Byzantium and Russia were closely linked for centuries.The Byzantine state was not just the heir to the culture of antiquity and of the Roman Empire, it was enriched by their own Orthodox faith, and later enriched by it throughout the world.Orthodox culture came to Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania and many other countries, thanks to Byzantium.
Russian with faith also took its canons and dogmas, but to a greater extent, our ancestors borrowed from the Greeks beauty of worship - church singing, temple building, icon, and the principles of the Christian ascetic life.Novokreschenov Russia was most attracted by these aspects of Orthodoxy, which fell on fertile soil, developed independently and with high activity.
Christianity became logical to the historical point of view replacing ancient Russian paganism, which was typical of the tribal society.Pagan followers filled with fear and a sense of powerlessness in the power of nature.Christianity also brought the opposite point of view, putting people at the center of the nature and appropriateness of the latter revealing the divine.The first product of cultural monuments and Orthodox Russia filled with joy and admiration of the world and man.
Ancient Rus and Byzantium
first book appeared in Russia, brought from Byzantium.The holy brothers - Cyril and Methodius (one of the outstanding figures of Byzantine culture) have become educators of the Slavic people.The first school, which opened in Novgorod, Kiev and other cities were built by Byzantine models.Russian masters taught the construction of churches and their frescoes and mosaics, were trained in iconography, creating miniatures of the Byzantine.It was not just the church borrowed the terminology, but also the names of the Orthodox church calendar: a large part of the common today in Russia are the names of Greek origin (Peter, Galina, Andrew, Irene, and others.).
particularly close relationship of Byzantium and Russia established after a trip to the Grand Duchess Olga of Constantinople, who went there to be baptized.Other activities, strengthen the relationship between the two powerful states can be attributed Orthodox mission, sent to Prince Vladimir, and the Embassy of Rus' to the Greeks. "
Byzantium and Russia: fruitful cooperation
adopting Orthodoxy, Russia The basic directions of cultural and historical development of their territories for many centuries to come.
about 450 years (from 988 in 1448 years) the Russian Orthodox Church was a Metropolitan of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and most of the Metropolitans of Kiev at that time was introduced by the Greeks, because they were elected and approved in Constantinople.Thus, cultural and largely political influence of Byzantium on the territory of Russia strengthened church-administrative relationship.
Among immigrants from Byzantium to Russia were valued painters, builders of churches, scientists, writers.Likhud Brothers, one of these figures, in 1685 at the request of Patriarch Joachim opened the first higher education institution in the capital - the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy at Zaikonospassky monastery.
Due Byzantium gave in the second half of the 19th century, when the university began to teach Byzantinologist - course on the history and literature of Byzantium.Greek became mandatory for study in schools, academies and seminaries, as the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, liturgical texts, and most of the works that came out of the hands of the fathers of the Ancient Church still persisted in his ancient Greek writing.Children in parochial schools learned about the Byzantine Empire from the first years of teaching.
Thus, Byzantium and Russia - is a perfect example of the positive influence of the culture of one country to another.
