The Russian Revolution of 1917 and V. V. Rozanov's Christological Concept

Abstract

The article aims to identify the connection between V. V. Rozanov's Christological concept and the peculiarities of his perception of the Russian Revolution of 1917. The study employs historical-philosophical analysis and a narrative approach, which reveal the evolution of Rozanov's views as a dramatic plot: from characterizing the Russian Orthodox Church as an institution consistently opposing domestic nihilism, to a radical revision of the historical role of Christianity. Based on a comparative analysis of Rozanov's texts, it is shown that the author of Apocalypse of Our Time holds Christ responsible for the destruction of the world and man, arguing that His teaching undermined the organic foundations of the universe. Unlike N. A. Berdyaev, who saw Bolshevism as a caricature of Christianity, Rozanov considers the revolution a natural outcome of the negative influence of Christ and His Church on the fate of humanity.