossible for the Polish prince to access the Moscow throne, led to a struggle for faith in Polish dominions, unified Little Russia with Great Russia, and caused the fall Poland, the power of Russia and the connection of the latter with the peoples of the same faith on the Balkan Peninsula”.
Commenting on this assessment of Soloviev, prof. Kartashev notes:
“The thought of the historian runs along a purely political line, but in parallel and along the line of cultural interest, we must mark the moment of rejection of union as a moment leading an entire era. After that, the internal separation of the Russian world from the West, under the influence of the flared dream of Moscow - the Third Rome, already firmly consolidated the special Eastern European character of Russian culture, which was not erased either externally, much less internally, by the great Westernizing reform of Peter the Great.
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This is how the Orthodox Church drew a line, a line that sometimes deepened like a ditch, sometimes rose like a wall around the Russian world, in the infant and adolescent period of the growth of the national soul of the people, when the distinctive properties of its “collective individuality” and its derivative - Russian culture. This, so to speak, is the ontological significance of the Orthodox Church for Russian culture.
This is how the inner crystallization of the national consciousness of the Russian soul took place, after which it became impossible to be completely Russian without being Orthodox. Of course, in the sense of the completeness of Russianness, the completeness of Russian creativity."
And when Byzantium fell, the thought finally matured in Moscow that, by the will of events, it was destined to become the Center of Orthodoxy in the world, the Third Rome. Distant Moscow, lost among the forests and snows, itself has not yet thrown off the yoke of the Tatar yoke, firmly decides to take on the world role of the defender and guardian of Orthodoxy.
“When the Hagarian abomination of desolation became holy in the place, and St. Sofia turned into a mosque, and the ecumenical patriarch into a slave of the sultan, then Moscow became the mystical center of the world - the Third and last Rome. This is a terrible, breathtaking height of historiosophical contemplation and an even more terrible responsibility. A number of Moscow publicists of high literary dignity, with inspiration rising to the level of prophecy, do not write with truly artistic eloquence, but sing dazzling hymns to Russian Orthodoxy. To the White Tsar of Moscow and White Russia. The pulse of spiritual excitement of the Russian soul rises to biblical heights. Holy Russia justified its claim in practice. She took upon herself the heroic responsibility - the defenders of Orthodoxy throughout the world, she became in her eyes the world's nations,for the Moscow state suddenly became the last bearer, armor and vessel of the Kingdom of Christ in history - Rome the Third, and the Fourth will no longer exist. So David, who slayed Goliath, grew into the king of Israel. So the young and humble soul of the people - a disciple in Christianity, in tragic fear for the fate of the church, grew into a giant. This is how the great-power consciousness of the Russian people was born and its last and eternal mission was comprehended before it. The one who dared, without yet finally throwing off the yoke of the Horde, without schools and universities, without yet changing bast shoes for boots, to already accommodate the spiritual burden and the world perspective of Rome, he showed himself by nature capable of greatness, he became great inwardly. This devotion and fidelity of the Russian soul to Orthodoxy gave rise to the unforgettable, historically irreversible Russian cultural great-power and its originality. "the armor and vessel of the Kingdom of Christ in history - Rome the Third, and the Fourth will no longer exist. So David, who slayed Goliath, grew into the king of Israel. So the young and humble soul of the people - a disciple in Christianity, in tragic fear for the fate of the church, grew into a giant. This is how the great-power consciousness of the Russian people was born and its last and eternal mission was comprehended before it. The one who dared, without yet finally throwing off the yoke of the Horde, without schools and universities, without yet changing bast shoes for boots, to already accommodate the spiritual burden and the world perspective of Rome, he showed himself by nature capable of greatness, he became great inwardly. This devotion and fidelity of the Russian soul to Orthodoxy gave rise to the unforgettable, historically irreversible Russian cultural great-power and its originality. "the armor and vessel of the Kingdom of Christ in history - Rome the Third, and the Fourth will no longer exist. So David, who slayed Goliath, grew into the king of Israel. So the young and humble soul of the people - a disciple in Christianity, in tragic fear for the fate of the church, grew into a giant. This is how the great-power consciousness of the Russian people was born and its last and eternal mission was comprehended before it. The one who dared, without yet finally throwing off the yoke of the Horde, without schools and universities, without yet changing bast shoes for boots, to already accommodate the spiritual burden and the world perspective of Rome, he showed himself by nature capable of greatness, he became great inwardly. This devotion and fidelity of the Russian soul to Orthodoxy gave rise to the unforgettable, historically irreversible Russian cultural great-power and its originality. "So David, who slayed Goliath, grew into the king of Israel. So the young and humble soul of the people - a disciple in Christianity, in a tragic fear for the fate of the church, grew into a giant. This is how the great-power consciousness of the Russian people was born and its last and eternal mission was comprehended before it. The one who dared, without yet finally throwing off the yoke of the Horde, without schools and universities, not yet exchanging bast shoes for boots, already to accommodate the spiritual burden and the world perspective of Rome, he showed himself by nature capable of greatness, he became great inwardly. This devotion and loyalty of the Russian soul to Orthodoxy gave birth to an unforgettable, historically irreversible Russian cultural great power and its originality. "So David, who slayed Goliath, grew into the king of Israel. So the young and humble soul of the people - a disciple in Christianity, in tragic fear for the fate of the church, grew into a giant. This is how the great-power consciousness of the Russian people was born and its last and eternal mission was comprehended before it. The one who dared, without yet finally throwing off the yoke of the Horde, without schools and universities, without yet changing bast shoes for boots, to already accommodate the spiritual burden and the world perspective of Rome, he showed himself by nature capable of greatness, he became great inwardly. This devotion and fidelity of the Russian soul to Orthodoxy gave rise to the unforgettable, historically irreversible Russian cultural great-power and its uniqueness. "This is how the great-power consciousness of the Russian people was born and its last and eternal mission was comprehended before it. The one who dared, without yet finally throwing off the yoke of the Horde, without schools and universities, without yet changing bast shoes for boots, to already accommodate the spiritual burden and the world perspective of Rome, he showed himself by nature capable of greatness, he became great inwardly. This devotion and fidelity of the Russian soul to Orthodoxy gave rise to the unforgettable, historically irreversible Russian cultural great-power and its originality. "This is how the great-power consciousness of the Russian people was born and its last and eternal mission was comprehended before it. The one who dared, without yet finally throwing off the yoke of the Horde, without schools and universities, not yet exchanging bast shoes for boots, already to accommodate the spiritual burden and the world perspective of Rome, he showed himself by nature capable of greatness, he became great inwardly. This devotion and fidelity of the Russian soul to Orthodoxy gave rise to the unforgettable, historically irreversible Russian cultural great-power and its originality. "he became great inwardly. This devotion and fidelity of the Russian soul to Orthodoxy gave rise to the unforgettable, historically irreversible Russian cultural great-power and its originality. "he became great inwardly. This devotion and fidelity of the Russian soul to Orthodoxy gave rise to the unforgettable, historically irreversible Russian cultural great-power and its originality."
Lost in the snow, the Third Rome, realizing itself as the successor of the dead Byzantium, very quickly began to gain strength. The idea of the Third Rome led to a very strong elevation of the role and significance of the power of the Grand Duke. After all, if Moscow turned out to be the Third Rome, then the Grand Duke of Moscow turned out to be in the role of the former Byzantine Emperor. At the same time, the Russian Orthodox Church actually became independent from the Patriarch of Constantinople.
And this led to the fact that, having become independent from the Patriarch of Constantinople, the Russian chief hierarchs lost the support, which they had previously had in the Patriarchs of Constantinople, for their church power. Previously, in cases of disagreement with the Grand Duke, they could always refer to the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople and turn to him for help. And now this support has disappeared.
Now the Grand Duke of Moscow, practically acquired a very large role in all church affairs. And if he wanted to, he could break the symphony that had reigned before between the grand ducal and the church authorities.
In order to realize the idea of the Third Rome, the Orthodox Rome, a strong national power was needed. Power based on a religious idea. This power was necessary in order to free itself from the Mongol yoke and, freeing itself, to begin fulfilling its historical role as the Third Rome.
And such a power was created. The name of this monarchical power, which is completely different from the types of monarchical power that existed in the West, is “autocracy”.
I. S. Aksakov was right when he wrote that:
“… Autocracy, a completely popular institution; detached from the nationality, it ceases to be the Russian autocracy and becomes absolutism."
Correctly understood the role and importance of autocracy and slandered by the left Pobedonostsev.
“… Autocracy is sacred in its inner meaning, being a great service before the Lord; the sovereign is a great ascetic who bears the burden of power, cares for his people in fulfillment of the commandment "bear one another's burdens." Autocracy is not an end in itself, it is only an instrument of higher ideals. Russian autocracy exists for the Russian state, and not vice versa.”
In order to fulfill the goals set after the Florentine Council, the Moscow Grand Dukes and all Muscovites had to overcome an incredible number of all kinds of obstacles.
“Apparently, never and nowhere in the history of the world has the instinct of life manifested itself with such completeness, tenacity and tenacity as in the history of Moscow. Apparently, never and nowhere in the world has such a unity of national will and national idea been manifested. This idea was religious in nature, or at least was formulated in religious terms. Protection from the East was protection from "Basurmanship", protection from the West was protection from "Latinism". Moscow, on the other hand, was the guardian of the true faith, and Moscow's successes strengthened the confidence of Muscovites in their historical role as defenders of Orthodoxy. The fall of Constantinople, which followed immediately after the attempt of the Church of Constantinople to change Orthodoxy and conclude the Florentine Union with Latin, left Moscow alone in the whole world. It was she, Moscow, who stood firmly on "Orthodoxy"on the "right faith" it was now destined to become the "Third Rome" - "and the fourth would no longer be."
“Moscow, so to speak, anticipated Hegel's philosophy, according to which the entire world process had one goal: the creation of Prussia. The only difference is that for Hegel it was Prussia that was the ultimate goal, and for Moscow, she herself, Moscow, was only the weapon of the Lord God, a vessel chosen to keep the true faith until the end of time, and for all peoples and people of the world."
