The cult of the tsar and its promotion by Orthodox religious institutions

Abstract

With the annexation of Bessarabia to the Russian Empire, not only economic, political and cultural changes took place, but also spiritual ones. The strengthening of the role of the Orthodox Church for the idea of the Russian press will take place with the launch by Nicholas I of the well–known triad: “Orthodoxy, autocracy, people” – the three pillars on which Russian statehood will be based. It is interesting that “orthodoxy” in this triad occupies the primordial place and this in a multinational and multi–denominational state, and “autocracy” is on second place giving way to the Church. This position of the Russian Orthodox Church existed before and has been preserved since, with slogans such as “For Faith, the Tsar and Fatherland” or “Russian God, Russian Tsar and Russian People”. Obviously, for this position, the Orthodox Church had to make a significant effort to spread the cult of the tsar, which also refers to Bessarabia as a component part of this colossus. And this is done through all existing measures and possibilities. This also refers to the publicity of books invoking the entire imperial family, to the publication of instructions and special regulations related to the manner and rules of performing divine services in honor of the emperor and the imperial family, as well as various actions aimed at promoting the imperial image.