Table of contents:
- When Freemasonry Appeared in Russia
- First Grand Lodge of Russia
- The first official lodges in Russia
- Eighth province of the order
- Freemasonry in the XIX-XX centuries
- Freemasons in Russia
- Freemasons in modern Russia
Video: How masons appeared in Russia, and what is known about them today
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Freemasonry is one of the most mysterious movements in the world, shrouded in many secrets. Masons are credited with incalculable wealth, the desire to manage all events in the world for the benefit of the members of their society. Even specialists who professionally investigate the phenomenon of movement cannot confirm or deny this statement.
When Freemasonry Appeared in Russia
The Russian nobility first heard about Freemasons during the reign of Peter I. The Russian Tsar loved to travel to foreign countries, was keenly interested in everything new, so the appearance of rumors that the Russian Emperor had become a Freemason is understandable. According to unconfirmed reports, this happened in 1699 during the king's trip to England.
The legend may give rise to doubts, but it is known for certain that Peter I enjoyed great respect among Russian free masons. In his honor, they composed many Masonic hymns and it is from him that they prefer to trace their ancestry.
First Grand Lodge of Russia
In 1772, Ivan Elagin received the rank of great master from the English Grand Lodge. He reorganized all the existing lodges into a single system and developed a vigorous activity on the formation of new ones. It is known that Elagin was close to the famous adventurer Cagliostro, who promised to reveal to him the secret of making gold.
The dominance of the Elagin views ended in 1779, when the Swedish system became widespread. Paul I himself, in 1777, was ordained a freemason, was a Swedish king who came to the Russian capital.
The first official lodges in Russia
The first reliable mention of the formation of the Freemason's Lodge dates back to 1731. The country has its own great master (John Phillips), sent by the great master of England. In 1741 he was replaced by the general of the Russian army Keith, who founded several lodges. Initially, the members of the society were foreigners - merchants and officers who served in the Russian army.
Soon the lodges began to be replenished with Russians by birth. However, according to historians, Freemasonry was not considered a serious occupation until 1770. Freemasons were fond of the ritual side, did a little charity work, loved to philosophize.
Eighth province of the order
The next period in the development of the Masonic movement is associated with the name of Novikov, who was active in Moscow. The Wilhelmsbad Convention recognized Russia as the eighth province of the Order in 1782 "thanks to its vast spaces and large number of lodges." However, in 1792, by order of Catherine II, Masonic lodges were banned, and Novikov himself was sent to the Shlisselburg fortress.
The Empress considered the activity of free masons "deliberately spiritual" and even "debauchery". The Russian tsarina was also frightened by the contacts of the society with the Tsarevich and abroad. Pavel, who came to power, in spite of his mother, freed Novikov and eased the fate of the rest of the Masons, but did not allow him to restore the order.
Freemasonry in the XIX-XX centuries
In 1815, the European Masonic societies received a notice that the "Great Lodge of Astrea" was opened in the Russian capital. However, already in 1822, by the rescript of Alexander I, Masonic lodges, like other secret societies, were prohibited. The movement of free masons in Russia became active again in 1905, but the lodges of that time were few in number. After 1917, the Masonic movement once again ceased to exist.
Freemasons in Russia
Pushkin, Radishchev, Chaadaev, the generals Kutuzov and Suvorov, many representatives of the Russian nobility of the past centuries recognized themselves as Masons. According to the data of the periodical press, in some documents in the 1990s many people from the circle of President Yeltsin were noticed in connection with organizations of the Masonic type.
Andrei Bogdanov, registered in 2008 as a presidential candidate, is considered one of the famous Masons of this century. Since 2007, he has been regularly re-elected to the post of the great master of VRL, which he is at present.
Freemasons in modern Russia
Another revival of Freemasonry began in Russia in 1990, and this happened through the efforts of two great lodges of France. On the initiative of one of them, the Russian Grand Lodge appeared in 1995, as a result of which there was a certain outflow of Masons from French organizations.
The official reason for the crisis of the French lodges was recognized as their orientation towards the creation of a unified political Europe. In subsequent years, the Masonic movement in Russia was repeatedly reorganized, the number of lodges increased.
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