Today, on the 100th anniversary of the repose of Saint Tikhon, the Russian language website, The Way of the Cross of Patriarch Tikhon, has been launched, introducing readers to all currently available archival documents related to the life and ministry of the saint.
Saint Tikhon (Bellavin), Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
Work on this large-scale project began four years ago. It has been carried out by the Research Department of Contemporary History of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Orthodox St. Tikhon’s University for the Humanities.
The name of the website, as Dmitry Vladimirovich Pavlov, chairman of the board of the Saint Patriarch Tikhon Scientific and Educational Foundation, explains, is no coincidence: The Way of the Cross of Patriarch Tikhon is organized according to a calendar principle. It recounts each of the 2,698 days of the saint’s patriarchal ministry—from the moment of his election as Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia at the Local Council on November 5/18, 1917, to the day of his repose on March 25 (April 7), 1925. Each of these days has a dedicated page describing the events associated with the Patriarch. Along with the narrative, the page includes archival documents and photographs relevant to that day.
The scale of the project is impressive—thousands of documents from state and church archives have been processed, and high-quality digital copies have been created and published on the site. In the words of the historian, it is the result of several years of meticulous, challenging, yet rewarding work.
We spoke with Dmitry Pavlov about the goals and future of the project.
– Dmitry Vladimirovich, how important is it, in your opinion, to know about Patriarch Tikhon? Do we know enough about the saint?
– The history of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church is an inseparable part of our lives. And Patriarch Tikhon, in our conviction, is the most significant figure in the ecclesiastical history of post-revolutionary Russia. No other hierarch of the Church at that time attracted such close and reverent attention from the all the Orthodox people of the country.
Saint Tikhon not only drew such attention during his lifetime, but continues to do so even now, and we cannot remain silent about that. Seventy years under the yoke of Soviet atheism have taken a toll on our historical and spiritual memory, and thus it is our duty to speak of the saint’s struggle.
It was a most difficult time—bloody persecutions, slander and lies, mockery, all instigated by the godless communist authorities. Yet Patriarch Tikhon steered the ship of the Church through the storm of persecution against Christ’s Church. It was an incredibly difficult time for the Primate. He had to make the most complex decisions—decisions on which the life of the Russian Church depended. And yet, he had no concern for himself; his only concern was for the persecuted and humiliated Church.
It is precisely the sacrificial service of the Patriarch that rightfully makes him the head of the host of New Martyrs and Confessors.
– “Let my name perish in history, as long as it benefits the Church,” are the Patriarch’s famous words.
– Exactly right. Fortunately, Saint Tikhon was mistaken—his name did not perish in history. At the same time, by his example—his humble and sacrificial life—he called on other Christians to face with dignity and faith the terrible trials that befell our country and the Church. The response to that call is the host of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia—both those known to us and those still unknown—who pray for their earthly homeland. The Patriarch knew that the Church is built upon the blood of the martyrs, and he himself was such an example, followed by many thousands of the faithful.
Dmitry Vladimirovich Pavlov, Chairman of the Board of the Saint Patriarch Tikhon Scientific and Educational Foundation —What is special or interesting about the newly launched website The Way of the Cross of Patriarch Tikhon?
– Its uniqueness lies in the fact that we can now almost visibly trace each day of his ministry—almost all 2,698 days, the steps, so to speak, of his ascent to his own Golgotha. It is one thing to have dry facts from academic literature, interesting only to a narrow circle of specialists, and quite another to have information presented in accessible language, along with films and exhibitions dedicated to the saint’s life.
The portal is designed not only for professional researchers but also for the general reader, who can follow the saint’s sacrificial service day by day and come to understand the conditions under which this ministry took place. Each day, if documentary evidence exists for it, is described; we open the calendar, and starting from the autumn of 1917, we see a daily account, digitized archival documents that confirm the information.
Thus, the portal brings together, in one place, comprehensive data on the patriarchal ministry of Saint Tikhon—presented in clear language and supported by documents. It includes the saint’s letters, transcripts of his numerous interrogations, messages—all with full archival references.
This is our response to those forces that strive to diminish the ascetic struggle of Patriarch Tikhon, exalting the deeds of the Bolsheviks and attempting to convince both themselves and society at large that there was no persecution of the Church—as if life under the red flag was so cloudless that one could carry out saints from sheer joy. And indeed, they did carry them out.
The site is also user-friendly, because thematic groups have been created on VKontakte and Telegram; each day, an announcement will be published featuring that specific day from 1917 to 1925, with a link to the material posted on the website. The calendar is open, and anyone can look up what happened on a given day in a given year. And in this way, step by step, the reader can gain a comprehensive understanding of that era—provided they have the interest, of course.
– What did working on this project personally give you as a historian?
– Saint Patriarch Tikhon is the heavenly patron of our St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University, and for thirty years of the university’s existence, his life has been a subject of ongoing study. Numerous books and articles have been written, and documents published. What I believe we achieved with this new website is the systematization of that work. And the work itself hasn’t stopped—it will likely continue for many years. There are still “blank spots” in the Patriarch’s biography—particularly concerning the time he spent imprisoned in the internal prison of the GPU.
As for personal discoveries, reading a document in detail often reveals nuances that go unnoticed at a glance—even though the general outline of the Patriarch’s life is known to us. As a researcher, I find the archival work especially fascinating. The largest volume of material came from the Central Archive of the FSB, for which we are deeply grateful. Back in 2000, we received copies of these documents and published a book based on them. Now a new edition is in preparation, expanded with documents from other archives, such as the Russian State Military Archive. The body of material is not just large—it’s enormous, so there’s plenty of work ahead.
One of the most exciting things recently handed over to us is newsreel footage from the Russian State Archive of Film and Photo Documents, showing scenes from the saint’s life during those years. For me, the most engaging aspect is working with sources, archival documents. And the search continues. We historians are meticulous people.
– One of the most terrifying trials for Patriarch Tikhon was undoubtedly the “Renovationist” schism, when the Church was attacked not only from without but also from within—persecution and betrayal by her own. Will this topic be addressed on the portal?
– Absolutely. It is a part of our plan. We aim to show how, by whom, and why the Renovationist schism was instigated—beginning with Trotsky’s letter in which he laid out the goal and methods for destroying the Church he and his comrades hated. We will show how Renovationism appeared, how it developed, how the Patriarch fought against it, and how the militant, suffering Church he led resisted.
– Will the persecutors of the Church be named by their real names, or only by party pseudonyms?
– Everyone will be named by their real names, of course. The portal includes so-called “pop-up windows” that act as encyclopedia entries. When a historical figure is mentioned, users can click a hyperlink to read more detailed information. The truth will be told about the negative figures in this history. We also include geographic data—where and when Patriarch Tikhon served, what became of the church or monastery in question. There will be similar references for historical events—such as the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the Civil War, the Red Terror, and so on.
– As a historian, what do you think—why did such a seemingly powerful enemy as Renovationism, supported by secular authorities, make such a loud entrance only to fade away in disgrace?
– More as a Christian than a historian, I’d say: “the gates of hell shall not prevail against [the Church]” (cf. Matthew 16:18)—we are constantly reminded of this truth, and human history persistently affirms it. The same holds true for the collapse of the God-fighting Soviet regime, and for any effort undertaken in opposition to God. I am convinced of that.
– There are myths about Patriarch Tikhon. One of them is that the saint supposedly spoke highly of Lenin. Do these or similar claims have any basis in fact?
– There is no documentary evidence that Patriarch Tikhon respected Ulyanov (Lenin). That such a myth was created by Soviet newspapers is not surprising. When the “leader of the revolution” died, the Patriarch expressed human condolences—but the journalist who took the statement twisted the sentiment into something that appeared in the Red press. Could the Patriarch have refuted those words attributed to him in such conditions? Of course not.
– And what about the famous phrase allegedly uttered by the Patriarch, “as are the relics, so is the myrrh,” when Lenin’s Mausoleum was flooded by sewage? Is that story true?
– That’s a legend—there is no documentary confirmation for it.
– Was the death of Patriarch Tikhon a murder or not?
– That version exists, but there’s no conclusive proof. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill has said that the death of Patriarch Tikhon was a martyr’s death. The trials, sufferings, and humiliations endured by the saint during those 2,698 days were indeed martyr-like and confessional. At sixty he looked like an aged man. And what of the inner torment he experienced, seeing what was happening to the persecuted Church and the once-Orthodox people?
– In your opinion, what does history teach a Christian?
– That there are no coincidences in life. Human history—including that of our much-suffering nation—is not a collection of dry facts. It helps us understand, among other things, that suffering comes not without cause, but as a direct consequence of apostasy, of falling away from God. History also teaches us how noble and luminous both individuals and nations become when they return to active repentance. It shows how the life of a state can change when its people remember God and the saints who served Him. May God grant us such a good and fruitful memory of our New Martyrs and Confessors, and of Saint Tikhon!
Source: Orthodox Christianity
