Vatican II in Moscow (1959-1965)

While the history of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) has been a very popular theme among researchers in Italy and other countries, it first became the subject of scholarly research in Russia at the conference held in Moscow in 1995: "Vatican Council II: The View from Russia." The holding of such a conference became possible because of the opening of Russian archives. The opportunity to undertake research in the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Council for Religious Affairs, and other departments made it possible to present a number of papers and communications which disclosed the attitude of the Soviet leadership towards the Council, discussions about the Council in the upper echelons of the Russian Orthodox Church, ... The holding of the conference was of great scholarly importance for Russian historians. First, it was an important part in the realization of a research programme on the history of world religions. Second, the vast historical problem of "Religion, Church and Power" was raised at the conference. Third, this topic is one of the elements of general research being undertaken on the history of the Soviet state and society as a whole. Fourth, the conference and the problems it raised undoubtedly have contemporary significance. Today, when problems of relations between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican are provoking interest and raising disputes and discussions, addressing the comparatively recent history of these relations may be useful in providing evidence of historical experiences and precedents.