Finding God, Finding Self: Russian Orthodox Pilgrimage to Mount Athos, 1856-1914

• In Event: The Pilgrim’s Journey: Spiritual Peregrinations in and beyond Russia

Abstract

From 1856 to 1914, thousands of Russian Orthodox Christian men completed pilgrimages to Mount Athos. Why did they go and what did they find there? Examining published memoirs and sources surrounding several key political moments, such as the explosive imiaslavie controversy, I suggest that Athonite pilgrimage attained its popularity among Russians because it led believers along broad pathways toward locating the Divine and, in the process, finding themselves.

Author

• Luke Jeske, Auburn University