The Origin of the Science of Religion in Russia

Abstract

The article is devoted to the early period of the religious studies in Russia. The author defines three periods in the early history of Russian science of religion: the first quarter of 18th century and the creation of preconditions for the emergence of the whole complex of the cultural sciences, including religious studies, prompted by the policy of Russian tsar Peter the Great; the second half of the18th century and the study and description of the sources, the accumulation of historical and ethnographic materials, especially on the cultures of the peoples of Russia; the turn of the 19th century and the emergence of a critical approach to the sources, the transition from description to systematization and interpretation of materials. The article treats the four groups of texts associated with the studying of religion: firstly, the ethnographic descriptions, mainly about Siberian native cultures (Gregory Nowicky, Jacob Lindenau, Stepan Krasheninnikov, Johann Georgy); secondly, historical works, which in varying degrees of thoroughness mark out expertise in ancient religion, especially in the religion of the ancient Slavs (Vasily Tatishchev, Mikhail Lomonosov, Nikolai Karamzin); thirdly, the works on mythology and beliefs mainly in the form of dictionaries of mythology (Vasily Trediakovsky, Alexei Sumarokov, Gregory Kozitsky, Fedor Tumansky, Mikhail Chulkov, Mikhail Popov), and, fourthly, philosophical works (Dmitry Anichkov, Semyon Desnitsky and Andrey Kaisarov). Refs 10.