The pre-revolutionary military motto "For Faith, Tsar and Fatherland!", Although it was finally formed in the 19th century, has a glorious prehistory. In pre-Petrine times, warriors went into battle for the “land of Rus” (The Tale of Igor's Regiment), “for the land for Ruska and for the Christian faith” (Zadonshchina), “for the House of the Most Holy Theotokos and for the Orthodox Christian faith” (verdict of the First Militia of 1611. [1]), for "state honor" (verdict of the Zemsky Sobor in 1653 [2]). Thus, by the 18th century, all three constituent parts of the future motto had become an integral part of Russian self-awareness - it was only necessary to combine them into one capacious formula.
The word "Fatherland", of course, was known in Ancient Russia, but it had various meanings. Under it was understood not only "homeland" ("there is a prophet without honor, only in his fatherland and his own (Matt. 13:57)), but also" fatherhood "(one of the iconographic images of the New Testament Trinity, including the image of God "Fatherland"). However, since the time of Peter the Great, the concept of "Fatherland" has acquired an important ideological meaning. Known order of Peter, voiced in the troops before the Battle of Poltava, which said: “Warriors! The hour has come, which should decide the fate of the Fatherland. And so you should not think that you are fighting for Peter, but for the State entrusted to Peter, for your family, for the Fatherland, for our Orthodox faith and the Church”[3]. Peter's toast is also known: “Hello, he who loves God, me and the fatherland!” [4]. The first orders established in Russia, as their slogans said, were awarded "For Faith and Loyalty" (Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, established in 1699), "For Love and Fatherland" (Order of St. Catherine the Great Martyr, 1714.), "For Works and Fatherland" (Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, 1725).
On the day of the coronation of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna on April 25, 1742, Archbishop Ambrose (Yushkevich) of Novgorod justified the palace coup she had made by saying that she spoke out "for the integrity of the Faith and the Fatherland … against the enemy and the Russian night owls and bats sitting in the nest of the Russian eagle and thinking an evil state" [5]. The medal in honor of the coronation of Catherine II was also embossed: "For the salvation of the Faith and the Fatherland." In her manifesto on accession to the throne in 1762, the Russian army, which fought "for the Faith and the Fatherland", was glorified [6]. The manifesto on military discipline on September 22, 1762 noted "zeal for Us and the Fatherland" [7]. The decree of July 18, 1762 referred to "the service offered to God, Us and the Fatherland" [8]. Finally, the Letter of Grant to the Nobility of 1785 praised the nobility, who stood up “against the internal and external enemies of the faith, the monarch and the fatherland” [9].
In 1797, Emperor Paul I, who fought against Francophilic freethinking, ordered to withdraw the word "Fatherland" from use (together with the words "citizen", "society", etc.) and replace it with the word "State". However, this ban did not last long - the new emperor Alexander I canceled it in 1801. And the medal, which was awarded to the militias of 1806-1807, again read: "For Faith and Fatherland." However, at this time, the concept of "Patronymic" is filled with new content: if earlier it, like Peter's, was more associated with "one's own kind", now, with new romantic trends, its significance increased - now it rather meant involvement in a unique national culture. In 1811 S. N. Glinka in his journal "Russian Bulletin" formulated the patriotic ideal as follows: "God, Vera, Fatherland" [10]. As historians rightly point out, it was contrasted with the slogan of the French Revolution “Freedom. Equality. Brotherhood”[11].
It is also worth noting the almost demonstrative absence of a mention of the monarch in Glinka's formula. Alexander I's relations with the "Russian party" in those days were not easy: the emperor was suspected of trying to limit his own autocracy, which was perceived with complete rejection. The tsar was constantly reminded that his autocratic power does not extend to only one thing: he cannot limit it - God and the people, who have entrusted him with power, will not allow this. N. M. Karamzin in his "Note on Ancient and New Russia" (1811) wrote about the beginning of the Romanov dynasty: "The calamities of the rebellious aristocracy enlightened the citizens and the aristocrats themselves; both of them unanimously, unanimously called Michael an autocrat, an unlimited monarch; both, inflamed with love for the fatherland, cried out only: God and the Emperor!.. ". Subjecting the policy of Alexander I to harsh criticism, Karamzin ended his words like this: “Loving the Fatherland, loving the monarch, I spoke sincerely. I return to the silence of a faithful subject with a pure heart, praying to the Almighty, may he watch over the Tsar and the Kingdom of Russia!”[12]. Thus, it was the nationwide faith and love for the Fatherland that became the guarantors of the preservation of the Kingdom.
The beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812 not only caused a patriotic upsurge, but also rallied society around the authorities. Even on the eve of the war, Admiral A. S. Shishkov. In his Discourse on Love for the Fatherland, he wrote about the heroes of the Time of Troubles: “Each of these Christ-loving warriors, crossing themselves, took the place of the comrade killed next to him, and all in a row, crowned with blood, without taking a step back, lay beaten, but not defeated. How? This firm chest, carrying for the Church, for the Tsar, for the Fatherland on sharp iron; this life is generously poured out with blood flowing from wounds; Will this great feeling in a person be born without hope for immortality? Who will believe this?”[13]. It was Shishkov who authored the imperial manifestos and addresses that were published during the war and enjoyed wide popular love. Later A. S. Pushkin wrote about Shishkov: "This old man is dear to us: he shines among the people, // with the sacred memory of the twelfth year." The appeal to Moscow on the convening of the militia on July 6, 1812 said: “For the sake of having the intention, for the most reliable defense, to gather new internal forces, we first turn to the ancient capital of Our ancestors, Moscow. She has always been the head of other Russian cities; she always poured from her bowels a deadly force on her enemies; following her example, from all the other neighborhoods flowed to her, like blood to the heart, the sons of the Fatherland, to protect it. It has never insisted on such a great need as it is now. The salvation of the Faith, the Throne, the Kingdom requires it”[14]. The militia cap badge of 1812 (as well as later - in 1854-1856) was a cross with the inscription: "For the Faith and the Tsar." Finally, in the "Announcement for Reading in Churches" written by Shishkov in November 1812, it was said: "You honorably performed your duty, defending the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland" [15]. So, the motto was born - and he was born from the fire of the Twelfth year. The power of such words can be judged at least by the fact that the Prussian militia of 1813 (Landwehr), who opposed Napoleon in alliance with the Russians, also received a cockade like the Russian one - in the form of a brass cross with the motto “Mit Gott für König und Vaterland "(" With God for the King and the Fatherland ").
In the future, Shishkov repeatedly mentioned all three concepts together. In the manifesto on May 18, 1814, published in conquered Paris, the nationwide feat was again noted: "A meek peasant, unfamiliar until then with the sound of weapons, with weapons defended the Faith, the Fatherland and the Emperor" [16]. The transposition of Shishkov's motto were the principles on which the Minister of Public Education S. S. Uvarov in 1832-1833 proposed to found Russian education: “Orthodoxy. Autocracy. Nationality”[17]. Later, in the manifesto of Emperor Nicholas I, published on March 14, 1848 in connection with the new revolution in France, it was said: “We are assured that every Russian, every loyal subject of Ours, will gladly answer the call of his Sovereign; that our ancient exclamation: for Faith, Tsar and Fatherland, and now predicts to us the way to victory: and then, in the feelings of reverent gratitude, as now in the feelings of the holy hope in him, we will all exclaim together: God is with us! understand the heathens and obey: as if God is with us! " A memorial sign in the form of a cross with the inscription "For Faith, Tsar, Fatherland" was granted to the militia - participants in the Crimean War after the conclusion of the Paris Peace of 1856. From that time on, the saying acquired its unchanged laconic form, which remained until 1917. Perhaps, to this day, it remains the best example of the Russian military motto.
[1] Russian legislation of the X-XX centuries. In 9 volumes. Vol. 3. M., 1985. S. 43.
[2] Ibid. P. 458.
[3] Buturlin DP The military history of the campaigns of the Russians in the 18th century. SPb., 1821. Part 1. T. 3. P. 52.
[4] Maykov L. N. Nartov's stories about Peter the Great. SPb., 1891. S. 35.
[5] Soloviev S. M. Works: In 18 vol. Book 11: History of Russia since ancient times. T. 21. M., 1999. S. 182.
[6] Legislation of Catherine II. In 2 volumes. Vol. 1. M., 2000. S. 66.
[7] Ibid. P. 629.
[8] Complete collection of laws of the Russian Empire. Ed. 1st. T. 16. SPb., 1830. S. 22.
[9] Legislation of Catherine II. In 2 volumes. Vol. 1. M., 2002. S. 30.
[10] Russian Bulletin. 1811. No. 8. P. 71. Cit. Quoted from: Russian writers. Biobibliographic Dictionary. T. 1. M., 1990. S. 179.
[11]
[12]
[13] Reasoning about love for the Fatherland // Shishkov A. S. Fire of love for the Fatherland. M., 2011. S. 41.
[14] Brief Notes from the former war with the French in 1812 and subsequent years // Ibid. P. 62.
[15] Proceedings of the Moscow Department of the Imperial Russian Military-Historical Society. T. 2. M., 1912. S. 360.
[16] Complete collection of laws of the Russian Empire. Ed. 1st. T. 32. SPb., 1830. S. 789.
[17] Shevchenko M. M. The End of One Greatness. Power, education and the printed word in Imperial Russia on the eve of the Liberation Reforms. M., 2003. S. 68-70.
