Mystical and Magical Traditions in Russian Culture

In Russian culture, magical consciousness—the belief that rituals can influence the material world—dominated from Ancient Rus' onward. Orthodox hesychasm, a mystical doctrine of 'deification,' entered with Christianity and became the moral core through ascetics who emphasized love and national unity. Mysticism, requiring conscious effort, was later supplanted in the 19th and 20th centuries by Western European occultism and magic, which is practical and utilitarian. The article argues that modern consciousness remains fundamentally magical.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the features of the formation and develop­ment of the magical and mystical traditions in Russian culture, from the era of Ancient Rus’ to the present. In the culture of Ancient Russia the dominant was the magical consciousness, generated by the belief in the man’s ability to influ­ence the material world with the help of certain rituals. The penetration of mysti­cism in the form of Orthodox hesychasm as the doctrine of the “deification” of man began with the adoption of Christianity. Hesychasm becomes the moral core of Russian culture thanks to the efforts of the holy ascetics, who affirm the values of love and national unity. Mysticism, being a set of practices aimed at re­structuring consciousness, requires hard work and efforts from a person. The do­mestic mystical tradition in the 19th and 20th centuries was supplanted by West­ern European mysticism, occultism and magic. Magic is always practical, utilitarian and aimed at achieving specific human needs. The consciousness of a modern person remains basically magical.