The Moscow Theological Academy hosted the national scientific conference dedicated to the «200th anniversary of Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin)»

 On March 3, the first day of the national scientific conference dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Archimandrite Leonid’s (Kavelin) birth (1822–1891), took place at the Moscow Theological Academy. Archimandrite Leonid was an honorary member of the Moscow Theological Academy (1884) and Abbot of the Holy Trinity - St. Sergius Lavra (1877– 1891). 

Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin) is one of the outstanding Russian scientists of the XIX century. His research and scientific interests were in the domains of theology, history, archeography, bibliography, archeology, ethnography, as well as translation and publication of patristic works. Thanks to Archimandrite Leonid’s works, many previously unknown handwritten documents have been introduced into scientific circulation, compiled and retained their significance up to this day.  

On the first day of the conference, they celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity- St. Sergius’s Lavra and a memorial service on the Archimandrite Leonid’s (Kavelin) grave. 

The Bishop of Sergiev-Posad and Dmitrov Thomas, Abbot of the Holy Trinity – St. Sergius’s Lavra, opened a plenary session at the MThA Elizabethan Hall with a welcoming speech from His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill. Then, the Metropolitan of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh Isidor and the Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, addressed the participants with their welcoming speeches. 

The plenary session ended with a presentation of a book about the life and work of Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin) by L.A. Belyaev, Dr. of Historical Sciences and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Other speakers in their reports also touched upon different periods of Archimandrite Leonid’s lifetime in Optina Desert, Jerusalem, Constantinople, New Jerusalem and the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra. 

On March 4, the conference continued its work in such sections as "Archimandrite Leonid as a historiographer", "Works of Archimandrite Leonid in the field of local history", "Scientific heritage of Archimandrite Leonid in Russian historiography". 14 speakers from different parts of Russia and the Holy Land touched upon Archimandrite Leonid’s scientific heritage and his influence as Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Dean of the St. Nicholas Church at the Russian Embassy in Constantinople and the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery, as well as the Abbot of the Holy Trinity - St. Sergius’s Lavra.

The conference showed the value of the scientific works of such an outstanding Russian church scientist of the XIX century as Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin).

MThA Press Office

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