The Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem: History and Perspectives

Abstract

Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem is the oldest representation of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad. Acting since 1847 in the Holy Land, the representation of the Russian Church in Jerusalem has been an eyewitness of the change of several forms of political structure in Palestine. The fate of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem is marked by seven decades of prosperity, when its property and Russia's authority in the Middle East grew. Seven decades replaced its expansive presence, which associated with the loss of many infrastructure facilities, the attenuation of previously large-scale activities and the reduction of main tasks to preserve the remaining property, which had been looked after by the pilgrims since the prerevolutionary time. The collapse of the Soviet Union freed the church from the shackles of constant supervision, made travelling abroad unhindered. The Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem received new life, expressed in the previously unknown influx of pilgrims and the expansion of its responsibilities. The traditional duties, connected with prayers for Russia and the organization of pilgrimage, were supplemented with care for the Russian-speaking population permanently residing in Palestine, who came to Israel as immigrants or created families in their new homeland. Thus, at present time, the main tasks of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem are activities, aimed at preserving the property left after the deprivations of the Soviet era, organization of pilgrimages at a qualitatively new level, and spiritual nourishment of Russian-speaking Christians. The article considers the author's reflections on the existing phase of the Arab-Israeli confrontation and its correlation with the religions in Palestine, and on the necessary intensification of the activities of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem in the most promising areas: cultural, religious, and tourist.