Flew, Peter Mark; (2024) The Cult of St Serafim of Sarov in Late Imperial and Early Revolutionary Russia. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

This dissertation examines the cult of St Serafim of Sarov (1754–1833) in late imperial and early revolutionary Russia. Serafim was an ascetic monk, who became celebrated for his gifts of healing, eldership, and prophecy. Following his death, Serafim became the subject of popular veneration. By the end of the nineteenth century, thousands were travelling to Sarov Monastery, as well as to Diveevo, a women’s community deeply entwined with Serafim’s name. Such was his popularity, that he was canonised in 1903. Members of the narod, the imperial family, prominent clerics of the Orthodox Church, educated Russians, including the religious intelligentsia, became captivated by Serafim and his monasteries. Although the cult experienced mixed fortunes during the twilight of the Russian Empire, it persisted well after 1917. Chapter One examines the early development of the cult, revealing why Serafim had become so popular by the late nineteenth century. The succeeding four chapters explore the development of the cult and the saint’s reception between the time of the canonisation and the closure of Sarov and Diveevo in 1927. This dissertation pioneers a multidisciplinary approach, studying the cult from historical, theological, and literary perspectives. It draws upon a wide range of primary sources, including hagiographies, essays, poems, sermons, letters, diaries, memoirs, and newspapers. The dissertation examines how and why the cult attracted the attention of such a wide array of patrons, devotees and critics. It explores their varied approaches to the cult and examines the points of convergence and divergence between them. The chronological structure of the dissertation enables the reader to compare the reception of Serafim by these diverse participants in the context of certain political, religious and intellectual trends of the age. This approach also reveals the changing circumstances of the cult over time.

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