Clement Smolyatich: biography, years of the philosopher's life

The Christianization of Russia from Byzantium provided great opportunities for the development of culture and art. However, fundamental knowledge in any branches of science in the XII century. Russian people could only get in Constantinople. Therefore, not many true thinkers, philosophers and theologians of the level of Clement Smolyatich are able to not only appreciate the serious political and religious trends of their time, but also try to influence them.

History of Russia XII century.

The centralization of power in Kiev was provided only by the first Rurikovich, due to the small number of their heirs. Subsequently, Russia fell into a long period of civil strife, caused by the traditions of succession to the throne (it occurred according to seniority in the family). The sons of the Grand Duke could not hope for accession in Kiev, except that only through the murder of their uncles and their own brothers. Disagreements within the state practically did not stop, because the number of Rurik's descendants increased every year, so the succession system required a review.

In 1146, Izyaslav, the grandson of Vladimir Monomakh through his eldest son Mstislav, came to power in Kiev. He was a supporter of the church independence of Russia from Byzantium.

The need for autonomy of the Kiev Metropolis is overdue for the following reasons:

• The church was considered by Izyaslav as a link supporting the centralization of power. Therefore, “his” Metropolitan was to manage it.
• Church dependence on Byzantium sometimes for a long time left the Church of Russia without headquarters.
• Metropolitans appointed by Constantinople (Tsargrad) prevented the establishment of a new succession system - from father to eldest son. They actively conducted political intrigues in favor of the princes profitable to them.

Therefore, Izyaslav suggested that the regional bishops in 1147 choose Metropolitan Clement Smolyatich, without the approval of this decision by Constantinople.

Byzantine influence

The former Kiev Metropolitan Michael II (Greek), during the seizure of power by Izyaslav (1145), fled to Constantinople. He ruled the Russian church since 1130, while simultaneously supporting internecine feuds between the princes. Before his ordination by Constantinople, the Kiev department was empty for 5 years, respectively, after his departure - another two years.

From the very beginning of the Christianization of Russia, Byzantium controlled church power in it, sending its metropolitans. The Greeks participated in political intrigues, as this increased church fees in favor of Constantinople.

Having taken the throne and started a church schism with the approval of Clement Smolyatich as the Kiev Metropolitan, Izyaslav made a challenge not only to his relatives. He aroused the discontent of Byzantium, which was used by Yuri Dolgoruky (Uncle Izyaslav), starting the war for accession in Kiev.

Written sources of Russia of the XII century

Despite the difficult environment, the century turned out to be rich in cultural heritage. At this time, the construction of a large number of churches in the Vladimir-Suzdal lands and in Veliky Novgorod. And the following should be attributed to written sources:

1. The annals of the "Tale of Bygone Years" by the monk Nestor - in 1110
2. The admonition of Vladimir Monomakh entitled "Instruction" - in 1125
3. "Message to Presbyter Thomas" authored by Clement Smolyatich - in 1147
4. List "The Word of Igor's Regiment" - in 1185

Church feuds

Clement Smolyatich is known as the second, after St. Hilarion (1051-1055), the original Russian metropolitan. Izyaslav called him to Kiev from the schema that he kept in the Zarubsky monastery to participate in the cathedral. Ten bishops from all the bishops' departments existing in 1147 were also invited. However, only five came. The reasons for the absence of the rest are as follows:

• unwillingness to support the separation of the Russian church from Constantinople;
• prohibition of the specific princes on the participation of bishops in the cathedral.

The bishop of Smolensk, Manuel wrote to the patriarch in Constantinople that he hates to run before Clement, and the Novgorod hierarch Nifont refused to even mention the name of Clement in the liturgy. Since both were Greeks, their position reflects the neglect of the Byzantine churchmen to the Russian bishops and the actual usurpation of religious power in Russia by Byzantium.

Nevertheless, five hierarchs voted in favor. The most influential of them, Onufry of Chernigov, found a weighty argument about the possibility of the ordination of his, Russian metropolitan, through the use for this purpose of one of the two shrines that Russia had:

• the head of the Roman pope Saint Clement (disciple of Peter and Paul), which Byzantium did not venerate;
• fingers of St. John the Baptist.

Since the head was chosen in the end, we can conclude that the Russian bishops deliberately provoked a split with the Greek Orthodox Church.

Life milestones of the Metropolitan

The chronicler Nestor did not consider it necessary to attend the solemn ordination ceremony of the new metropolitan on July 27, 114, thereby expressing protest against the cathedral. There were many disagreements - not only in the church, but also in the secular environment.

Little is known about the biography of Clement Smolyatich. It is believed that he hails from Smolensk, Ruthenian. His good knowledge of the works of pagan philosophers (Aristotle and Plato), as well as excellent command of allegorical techniques in the presentation of thoughts, speak of an excellent education, apparently obtained in Byzantium.

Then he lived in the Zarubsky monastery on the Dnieper, as mentioned in the Ipatiev Chronicle. There he adopted the schema, was a Montenegrin and a silent person for three years.

The battle for succession in Kiev, with the military confrontation between Grand Duke Izyaslav and his uncle Yuri Dolgoruky, lasted from 1147 to 1154. During this time, Izyaslav left the city three times. Clement Smolyatich left and returned with him. In November 1154, Izyaslav died, and Yuri Dolgoruky finally reigned, finally expelling the Metropolitan from the city, having previously deposed him. Until 1164, Clement lived with one of the sons of Izyaslav - in the Principality of Galicia-Volyn. The date of the death of the Metropolitan remained unspecified.

Main works

Due to the difficult times experienced by Russia in the following centuries, not much written heritage of the outstanding theologian of his time, Clement Smolyatich, has been preserved. At least four works are known:

• “Message to Presbyter Thomas.” The oldest source dates back to the 15th century. It was rewritten by monk Athanasius and provided with his interpretations. In the first part of the letter, Clement Smolyatich deflects Thomas’s vanity and high opinion of himself as a philosopher because of his appeal to works Plato and Aristotle.He also insists on the right of any person to symbolically interpret the Holy Scriptures.In the second part Clement explains biblical thoughts.The work itself was the result of the ongoing political struggle around Clement's elevation to the Metropolitan of Kiev olia.
• “Answers to the questions of Kirik of Novgorod” - this work was written by Clement during his tenure as metropolitan following a conversation with Nifont of Novgorod. Bishop Nifont was intentionally kept in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra by Izyaslav, as he was traveling at the invitation of Yuri Dolgoruky to Vladimir.
• "A word about love ..." - parting words to believers, is in handwritten form at the Resurrection Monastery.
• "On Saturday, raw ..." - a preaching work, located in the Rumyantsev Museum.

The authorship of the last two works has not been fully proved, but it has not been disproved. All works are written in a very lively and beautiful language.

Theological thoughts

The main philosophical idea of ​​the message of Clement Smolyatich to Presbyter Thomas was the idea of ​​the possibility of an allegorical interpretation of the Bible. This fact gives an idea of ​​the Metropolitan as a rational and thinking person, capable of uniting the spiritual and material understanding of life.

There are other interesting thoughts:

1. God is not knowable, however, the study of each creature reveals the secrets of the universe.
2. Man is endowed with freedom from God, as His beloved child, therefore he is free to choose his own path.
3. Nevertheless, freedom is within the Lord's Providence, which is pointless to resist - one must be grateful for the possibility of His comprehension.
4. Salvation is worthy of all who believe in God.
5. True freedom is possible only with the abandonment of property, because its burden impedes the perfection of the spirit.

The work expresses the ideas of creationism and anthropocentrism - everything that exists is created by God, and man is the best creation. Therefore, man knows God through the world in which he lives. The novelty of the ideas is undeniable, because churchmen were forbidden to think in those days - they had to understand the truth of the Lord literally written and pray without reasoning.

The significance of the ideas of the theologian for early Christian Russia

In the XII century. Russia was at the stage of the formation of feudal relations: the princes transferred to the churches and boyars land and the right to collect taxes. The clergy, as well as secular power, began to accumulate land and other material wealth. For the sake of these benefits, it departed from its destiny, starting to serve the princes.

Naturally, in such conditions, the ideas of abandoning property, scheming and hermitism were shifted to the background. The church has embarked on a path of corruption - it collaborated with the nobility and the state, participating in political games and military strife. The philosophy of Clement Smolyatich is a discussion about the need to protect the church from material corruption. Clement was an idealist. He believed that spiritual fathers should be pure in thoughts and have ascetic views. In this, his thoughts resonate with the “Instruction” of Vladimir Monomakh on the public good.

Human history, according to Clement, has three periods of development, for each of which God gave parting words:

1. The covenant was given to Abraham as a prophecy of the future.
2. The Old Testament was sent through Moses to the Jews for survival.
3. The New Testament is the truth given to save all people.

Therefore, theologians must possess secular sciences, knowing through them the providence of God.

The entire message of Clement expresses one whole idea: the right of the Russian church to choose its own path. For the Lord empowers people according to His Providence. But Clement failed to convince contemporaries of his thoughts.

At the end of the XII century. Kiev ceased to play the role of the political center of Russia, giving way to Moscow. And feudal fragmentation eventually led to the inability to confront the Mongol-Tatar horde. The Russian church actually received autonomy only after the fall of Byzantium.

Briefly about Clement Smolyatich one can say the following: he was an outstanding thinker of his time, the first theologian and primordially Russian metropolitan who nurtured the ideas of independence of Russian Orthodoxy and centralization of the state. His face combined high spirituality, deep intelligence and education. Contemporaries could not evaluate these qualities of the metropolitan, having transferred such a right to descendants.