A contribution to the history of Karsavin's and Florovsky's relation

Abstract

The article tackles the relatively little-known relations between two historians, philosophers, intellectuals and prominent representatives of the Silver age in development of Russian spiritual culture: medievalist Lev Karsavin and historian, theologian Fr. Georges Florovsky. The material is based on unpublished correspondence of Georges Florovsky and his brother, Anthony Florovsky – historian, professor at Charles University in Prague, as well as on the basis of letters from the 1920s, from Klaudia Florovsky (sister of Georges and Anthony) to Georges Florovsky. The letters are kept in the archive of Anthony Vasilievich Florovsky, in the National Library of the Czech Republic in Prague (Slovanská knihovna). The correspondence shows the problems of Russian post-revolutionary emigration to Sofia (Bulgaria) and to Prague (Czechoslovakia). Three possible reasons for difficult, almost negative relations of Georges Florovsky and Karsavin are analysed: rivalry in work, as they both tried to get position of patrology teacher at the St. Sergius Theological Institute in Paris, their different opinions on the work of Vl. Solovev and his influence on Russian thought, primarily on development of the Russian religious renaissance, Karsavin’s critical opinion on scientific abilities of Florovsky’s sister – Klaudia Vasilievna, historian, the first woman private docent of University in Novorossiysk, whom Karsavin consulted on historical problems with medieval Italy, during her overseas internship in 1909. The article also characterizes some other contradictions in the work of two thinkers, and draws a conclusion about the subjective, personal nature of Florovsky’s attitude to the work of Karsavin.

Keywords:

Lev Karsavin, Georges Florovsky, Klaudia Florovsky, Anthony Florovsky, Russian religious renaissance, post-revolutionary emigration, “Russian Prague”