The Choice of Confession and the Baptism of Rus’ in the Historical Narrative, 18th — Early 19th Centuries

Abstract

The article examines the representation of the Christianization of Rus’ in texts from the 18th to early 19th centuries. The author aims to investigate the persistence and transformation of key plots and motifs within the narrative of the Baptism of Rus’ in texts from this period, considering the development of historical thought, the political agenda, and the rationalist tendencies of the era. The work is based on the methodology of historical narrative analysis, understood as a complex textual representation that constructs an image of the past through interpretations conditioned by the authors’ methodological positions. The research is built on a comprehensive study of a corpus of sources of various genres: historical works (by V. N. Tatishchev, M. V. Lomonosov, M. M. Shcherbatov, N. M. Karamzin), ceremonial speeches, sermons (by G. Z. Bayer, Feofan Prokopovich, Gavriil Buzhinsky), and literary works (the tragicomedy “Vladimir” by F. Prokopovich and the poem “Vladimir Vozrozhdenny” by M. M. Kheraskov). This approach allows for identifying how the basic narrative, inherited from the Primary Chronicle (Povest’ vremennykh let) and reworked in the 17th century (primarily in the Sinopsis), was adapted and reinterpreted in various intellectual contexts. The study demonstrates that while the main plot framework remained stable, its substance evolved significantly under the influence of rationalism and the secularization of historical thought. The author identifies several key transformations: the rationalization of explanations, the construction of new plots, the articulation of secular consequences of the Baptism, and a critical reinterpretation of tradition. The author shows how 18th-century historians sought to provide logical, cause-and-effect explanations for events merely stated in the chronicles. The article notes that during the period under study, themes of organized resistance to Baptism by pagan priests firmly entered the narrative for the first time. 18th-century authors also highlighted and discussed a plot related to the missionary policy of the Papacy, which sought to extend its influence to Rus’ after its Christianization. A shift occurred from a predominantly spiritual interpretation of the Baptism’s consequences (salvation of the soul) toward understanding it as a civilizational and political act that established ties with Byzantium, facilitated the influx of sciences and arts, and thus served as a foundation for future state and cultural development. By the beginning of the 19th century, a critical approach to sources was established, significantly shifting the focus of historical writings from descriptive to investigative. The article concludes that the historical narrative about the Baptism of Rus’ in the studied period was not static. While maintaining formal continuity with 17th-century texts, it underwent profound internal reworking, reflecting the gene­ral dynamics of historical thought — the movement from a confessionally oriented chronicle account toward rational, critical, and secular historiography.