THE ROLE OF THE BULGARIAN PATRIARCH CYRIL IN THE HISTORY OF RUSSIAN-BULGARIAN CHURCH RELATIONS
DOI: 10.23951/1609-624X-2017-9-31-40
The article is devoted to the study of life and work of the Bulgarian Patriarch Cyril in the context of studying his Russophile views. The work was based on the correspondence of the Bulgarian First Hierarch with archpriest Vsevolod Spiller and Department for external church relations consultant A. L. Kazem-Bek. The Bulgarian First Hierarch, having received a worthy European education, began his administrative service under the Synod of the Bulgarian Church, first in the rank of hieromonk, then archimandrite and vicar bishop. After a while he became a Plovdiv Metropolitan, taking over one of the largest and oldest dioceses. As the ruling bishop, he actively advocated for the Bulgarian Jews, who, with the arrival of the Nazis, were expelled from Bulgaria and sent to hard labor in labor camps. In addition to the fact that Metropolitan Cyril personally participated in the rescue of Jewish families, he urged the bishops at meetings of the Synod to help them and save them from destruction, thanks to which many Jews were saved. In 1953 Metropolitan Kirill was elected Patriarch. During his episcopal and patriarchal ministry he had an active correspondence with friends from Russia. Thanks to the surviving letters in this paper we attempted to analyze the nature of this correspondence and draw a conclusion that determines the relevance of the topics covered for contemporary church historical science.
Keywords: Russian Orthodox Church, Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy, Patriarch Kyril, archpriest Vsevolod Shpiller, Alexander Lvovich Kazem-Bek, correspondence
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Issue: 9, 2017
Series of issue: Issue 9
Rubric: WORLD HISTORY
Pages: 31 — 40
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