The Role of the Byzantine Empire in the Church Policy of the Old Russian State in the Middle of the 11th Century: on the Example of Enthronement of Metropolitan Hilarion

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the problem of the relationship between Rus' and Byzantium in church politics. The peculiarities of the relationship between the patriarch and the emperor and their correspondence to the idea of "symphony of authorities" are assessed. The degree of dependence of the Kyiv Metropolis on the Byzantine hierarchs is analyzed. The place of the Kyiv Metropolitanate has been assessed within the framework of the study of the role of the Greek metropolitans in ancient Russian politics. The main hypotheses are identified, revealing the circumstances of the appointment of Hilarion and the reaction of the secular and ecclesiastical authorities of Constantinople to this event. The circumstances of Hilarion's appointment are assessed. The possibility of a conflict between Russia and Byzantium in 1051 is assessed. The motives of Yaroslav and the opportunity to take advantage of the intra-church conflict in Byzantium are being studied. The theory about the appointment of Hilarion in 1044 and his further approval by Constantinople in 1051 is analyzed. The possibility of treaties between monarchs has been studied. The analysis of the foreign policy position of Byzantium by 1051 is carried out. Their main strengths and weaknesses of the hypotheses are revealed.