International Scientific Conference “Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky in the Spiritual and Artistic Life of Russia”

On September 14–15, the Green Hall of the Russian Institute for the History of the Arts will host the International Scientific Conference “Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky in the Spiritual and Artistic Life of Russia”.

2021 marks the 800th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Nevsky, the great Russian statesman, military leader and politician. Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree “On the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the birth of Prince Alexander Nevsky”. According to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, “Alexander was not fighting with the East or the West — he was fighting for our national self-understanding. Without Nevsky there would be no Russia, there would be no Russians, there would be no our civilizational code”.

It is noteworthy that the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the birth of Prince Alexander Nevsky falls on the next year after the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, which symbolizes the continuity of Russian history, its spiritual and cultural unity. For centuries, the image of the holy noble Prince Alexander has inspired Russian artists, writers and composers to create wonderful works of art. In 2008, according to the results of mass voting by TV viewers, Alexander Nevsky was recognized as the main “name of Russia”.

This conference is part of the long-term project of the Russian Institute for the History of Arts — the cycle “Russian Civilization in Historical Retrospective and Perspective” and is devoted to understanding the role of the personality of the holy blessed Prince Alexander in the spiritual, political and cultural history of Russia, the formation of the value paradigmatics of modern Orthodox civilization. The practical goal of the conference is to consolidate specialists from different areas of the humanities in the field of theoretical, practical issues of modern Orthodox culture and art. The spiritual heritage associated with the name of Alexander Nevsky will be considered in the worldview, moral, culturological, historiosophical and art history dimensions, the prospects for its actualization in the modern consciousness and culture of Russia will be determined. Scientists from different areas of the humanities are expected to participate in the conference: philosophy, art history, history, cultural studies, civilizational issues — everyone who is not indifferent to the fate of Russia and the world. It is planned to develop a declaration on solving the problems of overcoming the spiritual and civilizational crisis, developing modern socio-cultural practices to protect cultural sovereignty, value priorities, traditions and historical memory of our country.

Project partners: Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Likhatchev Russian Research Institute for Cultural and Natural Heritage (Institute of Heritage), Institute of History of St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg State Institute of Film and Television.

Within the framework of the project, in 2021 it is planned as follows: a scientific conference, a concert, an exhibition.