In Search of the Third Rome, or a Journey to the Origins

Abstract. The article deals with experience of the Summer humanities school called “In Search of the Third Rome: Five Centuries of the Russian Power Metaphysics”. School attendees had a rare opportunity of grasping the historical, political, metaphysical, historiosophical, cultural essence of one of the key metaphors of Russian history and culture – Moscow as a Third Rome, being on site of its origin, namely Spaso-Yelizarovsky monastery in Pskov Oblast, Russia. The key moment of the School was a deep dive into cultural and historical format of genesis and functioning of the Third Rome concept with a perspective of reaching an opportunity of designing and implementing particular media and museum projects. Interdisciplinary aspect of the school, a special atmosphere of the monastery, locations of the school events gave a unique opportunity to view the sources of Russian state in modern context. In the field of historical knowledge, the idea of Third Rome has become a source for the historical, cultural, religious, philological discussions about national identity, past and future images of Russia.

Keywords: Summer humanities school, Third Rome, project activities, interdisciplinary research, Yeleazarov monastery, Philophey.