Some Reflections on Contemporary Studies in History of Theological Education in the Russian Empire: Unspoken Taboos, Academic Censorship and Self-Censorship

N.G. Pomyalovsky’s book “Seminary (“Bursa”) Sketches” is a vivid and convincing evidence of the life of lower and middle theological educational institutions in pre-revolutionary Russia. This book was written in lively and imaginative language of the mid-19th century, but it turned out to be understandable to readers of later eras. However, the images of this work and realities, described here and confirmed in many other works of art and diary entries about the life of the seminaries and theological schools (“bursa”), come into conflict with the reconstructions of the inner life of theological educational institutions in contemporary academic publications. Researchers either try to ignore the internal disorders of these schools, or diligently reduce the impact of these problems on the life of the church and the educational corporations themselves. One of the most
important reasons for the appearance of such formal and superficial publications is the conscious refusal of contemporary historians to see a specific environment, alive people and special interpersonal and social relations behind the social and political processes that took place in theological educational institutions. This situation calls into question the academic conscientiousness of both this approach to the study of religious life and the rejection of anthropological approaches to the reconstruction of the past. No less a problem is the lack of understanding by most researchers of the peculiarities of the life of theological schools, their traditions and peculiarities of existence. The author of presented article attempts to comprehend these contradictions.