Archpriest H.K. Maksimov’s Dissertation “Patriarch Nicon in the Literary Struggle with Paisius Ligarides” and Her Contribution to the Study of Patriarch Niсon’s “Objection”

The article for the first time analyzes the content of Archpriest Khristofor Konstantinovich Maximov (1851-1938) candidate's thesis, devoted to the study of one of the key narratives in the "case" of Patriarch Nicon (1652-1666; † 1681) -"Objection" of the disgraced Moscow high priest against boyar Simeon Lukyanovich Streshnev questions about Nicon and the responses to them by Paisius Ligarides, Metropolitan of Gaza, in August 1662.The research part of the article is preceded by a biographical note about Archpriest Maximov, whose name was never mentioned in connection with the scientific historical and philological projects carried out in the second half of the 19 th century at the Moscow Theological Academy, including those devoted to the polemical and literary journalistic works of Patriarch Nicon and Paisius Ligarides.The tasks of the young researcher, the sources of the dissertation, Maximov's level of mastery of contemporary historiography of the topic, and the methods of studying the main polemical work of Patriarch Nicon by the dissertation author are characterized.The author of the article evaluates the literary techniques of Patriarch Nicon noted by Maximov: speaking and thinking in images of the Holy Scriptures, almost verbatim reproducing fragments of handwritten and printed sources, among which in the first place were the products of the Moscow Printing House of the first half of the 17 th century and manuscripts from the Patriarch Nicon cell library in Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery.Maksimov's contribution to Russian niconology is shown.A conclusion is made about the prospects of a comprehensive study of Patriarch Niсon's "Objection" in the inextricable connection of this work with the question-and-answer essay of Streshnev-Ligarid.