The Third Rome: Holy Russia, Tsarism and Orthodoxy - by Dr Matthew Raphael Johnson

The phrase “The Third Rome” keeps echoing in various places so I thought it timely to Mention this book as a great introduction to Russian History by way of the following Table of Contents, and the concept that Moscow is often referred to as “the Third Rome”.

Table of Contents

· Preface – The Purpose of This Work

· Foreword – The Real Russia by Michael Collins Piper

· Publisher’s Note – A New View (by W. A. Carto)

· Introduction – Scope, Methods, Purpose

· Chapter 1 – A Few Brief Thoughts on the Russian State

· Chapter 2 – Beginnings of the Muscovite State

· Chapter 3 - Ivan III, Holy Russia and Serfdom

· Chapter 4 – Tsar Ivan IV “The Terrible”

· Chapter 5 – The Time of Troubles & the Battle for Old Russia

· Chapter 6 – The Early Romanovs: Michael, Alexis & Fedor

· Chapter 7 – The Russian Peasant Under Serfdom

· Chapter 8 – From Darkness to Light: The Problem of Peter the Great

· Chapter 9 – The Reign of the “Adorable” Catherine

· Chapter 10 – Alexander I & the “Invisible Napoleon”

· Chapter 11 – Nicholas I & the Decembrists

· Chapter 12 – The Slavophiles & the 19th Century

· Chapter 13 – Alexander II, Revolution & Emancipation

· Chapter 14 – The Reigns of Alexander III & St Nicholas II

· Chapter 15 – The Revolution of 1905 & the Duma Monarchy

· Chapter 16 – World War I & the Bolshevik Coup

· Epilogue – The Old Russia Still Lives

· Bibliography – Sources for The Work

· Index – Index of Proper Names

Closing remarks in the Foreword by Michael Collins Piper:

“To say more would burden the reader and delay your departure. But rest assured, when you have explored Russia through the pen of Dr Johnson, you will share with me the immense admiration and stupendous respect that I gained for Russia and her people during my all-too-brief sojourn [January 2002] in that stunning nation that so clearly reflects the hand of God in so many, many ways.“

From the Publisher’s Note by W. A. Carto comes one of my favourite passages:

“In “Populism vs Plutocracy: The Universal Struggle”, I define the word as follows, and I challenge anyone for a better definition:”

“DEMOCRACY: it is controlled by capitalist ownership and control of the media, grants from tax-free foundations and favoured press coverage for favoured political candidates. Wide franchise to vote is given to the people to make them easier to control by making them think that “the people” are responsible for the inevitable distortions and negative consequences of the policies the super-rich mattoids impose in order to serve their selfish interests. Democracy separates authority from responsibility, this making it virtually impossible for the voters to reform the system. Those in authority (the mattoids) have no responsibility. Those responsible (the politicians) have no authority except that which is lent to them by their controllers.“

To open Chapter 7 on The Russian Peasant Under Serfdom, Dr Johnson cites the following quote:

"The Russian [people] lead a simpler life than other Europeans. The gulf between rich and poor is not as great as in the West, where some wallow in riches and others are sunk in the depths of misery. Everyone in Russia, rich and poor, eats to his heart's content and lives in well heated houses, whereas in the West the poor suffer from cold and hunger.

Thus, life for the workman and peasant in Russia is better than in other countries."

That passage is actually taken from Arsene de Goulevitch “Czarism and Revolution” (1962) which in turn introduces the passage with:

“This is what J. Krijanitch, a Serbian by birth and a graduate of the Catholic College of Vienna, tells us in his memoirs, written in 1646, after spending five years in Russia.”

[Note that this was written in 1646, yet could apply in 2024.]

I purchased my copy via Dr Johnson’s web page:

The Russian Orthodox Medievalist

https://www.rusjournal.org/

Just scroll down to the list of his books – The Third Rome will take you to the Barnes Review.

Scroll down further to links to many previous essays … “Recent Articles by Matthew Raphael Johnson”

I will be mentioning more of Matthew Raphael Johnson’s books in due course, but I would also direct readers to the work of Dmitriy Kalyagin, whom I have discovered only very recently.

For example:

Ritual Regicide: The Martyrdom of the Romanovs, Part I – The Unz Review, April 13, 2024

https://www.unz.com/article/ritual-regicide-the-martyrdom-of-the-romanovs-part-i/

Dmitriy gives a stunning masterclass in this ‘Twitter Space’ session

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HISTORY OF RUSSIA! – X-Space Dmitriy Kalyargin

https://x.com/truthtellerftm/status/1840282949805056260?s=46

Dmitriy can also be heard along with co-host Conrad Franz on the World War Now substack: