Ph.D, associate professor Kryazheva-Kartseva
E. V.
Peoplesʼ
Friendship University of Russia, Russia
Activity of the Russian Theosophical Society in
Czechoslovakia (1926-1938): to the problem of revealing
specifics of work performed by Russian mystical
societies in emigration
Recently the interest to the issues of origin and
development of doctrines not associated with the habitual, traditional
religions has been growing rapidly in the historical science. Special attention
is paid to mystical movements of institutional type as far as, according to R.
Nizbet, such trends can even dent the state structure of modern society[1].
There are four main types of beliefs in the modern extra confessional
religiousness: non-traditional evangelical doctrines, occultism, scientological
(close to science) views and eastern cults. The interest to the latter ones arose
in Europe at the end of XIX century, and, first of all, it was connected with
the activity of "International Theosophical Society". The leaders of
the movement - E. Blavatskaya, A.Besant - claimed that spiritual vacuum of the
West could be filled with the wise eastern religions, which had been in close
connection to the magic and occultism.
Thus, study of the history of the theosophical movement as a phenomenon
of the Russian and European socio-cultural life of the end of XIX-XX centuries may
help to better understand the processes occurring in the sphere of modern
public consciousness.
The purpose of this publication is not a historical insight
into the activity of such organizations. Especially as it has already taken
place in the previous publications of the author[2]. This time we are
interested in the analysis of activities of the Russian section of the
international theosophical society in emigration based on the data transferred
to the State Archive of the Russian Federation from funds of the Russian
Foreign Historical Archive of Prague, since activities of the Russian lodges
abroad were more stable which, may be explained, first of all, by the international
support of the World Theosophical Society; secondly, by new spiritual needs of the
Russian emigration.
Let's
remind that the theosophical doctrine began to penetrate into Russia in the
beginning of XX century. Its founders were Elena Petrovna Blavatskaya
(1831-1891) who was giving herself out as a follower and ambassadress of the great
Buddhist sages, and English colonel Henry S. Olcott. In 1875 they established the Theosophical society in New York. In
1879 the center of the Theosophical society was moved to Bombay, India, and in
1881 – to the suburbs of Madrasa Adyar. After E.P. Blavatskaya's death, her helm
was inherited by Annie Besant, who was the president of the World Theosophical
Society from 1907 to 1933. While she was alive, the theosophical network
covered a large number of countries, including Russia.
The relation to the theosophy in Russia at the turn of
XIX-XX centuries was ambiguous. Some people accepted new ideas and established the
Russian Theosophical Society. The others criticized the doctrine as it was
wending the way of "derogation of Christ»[3].
Interest
to the theosophy in Russia arose long before the official registration of
"R.T. S."[4]. The first
acquaintance of Russians with the doctrine happened abroad at the end of XIX
century. In 1901 Maria Schtrauch[5]
organized the first theosophical circle in the apartment at Anna Alekseevna
Kamenskaya[6] in St. Petersburg.
In the beginning of XX century there were also other associations of theosophical
direction. In Kiev Sofia Aleksandrovna Slobodinskaya run the circle where
people studied works of E. P. Blavatskaya, A.Besant, C.Leadbeater and others[7]. Andrey Beliy in
his memoirs mentioned Anna Sergeevna Goncharova. She returned from Paris and
organized a theosophical circle in St.
Petersburg in 1901 (the members were P. N. Batyushkov, E.F.Pisareva, M. V.
Sabashnikova, in September-October it was also visited by A.Beliy[8]. To eliminate
partitions between various mystical groups, she represented and spoke about
theosophy at the congress of Russian spiritualists in Moscow in 1905. She also
took part in the international theosophical congress in Paris in 1906.
On September 30, 1908
"R.T.S" was entered into the register of societies of St. Petersburg
and became entitled to open its offices in other cities and towns of the Empire.
From pages of the journal ‘Vestnik
Teosofii’ [Reporter of Theosophy] and memoirs of theosophist we can find out
that in addition to the Society in St. Petersburg there were offices in Moscow,
Kaluga, Kiev, and there were also small theosophical centers, for example, in
Lazarevka, near Sochi[9].
Generally,
the activity of participants of theosophical movement was to hold public
lectures. The subject of lectures was combined with professional interests of the
speakers.
One more direction which
promoted the doctrine distribution was publishing activity of the Society.
Journals, a newspaper, lots of books and brochures were published.
The central publication body
of the Society was Reporter of Theosophy that was being issued from 1908 till
1917 in St. Petersburg. It was a monthly journal. A.A. Kamenskaya was the editor-in-chief. A. Besant, Dr. R. Steiner, P. N. Batyushkov,
A.F. Welz, A.A.Kamenskaya and others participated in publication arrangements.
"R.T.S." was also engaged
in charitable, cultural, public awareness and educational activities. To
perform all those activities, the Society established different organizations,
such as "Service circle", "The union of free person
education", etc.
When Bolsheviks raised to the
power, it made the work of theosophists much more complicated in many respects:
temporarily it was necessary to stop editing the "Reporter of
theosophy" and "News", meetings were held less frequently because
of transport problems, etc.
A.A. Kamenskaya's diary terminates
with the record as of May 30, 1919, which was the disturbing news about arrest
of one of the Society’s members[10]. In 1923 the
Society was officially dissolved, its participants went underground. The wave
of arrests and searches rushed on theosophists after Voykov's murder in 1927[11]. Most members were
sent into remote regions of the Soviet Union. Many theosophists, including
A.A.Kamenskaya, emigrated.
In emigration the existence of
theosophical organizations was determined by other factors which were quite
different in comparison to the pre-revolutionary period. The most important was
protection against alien, unfamiliar environment, association of creative
powers of Russian intellectuals for the purpose of preservation of own small
world.
Generally, work in societies helped to overcome the psychological crisis
connected with emigration, feeling of homesickness, loneliness, despair, fall
of social status, loss of sibling connections, impossibility of professional
self-realization. The aim of Russian emigrants to create their own world, their
special state in other country was described by American journalist U. Huntington:
"It is quite natural that exile strengthened the attraction of Russians to
each other. Emigrants are lonely people, homeless and miserable. And they
looked for communication and support. Surrounded by foreigners, they tried to
keep together, doing their best to preserve and keep safe and undamaged all
Russian things. Each Russian organization is an oasis of the Russian culture, a
citadel of struggle against penetration of foreign influence. For people often
deprived of their families and relatives, these Russian islands played a huge
role in public life of Russia - out of Russia[12].
For this reason,
Russian people abroad are a special cultural phenomenon of XX century and this
phenomenon is one of the most popular subjects of modern historical science.
The creation of a complex picture of world of the Russian emigrant life is
impossible without inclusion of characteristics of work of mystical Russian
organizations.
The
Russian Theosophical Society outside Russia was established with the assistance
of the International Theosophical Society at the Ist congress of delegates of the Society in Prague, in January, 1926.
There was approved the Society’s and elected the Board headed by the General
Secretary. The position of the General Secretary of the Society was held by
A.A.Kamenskaya from 1926 till 1938.
According
to the charter, the Society was created to found an International Brotherhood Nucleus
without distinction in beliefs, races, sex, caste, etc.; encourage the studies of religions,
philosophy and sciences; research of inexplicable laws of the nature and hidden
forces of a person; superpersonal and
superparty service of Russia.[13]
Local
bodies of the Society (lodges, departments, centers, circles) were created in
those countries of Europe and Asia where Russian emigrants lived: England,
Czechoslovakia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Yugoslavia,
China, Philippines, etc. In total, there were 10-13[14] circles in
different years with total number of members 200. The Society had its own
periodicals: theosophical journal "Vestnik" (1924 - 1936) and
bulletins - "News of the Russian theosophical society outside
Russia", being published irregularly. The last documented evidences of the
activity of the Society belongs to August, 1938.
The preserved
documents that belonged to various lodges of the society draw up the picture of
daily activity of theosophists. We will characterize specifics of work of the
department in Prague in this publication.
In
Prague, Czechoslovakia, theosophists opened the Vasanta department. The
secretary of the department was M.A.Hovanets. In the 1920s there was active
work in the Department (Lodge), which may be proved with the reports of
1928-1930s, but by 1938, i.e. the date of the last documented evidence of the
Society’s activity, the Management of the Russian Theosophical Society outside
Russia agreed that the Lodge had become "rather a center, than a
department"[15]. The reason for
such decrease was the departure of many members abroad or to the province, i.e.
they could not take part in the Lodge work any more.
A
number of documents of the activity of Vasanta in the second half of the 1920s,
namely, the Vasanta lodge reports, minutes of the Round table meetings - the
division created for work with youth remained.
Now
there are no reliable data relating to the number of members of the society.
All data concerning the number of members are diligently destroyed. It may be
explained by the fact that those organizations were recognized in the USSR as ‘white’
organizations, and probably, such documents were checked and destroyed. But it
is a mere surmise.
The
activities of the Lodge were classified as secret and public activities. The
first ones included general meetings held monthly and the circle studying the
doctrine. In particular, in 1929 the circle worked on A.Besant's book
"About consciousness"[16].
General
meetings held monthly included 2 parts: the first part – secret (for members
only), devoted to organizational questions and internal affairs of the Lodge.
This part sometimes included reports for some reasons not suitable for
strangers. Guests participated in the second part, where any report or
translation of any article was read, and the rest of the time was devoted to
communication at tea. Such communication was one of the
ways to promote theosophical ideas.
Another way to promote theosophical ideas was public reports held,
whenever possible, every week. As far as it required a number of trained
speakers, in 1928 there were organized "Lecturing courses" where the members
could prepare for public performances. "There was the following method:
the report on the chosen subject was read, then all other members of the circle
criticized the report"[17]. Knowledge
of the theosophical doctrine and promise not to take offense at criticism were
conditions to enter the circle. "There was one more task in this circle –
to take care of public performances in the Russian center, and members of the
circle considered that they were obliged to be present on these performances
and in the following meeting to criticize the report read ".
The third way of promotion was the Round table meetings. Those were the
divisions created to work with the students in Prague in 1925. There were
various subjects of the meetings – from problems of Harmony principles,
determination of "Force" quality, to determination of problems of
work of the society among youth. The majority of members of the Order were
convinced that theosophists should make the youth to love and to serve Russia. Thus,
according to R.V. Smyslov, "he understands servicing Russia as studying
and identifying the spiritual side and Russian soul, as far as the strong point
of the country is its spiritual life, and not the external one. As for the
practical side, the activity in this direction could be expressed, for example,
by organizing morning performances for children, etc.". V. V. Savinkov
supplemented ideas of R. V. Smyslov, considering that "it is not the most
important thing, that there are 32 thousand students here [in Czechoslovakia,
in 1925 – author's note] and it is necessary to work among them, to wake the
spirit of devotion in them. Everybody has love for Russia, but it is necessary
to improve it, such love needs light to be brought by a theosophist[18].
According to
A.A.Kamenskaya, despite difficulties and, namely, small number of membership
contributions, small library, and the fact that often books were not given back
to it, war, etc., the department continued to work strenuously in 1938; theosophists
gathered and studied theosophical literature.
The explanation of
such survivability was offered by an active member of the Russian Theosophical
Society outside Russia - L.Brezinskaya in her report "Concerning the ways
of expansion of activity of the Russian Theosophical Society outside Russia in
the oncoming working year", read at the Society congress in Zagreb in
August, 1938. The following was noted in report: "Separated from its
native environment, deprived of the territory, limited in its work only with
the emigration, i.e. with the people with disturbed, restrained mentality,
people of the past rather than of the future, often physically handicapped,
having no appliances, no time for work in the Theosophical Society – our
Section seems to work in a quite sluggish way. However, it only seems sluggish
when we compare it with the work of rich, developing sections, such as English,
American, etc. But here in the Section,
the work should be estimated not only from the exterior, i.e. by number of
meetings, abundance of opportunities and benefits, but also based on the mood
of its members, their unity and their internal theosophy. If we look at our
R.T.S. from this point of view, we should recognize that the work of Russian theosophists-emigrants
is self-giving and seriously exceeds their opportunities. And I believe that
their work can be compared with the contribution of a widow given with all her
heart, i.e. we have to judge it not from the exterior, but to take into account
the value of the sacrifice".[19]
Once again
such observations support our conclusion, which is as follows. Despite the fact
that work of the Russian Theosophical Society outside Russia was in many
respects organized with the assistance of international theosophical sections
which sought to intensify the performance of tasks specified in the society
program, nevertheless, Russian emigrants treated the meetings of the Society as
the place for meeting their compatriots, exchange of spiritual experience,
moral support, i.e. the meetings performed a compensatory function.
[1] Gurevich P. S.
Extra religious religiousness//Religions of nations of modern Russia:
Dictionary / Resp. edit. M. P. Mchedlov. – M., 2002. – P. 62.
[2] Kryazheva-Kartseva E. V. Theosophy and its
destiny in Russia at the beginning of XX century// PFUR reporter. "History
of Russia" series. – 2003 . – No. 2; Kryazheva-Kartseva E. Century Russia
on the turn of centuries: activity of "Russian A Anthroposophical
Society" (1913-1923)//Zabelinsky readings (Kuntsovsky) 2005. Russian
points of support: historical and predictive analysis (Moscow, March 11 – April
13, 2005) / Resp. edit. S. P. Pimchev. – M., 2006; Kryazheva-Kartseva E. V.
Overconfessional mystical currents of Russia and Germany in the early of XX
century: about the problem of influence of religious attitudes on spiritual
choice in the environment of intellectuals. // PFUR reporter. "History of
Russia" series. – 2006 . - No. 1. – P. 47 - 56; Kryazheva-Kartseva E. V.
"Theosophy does not contradict national socialism". Documents of the
German department of the World Theosophical Society . 1933 // Historical
archive. – 2006. - No. 5. – P. 211 - 217.
[3] Lodyzhenskiy M. V.
Dark force// Lodyzhenskiy M. V. Mystical trilogy. – M., 1998. – V.3. - P. 465.
[4] Hereinafter
"R. T. S." is the abbreviation of the Russian Theosophical Society.
[5] The circle had
this name in commemoration of its founder who died shortly after the members of
the circle started their meetings.
[6] Pisareva E.F. In
memory of Anna Pavlovna Filosofova. – SPB., 1912. - P. 57.
[7] Gnezdilov A.
Destinies of Russians theosophists of the early XX century // Theosophy Way:
Collected book. – Petrozavodsk, 1992. - P. 34.
[8] Beliy A. At the turn
of the century. – M., 1989. - P. 65-69.
[9] Gnezdilov A. Destinies. - P. 37.
[10] At the same place.
- P. 29.
[11] At the same place.
- P. 29.
[12] Quot. acc. to:
Ippolitov S. S. Russian emigration and Europe: cancelled alliance. M., 2004. –
P. 200.
[13] Charter of the
Theosophical Society// GARF. F.
7465. Russian Theosophical
Society outside Russia. Ip. 1 D. 2. L. 1.
[14] The report of the
Russian Theosophical Society outside Russia (1937-1938) // GARF. F. 7465.
Russian Theosophical Society outside Russia.
Ip. 1 D. 2. L. 1.
[15] At the same place.
L. 4.
[16] The report on work
of the white Loge "Vasanta" in Prague for 1928-29 // GARF. F. 7465.
Russian Theosophical Society outside Russia. Ip. 1 D. 2. L. 1..
[17] At the same place.
L. 1(ob)
[18] Minutes of
meetings of the white circle "Round Table" in Prague for
October-December of 1925. And
February-April of 1926. Draft records // GARF. F. 7465. Russian Theosophical
Society outside Russia. Ip. 1 D. 2. L. 1. (ob).
[19] Brezinskaya L. About ways of expansion of activity of the
Russian Theosophical Society outside Russia in the incoming working year //News
of the Russian Theosophical Society outside Russia. – 1938. – 5 November. /
GARF. F. 7465. Russian
Theosophical Society outside Russia. Ip. 1 D. 2. L.
1.