The Academy hosted a scientific and practical conference “Historical necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy: a message from the past”
On October 30, 2024, a scientific and practical conference “Historical necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy: a message from the past” took place at the Elizabeth Hall of the Moscow Theological Academy. It was dedicated to the X anniversary of the reconstruction of the necropolis of the theological school.
10 years ago, in 2014, the Moscow Theological Academy and the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, before the celebration of the 700th anniversary of St. Sergius of Radonezh, started to recreate the historical necropolis. Research was carried out and it made possible to reliably identify the remains of teachers and students as well as accurately localize their burial places. Also, historical monuments to Professors E.E. Golubinsky and Rector Archpriest A.V. Gorsky and S.K. Smirnov were found. The work marked the beginning of the revival tradition of burying teachers on the territory of the academic necropolis in modern times, interrupted during Soviet times. In 2021, Honored Professor of the Academy Konstantin E. Skurat and Archbishop Anatoly (Kuznetsov) were buried here.
The purpose of the conference is to share the experience and tell about discoveries made during the reconstruction of the academic necropolis. Solutions and methods that were used and developed by specialists from the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Moscow Theological Academy. The gathered information will become accessible and useful to those researchers who face similar problems.
Before the opening of the conference, Bishop of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov Kirill, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, performed the consecration of the memorial complex and a funeral litany for the deceased academic mentors and teachers. The prayer for the deceased was read also by the Metropolitan of Tallinn and All Estonia Eugene, the Bishop of Venev Theodorite, guests and participants of the conference, as well as teachers and students of the theological school.
The conference took place at the Elizabethan Hall of the Moscow Theological Academy. At the opening, Bishop Kirill addressed an assembly with a welcoming speech and emphasized the particular importance of such event not only for the academic family, but also for the church scientific community. The necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy is a symbol of the grateful memory of teachers and students, a symbol of the continuity of generations under the protection of St. Sergius. The Bishop thanked Hegumen Gerasim (Dyachkov), Deputy Rector for Administrative and Economic Affairs, Associate Professor of the Department of Church History of the Moscow Theological Academy, as well as all the benefactors for their hard work in restoring the necropolis of the theological school.
Then reports on the history and research of the Moscow Theological Academy necropolis were presented:
“Necropolises of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra: a review of archaeological research” — A.V. Engovatova, PhD of Historical Sciences, Deputy Director for Science of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Church History of the Moscow Theological Academy;
“History of the necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy 1871–1919.” — Hegumen Gerasim (Dyachkov), PhD of Theology, Deputy Rector for Administrative and Economic Affairs, Associate Professor of the Department of Church History of the Moscow Theological Academy;
“Perpetuating the memory of teachers and students buried on the territory of the necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy, second half of the 20th - first quarter of the 21st century” — Hegumen Gerasim (Dyachkov), PhD of Theology, Deputy Rector for Administrative and Economic Affairs, Associate Professor of the Department of Church History of the Moscow Theological Academy;
“History and results of archaeological research of the necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy” — A.V. Engovatova;
“Methods of restoration of historical clothing from burials of the necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy” — N.P. Sinitsyna, an artist-restorer of the highest category in fabrics and leather, Head of the workshop “Restoration of Leather and Archaeological Textiles” at the All-Russian Art Scientific and Restoration Center named after. I.E. Grabar; — Н.П. Синицына, художник-реставратор высшей категории по тканям и коже, заведующая мастерской «Реставрация кожи и археологического текстиля» Всероссийского художественного научно-реставрационного центра им. И.Э. Грабаря;
“Application of anthropological methods in establishing the lifestyle and identification of persons buried on the territory of the necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy” — I.K. Reshetova, PhD of Historical Sciences, a 1st category researcher at the Department of Theory and Methodology of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
“Typological features of wooden funerary structures of burials of the academic necropolis” — E.E. Vasilieva, PhD of Historical Sciences, Researcher at the Department of Preservation of Archaeological Heritage of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
“Methods of geophysical research for localizing the necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy” — V.G. Bezdudny, a researcher at the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
“Medical and forensic research and reconstruction of the external appearance of persons buried on the territory of the necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy” — S.A. Nikitin, a doctor - forensic expert of the Medical and Forensic Department of the Moscow State Budgetary Institution of Health "Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination" of the Moscow Department of Health;
“Project for recreating the historical necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy” — A.V. Belavkin, a director of Arkada LLC, an architect-restorer;
“Recreation of pre-revolutionary monuments and restoration of the 1958 memorial of the historical necropolis of the Moscow Theological Academy” — E.B. Melamed, an individual entrepreneur.
