Eurasian Interpretation of Alexander Nevsky in the Works of Vernadsky and Klepinin

Abstract

Within twenty years after the 1917 revolution, the historical memory of Alexander Nevsky had died away in the Soviet Russia due to a strong association between his veneration and the Romanov dynasty. By contrast, scholars of the émigré milieu regularly referred to the prince’s historical and spiritual experience. However, even abroad, although the name of the prince occurred in fundamental works and scholarly articles, only one book on his biography was published throughout this period (1927). It is the work by N. Klepinin, whose life happened to be closely connected with the Eurasianist movement. This circumstance determined the rapprochement with the Soviet special services, participation in special operations, homecoming and, eventually, death. The dramatic fate of Klepinin should not diminish the merits of his main and, unfortunately, the only major historical work. The comparison of this work with those of G. Vernadsky and the archives of the scholar, published and introduced by A. Dvornichenko, enable us to trace the ideological connections of two émigré historians. Their contemporaries, in particular, G. Fedotov and I. Il’in, referred to the similarity of the approaches of both historians. Indeed, they had similar views on many developments and historical processes (the interpretation of Mongolian suzerainty, the role of the Orthodox Church in the national history etc). Living in the United States G. Vernadsky suggested inviting Klepinin to contribute to a large collective work on Church history. The fact that Vernadsky also sympathized with the Eurasians, although he objected to their involvement in political processes, can account for the affinity in the interpretation of historical events.