Hieromartyr Ioann Vostorgov on the State and Morality

Abstract

The author examines the views of a prominent socio-political figure, writer, chairman of the Russian Monarchist Party, priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, glorified as a holy new martyr and confessor of Russia Ivan Ivanovich Vostorgov (1864–1918) on the foundations of Russian statehood, the relationship between law and morality, as well as Christianity and socialism – controversial aspects for Russia and at the stage of modern realities. It is noted that there have been virtually no studies devoted to the views of I.I. Vostorgov in legal science. The author seeks to trace the process of formation of Vostorgov's state and legal worldview by describing the main stages of his biography and studying the works of the priest. Vostorgov's concept of the relationship between law and morality is based on the need for spiritual and moral enrichment of each person individually, as well as on the impossibility of the existence of positive law separately from moral law. It was revealed that I.I. Vostorgov was an active supporter of the traditional concept of the foundations of Russian statehood, the formula of which is expressed in the famous triad “Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality”, and an opponent of socialist teachings from the point of view of Christian ideology.