Vladislav Al'bionovich (Vl.) Maevskii papers, 1869-1978

Collection context

Summary

Creators:
Maevskiĭ, Vl
Abstract:
These papers reflect the writings and research interests of Vladislav Al'bionovich Maevskii, church historian and theologian. Among his writings are works relating to late 19th and early 20th century history of the Eastern Orthodox Church, especially relating to Russian Orthodoxy, Mount Athos, and the Orthodox Church in the United States.
Extent:
41 microfilm reels (6.15 Linear Feet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Vladislav Al'bionovich Maevskii Papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

These papers reflect the writings and research interests of Vladislav Al'bionovich Maevskii, church historian and theologian. Among his writings are works relating to late 19th and early 20th century history of the Eastern Orthodox Church, especially relating to Russian Orthodoxy, Mount Athos, and the Orthodox Church in the United States.

In emigration, Maevskii attended Belgrade University's theological faculty, and served as secretary to Patriarch Varnava (Rosich), and librarian of the Patriarchal library. As a result, Maevskii's scholarly activities included numerous topics relating to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

After arriving in the United States, Vladislav Maevskii became a member of the faculty of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, PA. This appointment allowed Maevskii to focus on the history as well as contemporary issues of the Orthodox Church in the United States.

The correspondence file represents Maevskii's close contact with ecclesiastical figures, academicians, scholars, and representatives of the Russian émigré intelligentsia.

Maevskii's speeches and writings focus largely on his major research interests, and include drafts, notes, and typescripts of both published and unpublished works. Aside from topics relating to Church history, included are works on Rasputin, Russian and Serbian relations, and general topics relating to Russian history and Orthodox theology.

The Subject File includes materials on the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and especially on the various jurisdictional conflicts that affected the Church in emigration. Particularly important are documents dealing with conflicts of the Orthodox Church in the United States, reflected in collected correspondence of Church hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, conciliar minutes, epistles, and other related documents. Of special significance is Maevskii's research on the Athonite monks and monasteries.

Detailed processing and preservation microfilming for these materials were made possible by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and by matching funds from the Hoover Institution and the Holy Trinity Seminary. The grant also provides depositing a microfilm copy in the Hoover Institution Library & Archives. The original materials remain in the Holy Trinity Seminary Archives as its property. A transfer table indicating corresponding box and reel numbers is appended to this register. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
1893 April 4
Born, Kremenchug, Russia
1913
Author, Putevye nabroski
1919
Staff Captain, White Army
1920
Evacuated from Odessa
1931
Graduated, Theological Faculty, Belgrade University
19??
Librarian, Patriarchal library, Belgrade
19??
Secretary to Patriarch Varnava (Rosich), Belgrade
1932
Author, Serbskii patriarkh Varnava i ego vremia
1934
Author, Revoliutsioner-monarkhist (Tikhomirov)
1936
Author, Narodyi patriarkh
1937
Author, Sviataia gora-Sremskie Karlovtsy
1940
Author, Neugasimyi svetil'nik
1941
Author, Lavra Khilendar
1945
Arrived in the U.S.A.
194?-19??
Professor, Saint Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canaan, PA
1950
Author, Afonskie razskazy
1959
Author, Khristianstvo i sotsializm
1966
Author, Russkie v Iugoslavii
1969
Author, Afon i ego sud'ba
1973
Author, Istoricheskie ocherki
1975 January 16
Died

Born on April 4, 1893, Vladislav Al'bionovich Maevskii began his literary career early, publishing his first work, a travelogue, in 1913, after enlisting as volunteer in the Balkan War of 1912-1913. During the Civil War, he joined the White Army as staff captain in 1919, evacuating to Constantinople from the Crimea in 1920 and then immigrating to Serbia, where he enrolled in the Theology Department of Belgrade University, graduating in 1931. Maevskii was a close friend of Patriarch Varnava (Rusich), serving both as his secretary and as librarian of the patriarchal library. In Serbia, Maevskii, who regularly contributed to Russian émigré periodicals, published several monographs on Russian and Serbian church history, Russian history and Mount Athos, which he visited several times and which occupied an important place in his writings.

In 1945, Maevskii immigrated to the United States, having been invited to teach at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. During his time at St. Tikhon's, Maevskii invited Bishop Nikolaj (Velimirovic), subsequently canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church, to join the seminary's faculty. Maevskii taught a wide variety of subjects, both theological and historical, and continued to publish not only books but also articles in the Russian émigré press until his death.

Vladislav A. Maevskii died on January 16, 1975, in New Yor

Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2008
Arrangement:

The collection is organized into eight series – Biographical file, Diary, Correspondence, Speeches and writings, Subject file, Photographs, Oversize file, Printed matter. The printed matter series exists only at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary.

Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Vladislav Al'bionovich Maevskii Papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563