Saint Philaret’s Institute Receives Accreditation for Its Master’s Degree Programme in History

Saint Philaret’s Institute has received state accreditation for its master’s degree programme entitled “The History of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 20^th Century”, appearing under rubric 46.04.01 (History), as per Rosobrnadzor Order № 1379, issued on the 24^th of June, 2024. Programme graduates will now receive official state diplomas.

The primary aspect which makes this programme unique is it’s focus on the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 20^th century. Despite having a quite specific focus, the special master’s programme is aimed at helping students deeply and thoroughly understand church life in the 20^th century in the context of the pre-revolutionary and synodal periods, as well as develop an understanding of the life of other confessions extant on Russian territory, and those events which the entire country lived through together during the period in question.

Dean of the Faculty of History, Konstantin Oboznyj (DPhil His), says it this way: “In speaking of 20^th century church history, we endeavour to speak about more than the Soviet Union and within a context that is broader than the confessional ROC. Our course offers disciplined study of the history of the Roman Catholic Church in the USSR, for instance. During the period of church persecution seen in the 20^th century, there was, quite simply, less rigour with regard to confessional boundaries with the Christian West; instances of mutual assistance popped up within ecclesial life, along with real Christian brotherhood.”

A separate course is focused on the history of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad. “We understand full well that this is a part of our Russian Orthodox Church that found itself in exile against its own will,” says Konstantin Petrovich. “In the main, people left to avoid physical extermination. Moreover, around a million of our countrymen found themselves abroad after the Civil War.”

The programme pays particular attention to historiography and historical source studies. “Our course in historiography, both civil and church, helps students understand how the study of History evolved in our country, including its roots and disciplinary vectors,” Oboznyj clarified. “We look at source studies, in so far as research work demands knowledge of sources and the ability to work with them. This includes both archival documents and personal documents from private sources, such as correspondence, diaries, memoires, and drafts; we even cover skills for gathering materials from verbal sources. A general understanding of the particular nature of 20^th century source materials is important.”

The programme also includes courses on “History of Everyday life in the Soviet Era”, “The History of Brotherhoods and Communities in Russia”, “Modern Approaches to Canonization and the Experience of the New Martyrs”, “Ecclesial Renewal in Early 20^th Century Russia”, and many others.