CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2013
| Author | Fomina, Victoria |
|---|---|
| Title | BETWEEN HEROISM AND SAINTHOOD: THE VENERATION OF NEW MARTYRS IN CONTEMPORARY RUSSIA |
| Summary | This thesis explores the dynamics of veneration and commemoration of new martyrs in contemporary Russia. Through a comparative analysis of two case studies – the new martyrs and confessors of Russia canonized in 2000 and soldier Yevgeny Rodionov who was not beatified, but is actively venerated by many as a folk saint – the present research seeks to identify what features secure the popularity of a saint in modern society and what notion of martyrdom the popular image of martyr-warrior Yevgeny conveys. I argue that popular veneration of Yevgeny that combines both the religious practices of saint’s worship and the secular practices of a national hero commemoration can be explained through the peculiar conception of martyrdom the saint’s hagiographic narratives construct, which modern believers find intelligible, relatable, and worthy of imitation. This conception departs from more conventional images of martyrdom, like the one represented by the case of new martyrs and confessors of Russia, in several respects: in the way it construes martyr’s agency and its significance in the act; in the way it conceptualizes martyrdom on a temporal level – as an outcome of a momentary decision, rather than a lengthy Christian discipleship; and finally, in the way it envisions the purposeful aspect of martyrdom – as a strategic sacrifice for collective, rather than as an act of witnessing for God. Such shift reflects an image of ‘active’ or ‘militant’ martyrdom that is accepted and actively promoted by the nationalistic segment of contemporary Orthodox believers. Keywords: new martyrs, popular veneration, politics of memory, moral project. |
| Supervisor | Naumescu, Vlad; Rajaram, Prem Kumar |
| Department | Sociology MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2013/fomina_victoria.pdf |
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