THE CORRESPONDENCE OF NIKOLAI DURNOVO WITH ARCHPRIEST IOSEB CHIJAVADZE

Abstract

The 19th–20th centuries represent one of the most controversial and tragic periods in the history of the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia. While this period has been extensively studied in Georgian historiography, it is particularly compelling when examined through the perspective of non-Georgian scholars and thinkers. A notable figure in this regard is the historian and philologist Nikolai Durnovo, whose name is primarily associated with his work The Fate of the Georgian Church. Less known to the scholarly community is the fact that between 1906 and 1917, Durnovo maintained a correspondence with Archpriest Ioseb Chijavadze concerning the problems facing the Georgian Church at that time and a range of related issues.

This study is based on archival documents preserved in the personal fund of Kirion II at the National Archives of Georgia and aims to analyze and introduce Durnovo's correspondence with Ioseb Chijavadze to a wider audience. Analysis of the archival materials reveals that Durnovo's interest in the Georgian Church was not limited to the question of autocephaly; he consistently followed the internal developments within the Church and the political realities, including the election of the Catholicos-Patriarch of the Apostolic Church of Georgia.

The study employs historical-comparative and source-critical analytical methods. The findings reveal N. N. Durnovo as a rare example of a Russian scholar who, against the backdrop of criticism of imperial ecclesiastical policy, impartially sought to defend the historical rights of the Georgian Church and the interests of its clergy. This circumstance gives Durnovo's legacy particular significance for the study of Georgian Church history and ecclesiastical-political thought.

Keywords: N. N. Durnovo, Archpriest Ioseb Chijavadze, Autocephaly of the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia.