Korpela  Jukka

«ABSENT MASTERS»: ISLAMIC CONTACTS OF RUSSIANS OF SCHOLARS IN MIDDLE AGES

Authors

Korpela Jukka

Keywords:

later the Middle Ages, Moscow Rus, Russian clergy, Russianska culture, Horde, Islam, Islamic culture

Abstract

Modern researches accent peaceful relations and collaboration between Russians and Tatar populations in Middle ages. This approach slowly ousts a view about permanent contradictions between them, that tradition-ally reflected not only in history but also to literature. It appears that the Russian-Tatar relations not strongly differ from rela-tions between a Christian and Moslem population in other frontier dis-tricts of Europe. The culture of Volga peoples had close contacts with Central Asia centers and Egypt. Meantime the medieval Orthodox sources had not tracks of these contacts, therefore researchers have to pay attention to shallow details in chronicles and hagiographical literature. This article leans against the testimonies of some Russian church persons that had scholar contacts with the Islamic world and culture on Volga. An author comes to the conclusion that not only Christianity (Orthodoxy) but also Islam influenced on the Russian culture.

«ABSENT MASTERS»: ISLAMIC CONTACTS OF RUSSIANS OF SCHOLARS IN MIDDLE AGES