Title of the article:

SEMIOTIC FEATURES OF APOLOGETICS OF IVAN THE TERRIBLE`S RELIGIOUS VENERATION

Author(s):

Vladimir Yu. Lebedev

Alexander M. Prilutskiу

Information about the author/authors

Vladimir Yu. Lebedev — PhD in Philosophy, Docent, Professor, Professor, Institute of pedagogical education and social technologies, Tver State University, Zhelyabova St. 33, 170100 Tver, Russia. E-mail: semion.religare@yandex.ru

Alexander M. Prilutskiу — PhD in Philosophy, Professor, Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Kazanskaya St. 6, 191186 St. Petersburg, Russia. E-mail: alpril@mail.ru

Section

Theory and history of culture

Year

2019

Volume

Vol. 51

Pages

pp. 15–24

Received

March 12, 2018

Date of publication

March 28, 2019

Index UDK

008

Index BBK

71.1 + 63.3(2)43

Abstract

The cult of Ivan the Terrible, non-canonical from the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) point of view is one of the semiotic markers for a number of competing religious discourses. Together with the veneration of Gregory Rasputin and “Tsar Redeemer” Nicholas II it performs a sort of integrative function acting as a link for various separate marginal communities within Orthodox pattern, forming an alternative (competing) subculture. The authors study the meaning of metaphors in the appearing of hagiological myth and narrative, where the image of historical Ivan the Terrible is replaced by a coined image of a “holy tsar” who died as a martyr defending Rus` (Russia) from cunning “enemies” which slandered him. The authors demonstrate that hermeneutical strategy of this cult`s apologetics is established with the help of metaphorization. According to this logic, Ivan the Terrible was not cruel, being not only a positive character of the Russian history but also a paradigmatic image of the tsar, maligned by his enemies which led to the emerging of the image of a bloodthirsty tyrant. The paper concludes that the metaphor serves as an important tool in construction of both the myth of the divine tsar in general and the ritual sphere of other revered personalities. Since the formation of the cult in this case contradicts with the position of Russian Orthodox Church hierarchy, the followers of non-canonical cults have to take the critical position into account and produce canonically acceptable images meeting the requirements of traditional hagiology and hagiography. 

Keywords

Ivan The Terrible, semiotization, myth, sanctity, king.

References

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