Welcome to a slap shot episode of the Russian rulers podcast. Today we're going to be doing

some readings from what I consider to be the most monumental piece of work on Russian

history called Apropos, a history of Russia. It's by professors

Nicholas Riazanovsky and Mark Steinberg. And I want to thank Dr Steinberg for allowing me to read from his book.

It is now in its 8th edition.

I remember reading the first two in my classes back at Queens College back in the

70s in Russian history and it's still relevant today. It's an amazing piece of

work. I highly recommend anyone interested in Russian history if you have to buy one book on the history of Russia.

It is a history of Russia by Riazanovsky and Steinberg.

Again, thank you, Professor Steinberg, for giving me permission to read from your book.

I want to start with religion in Russia, especially Moskavite Russia during the 17th century.

It's an amazing period of time.

This is post-Kiev.

The Russian Orthodox Church now has, you know, gotten away from Byzantium, is now on its own,

it has its own patriarch, the head of the church, and there's some real uniqueness about Russia at the time so I'd like to read from his book and

Start with religion and church and the schism

religion occupied a central position in Muscovite Russia and reflected the principal aspects and problems of Muscovite development, the growth

and consolidation of the state, ritualism and conservatism, parochialism

and the belonging to a larger world, ignorant, self-satisfied pride, and the recognition of the need for reform.

As already mentioned, the expansion and strengthening of the Muscovite state found a parallel

in the evolution of the Church in Muscovy. The Church Councils of 1547, 49, 51, and 54

strove to improve ecclesiastical organization and practices and eliminate various abuses.

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