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Православное духовенство в восприятии великих князей Николая и Александра Александровичей
The article deals with the views of Alexander II’s elder sons on the Orthodox clergy in the Era of Great Reforms in Russia. Grand Dukes Nicholas Alexandrovich and Alexander Alexandrovich were the respective heirs to the throne in 1855–1865 and 1865–1881, therefore the formation of their attitude towards their future vassals was particularly important. The referential base of the article is presented with the Grand Dukes’ letters and diaries dating back to 1861, 1863 and 1866 while they were taking trips about the country; the new impressions were crying out to be written, and the separation from the family became the reason for correspondence. In comparison with the blissful, semi-official descriptions of the august journeys, personal materials allow us to gain insight into the heirs’ personal sentiments. The article briefly covers the way the young Grand Dukes approached religiosity and reveals the influence put on by Emperor Nicholas I and Empress Maria Alexandrovna on the process. The Grand Dukes met the high clergy, in particular Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) and Bishop Ignatius (Bryanchaninov); in general, their attitude towards clergymen was full of respect. Constantin Pobedonostsev drew the princes’ attention to the difficult situation of parish clerics, but his former disciples had a vague idea of the problems of the white clergy. The Grand Dukes had the most complicated attitude towards the monks inattentive to the monuments of church antiquity. However, they had a special interest in female monasticism. The contradictory attitude of the heirs towards the Orthodox clergy allows us to draw conclusions about their piety and religiosity.