Constructing a “Russian Palestine” narrative in modern Siberia as a part of orthodox identity

Abstract

The article considers the usage of the "Russian Palestine" concept for a forming of traditional Orthodox identity in post-soviet space. A specific subject of research is the activity of the reconstructed Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society (IOPS) in the 2000s in Siberia. The authors also consider the activities of Orthodox temple builders and pilgrimage services in Siberian cities that are not associated with the activities of the IOPS. Theoretical framework of studying community ideas is based on approaches by E. Hobsbaum and A. Hiddens to modern traditionalism, notion of cultural trauma by J. Alexander and F. Ankersmith concept of historical representation. The authors apply a sociological approach to identity and consider such mechanisms of identity formation as social interaction, the production of knowledge and its legitimation, commemorative practices. The data include texts of modern pilgrims, media materials and community texts in open space, as well as anthropological data (interviews and observation), collected during expeditions to such Siberian cities as Krasnoyarsk, Barnaul, Novokuznetsk, Omsk, LeninskKuznetsky in 2019-2020. The data was obtained in interviews with representatives of dioceses, rectors of churches and clergy, organizers of the pilgrimage, members of the IOPS. The article analyzes the construction of traditionalist narratives about the need for a Russian presence in the Holy Land and the links between the "Russian world" and Palestine as a place significant for the formation of Orthodox identity. The article identifies specific ways of building spiritual ties between Palestine and Russia, their role in social interaction and collective memory. It is stated that the historical representations of the informants prompt them to take active steps to actualize the connection between Russian World and Christian Palestine. Thus some of them do missionary work for pilgrimages to Palestine, revive memory of pre-revolutionary Russia, provide orthodox values through educational or cultural work, recreate the Palestine sacred landscapes in the temple space or construct metaphors on their basis used as local brands. An important role in the historical representations of informants is played by the narratives of the late Romanovs (who were at the origins of the historical Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society). Ideas about the need to maintain the memory of the Romanovs in modern culture are explored. The reasons for the relevance of the investigated "Russian Palestine" concept in the Siberian Orthodox community are revealed. It is stated that they may be associated with the specifics of the Siberian region, such as remoteness from national shrines, the high value of pilgrimage trips for religious experience, sensitivity to historical trauma due to the Siberian place in history of soviet fight with orthodoxy, white movement, colonies, camps and tragedy of new martyrs and passion bearers.