The Russian piety of the pre-Petrine period evokes irony in the author: the Russians were more Orthodox than the Orthodox themselves (is this word applicable only to the Greeks?); following the Greeks, he always emphasizes the filial position of the Russian Church in relation to Constantinople, even in the eighteenth century; the Greeks, according to Runciman, should not have trusted the protection of Russia, which had always promised much and done little for them. The eschatological problem of the Third Rome is presented by the author as purely political. In order to explain these seemingly strange accusations, it is necessary to recall the role of England in Greek politics and the "Eastern Question" of the 19th and 20th centuries. British policy determined the position of the Greek state in the international arena throughout the nineteenth century. At the same time, in the "Eastern question" England was the main enemy of Russia; with the "Mistress of the Seas" Russia could never enter into an agreement or measure its naval strength. Due to the fact that the English orientation dominated the policy of the Greek kingdom, and Russia was inclined to support the struggle of the Slavs for their independence, relations between Russia and the Greek government remained invariably extremely strained. This tension was not mitigated either by dynastic marriage (King George's wife Olga was a Russian princess), or by the sympathy of the common people for their brothers of the same faith. Since the political line of the Patriarchate of Constantinople was largely determined by the influence of the Athenian cabinet, the highest hierarchy of Constantinople shared the negative attitude of the Greeks of the kingdom. This became especially noticeable after the Crimean War, when hope for the power of Russia was shaken, and after the proclamation of the Bulgarian schism in 1872, anti-Russian tendencies in the patriarchate intensified even more. British diplomacy played an important role in the aggravation of these relations. Runciman should be given his due, who unequivocally condemns the irreconcilable position of the Greeks on the Bulgarian question of the late 19th and 20th centuries; however, his distrust of Russia remains typical of old-school British philhellenes. However, this attitude does not affect the author's scientific horizons: he makes extensive use (for a European scholar) of Russian-language literature not only of the pre-revolutionary, but also of the post-revolutionary period.

In conclusion, Runsman summarizes the results of his research and outlines some prospects. Destroying the existing idea of the alleged end of Byzantine civilization in the XV century, the scientist ends his study in 1821. The history of the Patriarchate of Constantinople after the Greek Revolution, which developed in the struggle of the great powers for spheres of influence, is not included in the subject of the author's research. Meanwhile, the Byzantine civilization with its traditional ideological content ended its existence only in 1923, when one and a half million Greeks were expelled from Asia Minor, and these once Greek regions became purely Turkish. Runciman outlines approaches to a new view of the history of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but definitely does not express it, leaving it to the historians of the next generations.

Краткий дополнительный список рекомендуемой литературы[7]

Архангельский А. Духовное образование и духовная литература в России при Петре Великом. Казань, 1883;

Белокуров С. Арсений Суханов. Ч. I‑II. М., 1891–1893;

Брестская уния 1596 г. и общественно–политическая борьба на Украине и в Белоруссии в конце XV — начале XVII вв. Ч. I. Брестская уния 1596 г.: Исторические причины. М., 1996;

Буланин Д. М. Переводы и послания Максима Грека. Л., 1984;

Воздвиженский П. Священное коронование и венчание на царство русских государей с древнейших времен и до наших дней. СПб.; М., 1896;

Голубев С. Т. Киевский митрополит Петр Могила и его сподвижники. Ч. I‑II. Киев, 1883–1898;

Дьяконов М. Власть московских государей: Очерки из истории политических идей Древней Руси до конца XVI века. СПб., 1889;

Золотарев В. Α., Козлов И. А. Российский военный флот на Черном море и Восточном Средиземноморье. М., 1989;

Иванов А. И. Литературное наследие Максима Грека. М., 1969;

Крыловский А. С. Львовское Ставропигийское братство: Опыт цер–ковно–исторического исследования. Киев, 1904;

Лебедев А. П. История Греко–Восточной церкви под властью турок: От падения Константинополя в 1453 г. до настоящего времени. Изд. 2–е. СПб., 1904; Изд. 3–е. СПб., 2004;