Church museums in cultural and educational space of theological schools in the late XIX early XX century

At the present stage of development of the museum's knowledge the number of questions related to the identification and analysis of new groups of museums are of particular relevance. Church museums as a cultural form appeared in the late XIX century as a result of reform in the system of theological education. Necessity to preserve ancient monuments, in general, and the church heritage, in particular, perceived by society, led to teaching subjects of church character in clerical schools. Consciousness of liturgical crisis which came in the period of the Great Schism of the XVII century, contributed to emergence of the first works on church archeology and led in the second half of the XIX century to formation of, along with the theological and liturgical, historical and artistic direction, which had such peculiar function as systematization of scientific knowledge. Church archeology formed on the basis of the Christian and Byzantine, was focused on the study of iconography, architecture and applied arts. Lack of training facilities in academies and seminaries necessary for implementation of visual method caused various kinds of discussions that contributed to its division into theoretical and practical components. Theoretical scope was to examine the Orthodox heritage, the practical sphere of activity was reflected in the formation of church organizations and archaeological museums. Introduction of church archeology into the sphere of theological education, updating visual training method, stirring up the activity of preservation of artefacts contributed to the emergence of theoretical concepts expressed in the form of projects of church museums of visual aids. In 1872 the draft developed by I.D. Mansvetov and based on the experience of domestic vestry collections and Berlin Museum of Christian antiquities by Professor F. Pieper was published. It became the base for museums of clerical institutions and played an important role in their practice, as was aimed at solving scientific-pedagogical and educational and religious problems. The basis of the proposed project contained four departments aimed to demonstrate the artistic syncretism of Christian and pre-Christian art in the church, the main architectural styles, with the prevalence of the Byzantine style, fine arts, mainly Byzantine iconography and artefacts of ancient Russian church art and life. Development of church archeology as a scientific discipline contributed to emergence of church museums in the cultural and educational space of Russian theological schools, which functioned as educational and methodical and scientific research center.

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