Abstract

The byzantine symphony between Priesthood and Empire established in the Kievan Rus' gradually breaks down in Muscovy and is revived for a short period during the first half of the 17th century. From Peter the Great until the collapse of tsarism the Church wasfully subjugated to the State. The Soviet regime was characterized by State hostility towards religion, followed by its exploitation of the Church in foreign policy. The symphony of Church-State power has again returned in the Russian Federation.