XI International Conference of the Study Group on Eighteenth-Century Russia
10th-14th July 2023
Guzel' Ibneeva(Казанский (Приволжский) федеральный университет, Kazan, Russia), "The Role of the Orthodox clergy in Legitimizing the Power of Catherine II in the Ceremonies of Imperial Journeys"
The purpose of the paper is to study the interaction of the Orthodox clergy with Empress Catherine II during her imperial travels as a means of her political legitimization. The paper examines the political and cultural practices of the Russian Orthodox clergy in asserting the religious identity of the Russian Empress, in shaping her pious image of Catherine II, and her political legitimization in general.
The paper will show the patterns of behavior of the clergy in preparation for the arrival of the Empress and during her meeting. The archive materials of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra provide an opportunity to see the diversity of the monastery's activities in preparation for the arrival of Catherine II. The preparing the clergy, the rituals of meeting the empress were focused on maintaining the majestic and solemn image of the crowned person.
An important aspect of the population's perception of Catherine as a truly pious empress was her donations, the gifts of the Russian Orthodox Church. The paper will show the symbolic meaning of these gifts, contributing to the legitimization of her power.
The paper will also analyze the laudatory words and welcoming speeches of the Russian clergy and identify ways to legitimize the power of Empress Catherine II. They established the continuity of Catherine II’s authority with previous rulers, built the image of the “Mother of the Fatherland” and the trustee of the “Common Welfare”.
