EntranceRussian tsars are masons. Freemasons in the tragic fate of Russia
Freemasonry in Russia has never been independent. It was derived from Western Freemasonry
At the beginning of February 2018, the publication "Afisha Daily" noticed that the Masonic Grand Lodge of Russia is represented on Instagram. The account is maintained by “Grand Master” Andrei Bogdanov, a presidential candidate in the 2008 elections. He tries to present Freemasonry as an innocent philanthropic club. But is it? What is Freemasonry and is it dangerous for Russia, the candidate reflects in his historical excursion historical sciences Peter Multatuli.
The concept of "Freemasonry" or "Freemasonry" is general. The Masons themselves gave their structures different definitions, but always false ones. Thus, the Masonic statutes of 1747 read:
"Freemasonry is a society of people who honor God, the Great Builder of the universe, and are loyal to their monarch. Freemasons are forbidden to engage in politics. They are obliged to respect all faith." Nowadays, the head of the Grand Lodge of Russia A. Bogdanov writes: “It is difficult to give Freemasonry a brief definition. The Russian language does not even have a suitable vocabulary. This association of an international nature consists of more than two hundred international structures - the so-called Grand Lodges.”
These definitions have nothing to do with the true essence of Freemasonry.
Today there is an extremely simplified idea of the Freemasons as a single organization whose members wear aprons decorated with hammers and five-pointed stars, believe in the Great Architect of the Universe and have exotic nicknames. For many people, these people bring a smile rather than fear. However, a considerable part of people accuse the Freemasons of a worldwide conspiracy, calling them Judeo-Masons. It is impossible to completely agree with the latter, since there were not only Judeophile, but also Judeophobic lodges, for example, in Germany.
Not all Masonic lodges were openly anti-monarchical in nature. In the 19th and 20th centuries. Freemasons actively supported the German Hohenzollern monarchy, and the English king (queen) has been the head of Scottish Freemasonry for more than two centuries.
However, there is no doubt that in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Freemasons played an important role in the overthrow of monarchies: in England, France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire. Freemasons and revolution are constant and inseparable companions. There is no doubt that Freemasonry, with the help of mysterious ceremonies and rituals, was a screen for much more powerful and serious forces than itself. As one prominent Freemason said well:
"Freemasonry is the entrance to a dimly lit hallway".
Masonic lodges could be radically different from each other; they could be monarchical, republican, Christian, Muslim, occult, atheistic. In some, women were not allowed, in others they played an active role, some lodges were built on the basis of Judaism and Kabbalah, others on the basis of rabid anti-Semitism. Freemasonry made it possible to unite in a single organism representatives of the reigning houses, the highest aristocracy, guards officers, liberals, revolutionaries, and large industrialists. The true organizers of the Masonic lodges were completely indifferent whether this or that “brother” believed in God or did not believe, whether he considered a monarchy or a republic to be the best form of government, whether he was a Christian, a Muslim, or a Jew - the main thing was that he always put the Masonic an oath higher than the oath given to the state and society. The largest Freemason, Prince D.I. Bebutov wrote:
"The strength of Freemasonry is that it includes people from different walks of life, various provisions and thus Freemasonry as a whole has the ability to act on all branches of public life".
The membership of most of the "brothers" of the lower degrees of initiation was limited to contributions and participation in joint fraternal dinners (the so-called "agapas"). Others sincerely believed that they were members of a philanthropic Christian society. Still others, initiated into high degrees, believed that they were participating in a grandiose redivision of the world and had exclusive secret power over people. Parting with Masonic illusions occurred in almost every “brother” who could not accept the denial of Christ and His Church.
The definition of the Russian Humanitarian Dictionary seems to us to be the most correct, which, with some of our additions, will look like this: Freemasonry There is world secret union of philosophical and mystical communities (lodges), extremely hostile to the Christian church and Christian statehood, striving for their complete destruction and the world domination of its ideology.
Thus, the concept of Freemasonry is a cover for a worldwide secret anti-Christian organization, of which Freemasonry itself is only a part.
The thought of the participation of secret organizations in the history of the twentieth century no longer causes rejection. Numerous "velvet", "orange" and "flower" revolutions that are shaking in increasing modern world, the overthrow of governments and, conversely, the bringing to power of favored regimes, unprecedented terrorist acts, after which the entire system of the existing world order begins to collapse, severe financial and economic crises that arise at certain times and in certain countries - all this suggests that these events have common authors and common directors. Thoughtful Analysis historical events the past only strengthens us in this thought. During revolutions, rebellions and wars one can often observe the action of some invisible force. Moreover, we are not talking about legends and myths, but specific historical facts. Of course, there were many fables around secret organizations, but these fables do not at all refute the fact of their very existence.
History knows about the existence of the Order of the Templars, the Order of the Bavarian Illuminati, Jacobin clubs, Masonic lodges, and all kinds of esoteric and occult organizations. They stood behind the English and French revolutions, the creation of the USA, the Decembrist uprising, and revolutions in Russia. Despite the fact that these secret organizations could be very different from each other in philosophical, national, political, ideological or other terms, they were all united by one idea and one goal. Any secret society set itself the task of violently destroying the existing world order and radically changing human society, be it in a single country or throughout the world. By the beginning of the twentieth century. The main center of the occult and sectarian world becomes the United States, which arose as a state of sects and secret organizations, the main of which was the Order of the Illuminati.
The name "Illuminati" comes from the secret anti-Christian order of the "Bavarian Illuminati", which arose on May 1, 1776 in Ingolstadt (Bavaria). However, the ideology, symbolism and structure of the Bavarian Illuminati can be traced back to magical communities Ancient Egypt. In 1787, the Order of the Bavarian Illuminati, which in less than 10 years became a powerful organization, which included representatives of the nobility and intellectual elite, was banned by the Bavarian authorities. But by this time the order had spread throughout different states of Germany, and even Europe.
The Illuminati played a leading role in the French Revolution of 1789 and the Jacobin Terror. Many German Illuminati moved to the English colonies in America. The German Illuminati initially played a leading role in the American state. Modern state symbols of the United States include Illuminati paraphernalia. Suffice it to say that the US state seal depicts a truncated pyramid with an all-seeing eye (a symbol of the Illuminati). On the base of the pyramid, the founding date of the Order of the Bavarian Illuminati is inscribed in Roman numerals: May 1, 1776 (I think this is where the May Day holiday comes from).
In addition, the state emblem and seal include the number 13, also one of the main numbers of Illuminati symbolism (thirteen leaves on a branch in the eagle’s right paw and thirteen arrows in the left, thirteen letters on a ribbon in the eagle’s beak, thirteen steps of a pyramid, and so on ). Above the pyramid is a slogan with the main goal of the Illuminati: “New World Order.”
The Illuminati called themselves “New Israel”, which is also what they called the state of the United States of America. Therefore, the Illuminati had great sympathy for Judaism (the “old Israel”). In turn, many Jewish authorities in Europe and America also viewed the Illuminati favorably. By the end of the 19th century, forces emerged among American Jewry that agreed with the Illuminati idea of a New World Order. However, the Illuminati were hostile to any nation and any traditional religion, including Orthodox Judaism.
By the beginning of the twentieth century. The center of American Illuminati (Freemasonry) was located in the Masonic capital of Charleston. It was there that the residence of the Masonic “patriarch”, the “supreme dogmatic directory of world Freemasonry” and the “holy universal council”, consisting of 10 highly dedicated Masons, was located. Subordinate to the “Patriarch” were the so-called “triangles” (management of Masonic communities in different countries). The "triangles" led the "provinces".
In the middle of the 19th century. Albert Pike, a native of Scottish Rite Freemasonry, was elected Masonic “patriarch”. His beliefs had nothing to do with the proclaimed Masonic ideals: “liberty, equality and fraternity.” It was Pike who initiated the creation of the racist organization Ku Klux Klan.
In 1892, a Masonic congress took place in Brussels, which proclaimed the main goal of Freemasonry: the creation of a “World Republic”. In 1910, this goal was developed and clarified at the next Masonic congress in Brussels. It was recognized there that " humanity is moving towards a universal international organization. From this organization international governmental organizations will subsequently be created. In the near future, humanity will come to the idea of creating bodies of international legislation and an international parliamentary union"Thus, the idea of a single international government.
The Illuminati-Masonic idea of a world government is primarily spiritual and is a necessary condition to subjugate the world to a single ruler, whom the Illuminati consider the Messiah, and Christians consider the Antichrist. One member of the Illuminati community, James Warburg, openly stated this goal:
"Whether you like it or not, we will create a world government. Not with a stick, but with a carrot".
World government was the goal of all secret Masonic organizations. Thus, in 1905, reports from the foreign bureau of the Security Branch reported that the influential Masonic organization
"The Grand Orient of France has one main goal - the establishment of a Universal Republic. In pursuance of this, the Grand Orient of France is actively promoting its destructive ideas in all states.".
Thus, by the beginning of the twentieth century, a powerful force was emerging, representing a combination of Illuminati philosophy, Jewish messianism, and American Protestantism. This organization had enormous financial and political power, since its supporters included the world's leading financiers, leading politicians and high-ranking intelligence officials. The goal of Freemasonry was to create a new world order and a one world government. But a new world order cannot be the only goal. It is rather not a goal, but a means.
The main purpose of this force is, of course, spiritual. The ideology of this group is based on a Manichaean view of the world: the United States is “good”, “light”, they have the moral right to use force in the fight against “evil” or “darkness”.
Masonic ideology is extremely anti-Christian. As former American intelligence officer Dr. J. Coleman writes:
"An open conspiracy against God and man, which includes the enslavement of the majority of people remaining on this earth after wars, disasters and massacres, operates without much concealment.".
Tsarist Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century. was the main obstacle to the plans of the Illuminati. That is why she aroused their special hatred.
"The distinctive feature of all these great Orients, - reported the head of the special department of the police department L. A. Rataev, - this is complete hatred of Russia, which remains for them the stronghold of all reactionary forces throughout Europe".
The active anti-government activities of the Freemasons began in the era of Alexander I. The Freemasons were Napoleon's main allies and formed his “fifth column,” including in Russia. The introduction of the Freemasons occurred after Foreign trip Russian army. In 1814 there was a surge of Illuminati from Paris to Russia. Moreover, they became an impressive and influential force. The Illuminati have infiltrated the Synod, the Senate and the professorial departments of most universities. Thus, Professor Grezard, who voted for the execution of the king, was accepted as an honorary member of Kazan University.
After the prohibition of Freemasonry in Russia by Alexander I in 1822, a new surge in the active activity of “free masons” occurred precisely at the end of the 19th and especially at the beginning of the 20th century, that is, on the eve of the revolution.
Freemasonry, whose first attempt to come to power in Russia in December 1825 during the Decembrist uprising, who were all members of Masonic lodges, was suppressed by the iron hand of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich, was again gaining strength at the beginning of the twentieth century.
By the beginning of the First World War, Masonic agents of influence had penetrated almost all institutions state power, public organizations and political parties. Many generals, governors, leaders of the nobility and even grand dukes were listed as members of various lodges.
Russian security structures immediately saw in Freemasonry a phenomenon extremely dangerous for the state. A Police Department memo in 1895 stated:
"Nowadays the combat apparatus of Freemasonry has been improved and the forms of the coming onslaught have crystallized. The economic factor - capitalism - has already served as a proven combat weapon of Freemasonry. Inciting unconscious hatred among the people against everyone and everything—this is the second and main offensive move now put forward by Freemasonry in Russia. This muddy wave is intended to drown the Tsar not only as the Autocrat, but also as the Anointed of God, and thereby splash the last moral foundation of the people’s soul - the Orthodox God. Only ten or twenty years will pass, they will realize it, but it will be too late: revolutionary decay will already affect everything. The very roots of the centuries-old state structure will be undermined".
Since 1898, Masonic lodges began to quickly spread throughout Russia in a semi-legal position. Lodges "Pyramid" and "Karma" appeared in St. Petersburg, in Saratov, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod- the Rosicrucian lodge, in Poltava - the "Cyril and Methodius" lodge, in Kyiv and Feodosia - the "St. Jordan" lodge.
By the 1900s, there were already a dozen Russian liberals in French lodges.
In 1900, the Grand Lodge of Ukraine appeared in Little Russia, the center of which was located in Geneva. In the same year, the Masonic society “Mayak” appeared in Russia, the goal of which was “to promote moral, mental and physical development youth." The honorary trustee of the society was Prince A.P. of Oldenburg.
Professor M.M. contributed to the active spread of Freemasonry in Russia. Kovalevsky. It was thanks to his efforts that on November 14, 1901, the Russian graduate School social sciences, which was under the control of the Masonic lodge "Cosmos". The purpose of the school, in addition to educational, was also to prepare, in a purely Masonic spirit, future participants in the struggle for the “liberation of Russia.”
In 1903, the number of students at the school reached 300 people, among them A.V. Lunacharsky, the future Bolshevik People's Commissar of Education, who was initiated into one of the Masonic lodges of the Grand Orient of France. Among the school's teachers were such famous Frenchmen as Emile Zola, Leon Bourgeois, Professor Tarde, and no less famous Russians, I.I. Mechnikov, M.M. Kovalevsky, E.V. Anichkov. V.I. gave lectures at this School several times. Ulyanov (Lenin). The school published its own magazine, one of the editors of which was the poet M.A. Voloshin, who joined the Masonic lodge in 1905.
In Russia itself, zemstvo liberal circles are quickly beginning to form around sub-Masonic structures, such as the “Conversation” circle, which united supporters of the constitutional monarchy, such as Prince D.I. Shakhovskoy, G.E. Lvov, V.A. Maklakov and others. The opposition "Union of Liberation", created in 1903, was headed by the same Freemasons whom we saw at the School (Kovalevsky, Prokopovich, Bazhenov, Roberti). The Mason was the chairman of the "Union" P.B. Struve.
In 1905, the leader of the cadets, P.N., joined the French Masonic lodge "Masonic Vanguard". Miliukov. In addition to him, many Russian liberals were accepted into Masonic lodges, almost all of whom ended up in the State Duma of the 1st convocation. The Chairman of the 1st State Duma, Professor S.A., was also a member of the Masonic lodge. Muromtsev.
At the same time, Russian Freemasonry has never been an independent phenomenon. It was derived from Western Freemasonry. Russian Freemasons did not invent anything new, but only blindly copied the statutes and rituals of numerous lodges in Western Europe, adding to them the lack of composure and talkativeness characteristic of the Russian intelligentsia. For Western Freemasonry, Russian “brothers” were needed only as a “fifth column”, the force that was supposed to undermine the Russian imperial system and make the Masonic revolution possible.
Russian Freemasonry fulfilled the task assigned to it by senior foreign lodges, playing a huge role in the overthrow of Emperor Nicholas II and the destruction of the monarchy in Russia.
To be continued.
(The article uses materials: Multatuli P.V. Emperor Nicholas II. The path to Golgotha. - M.: AST, 2010; Multatuli P.V. The era of Emperor Nicholas II. - M.: St. Foundation Basil the Great, 2018. T. 2.).
On August 1, 1822, Alexander I signed the rescript “On the prohibition secret societies and Masonic lodges." Rescript-rescript, but Masonic lodges, showing enviable vitality, are still alive today.
“On May 4 I was accepted into the Freemasons,” wrote Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in 1821 in his diary. The lodge the poet joined was called “Ovid” and was located in Chisinau. The members of this lodge acted surprisingly openly. Evidence has been preserved that, while initiating the Bulgarian Archimandrite Ephraim as a brother, he was led blindfolded through the courtyard to the basement. The Bulgarians crowding the square immediately rushed to save their archimandrite, deciding that he was being taken to prison. However, there is no evidence that the same thing was done with Pushkin. And what kind of freemason is Alexander Sergeevich? His papers preserved the unfilled account books of the lodge, on which the poet wrote... poems. Until 1823, he used them as his draft notebooks (the so-called notebooks 836, 834, 835)! The Kishinev lodge was never legally formalized, and it is unknown when Pushkin left it - most likely, this happened by itself when, a year and two months after Pushkin was accepted into the order, Emperor Alexander I closed all Masonic lodges by decree. However, before the funeral, Vyazemsky placed a glove in the poet’s coffin as a sign of recognition as his brother in the box...
In the manuscript department of the Russian State Library you can find a description of a handwritten book - minutes of meetings of the Masonic lodges of St. Andrew and the Three Crowns in Königsberg for the years 1760-1768. In this book, in particular, there is a mention of the famous commander Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. In the early 1760s, the Russian military generally actively participated in the work of the Koenigsberg lodges. One of the most active Russian members of the Königsberg lodge "Zu den Drei Kronen" ("To the Three Crowns") - he recommended no less than 6 new members for initiation - was Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Suvorov, "oberstleutennt Alexander von Suworow". By the way, his father was in the same box. Suvorov himself was initiated into the Freemasons and passed three degrees (reaching the degree of master) in St. Petersburg in the lodge “Aux Trois Etoiles” (“Three Stars”). It is believed that this happened at the end of Elizabeth's reign. At this time, Freemasonry had not yet become fashionable, and Alexander Vasilyevich was one of the first “freemasons”. On January 27, 1761, he was promoted to Scottish master in the already mentioned lodge “Zu den Drei Kronen”. He was listed as a member of this lodge until his departure from Konigsberg at the beginning of 1762.
Karamzin
Freemasonry perhaps saved Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin from the fate of Evgeniy Onegin: as an eighteen-year-old youth, he served in one of the best guards regiments, and then went to Simbirsk to shine in society. The famous Freemason and writer Turgenev noticed the gifted young man and involved him in the Rosicrucian Order. He settled him in a house that belonged to the lodge and forced him to delve into science and develop his writing abilities. Young Karamzin worked and communicated a lot with Freemasons, during which time he began to write poetry and prose, but after four years he became disillusioned with Freemasonry. However, in 1792, he criticized the actions of the authorities when they defeated the Moscow Masonic organization and imprisoned the former teacher Karamzin Novikov in a fortress. Despite the fact that Karamzin himself was under Catherine’s suspicion as a student of the Freemasons, he published an ode “To Grace,” in which his rejection of the empress’s actions is clearly read.
When Pyotr Yakovlevich Chaadaev left Freemasonry, he had one of the highest degrees of initiation into the order - the eighth degree of the “Secret White Brothers of the Lodge of John” out of nine possible. The reasons why Chaadaev left the lodge are consonant with those that Griboyedov, a member of the same lodge “United Friends”, lamented: ritual for its own sake, spectacular rituals, empty talk about intentions instead of actions. True, this is only part of the letter written by Chaadaev to leave the lodge, the second part is lost, but experts do not deny that it will “resurface”, as is typical in Masonic documents. Biographers of Chaadaev emphasize his leadership character traits and believe that between the lines of this letter one can read “I would be glad to serve, it’s sickening to be served...”. Chaadaev is one of the brightest characters among the Masons and Decembrists.
Griboyedov
It was not enough for diplomat and writer Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov to be a member of the largest Masonic lodge in St. Petersburg, “United Friends.” He wanted to improve it; his letters and notes about this have been preserved. According to Griboedov’s design, this box was to be called “Blago”. Instead of the official French Russian was to become the language of all its affairs, despite the fact that there were many foreigners in it. And this goal - the goal of enlightening Russia, spreading Russian literacy - the members of the lodge should have seen as their primary task. Griboyedov was convinced that the energy wasted on the pomp and gloomy solemnity of meetings, on ritualism, could have been used more wisely. Griboyedov's projects show the seriousness of his attitude towards membership in the Masonic organization and, of course, his ambition and some idealism. By the way, he was not the only Mason-diplomat, and connections among the Masons greatly contributed to his diplomatic career. Unlike Karamzin or Chaadaev, Griboyedov never left the Masonic lodge - at least with papers and a manifesto.
Alexander Kerensky
One of the most prominent representatives of Freemasonry in the XX century is Alexander Kerensky. After two years in the Masonic lodge, Kerensky even entered the leadership of this secret organization, and at that time only Nikolai Nekrasov, the general secretary of the Masonic lodge, a member of the cadet party, was higher than him in rank. However, already in 1916, by a majority vote at the next congress of the Masonic lodge “Great East of the Peoples of Russia,” Alexander Fedorovich Kerensky was elected general secretary instead of Nekrasov. Skillfully using his new secret position, Alexander Kerensky actively strengthened his influence on the sidelines of Russian politics throughout 1916, which led to his rapid rise political career, which the whole world watched in 1917. Kerensky even wrote about his membership in the lodge after versions about the guilt of Masonic lodges in the revolution and the “collapse of Russia” became popular.
Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilyov is a member of the “Workshop of Poets”, an acmeist, which in itself is already associated with the ideas and symbolism of Freemasonry, because the word “acme” contains the image of a stone, as well as “Cadmus” - a reference to Adam, the “first Freemason”. The “Workshop of Poets” was conceived as a “poetic lodge” headed by the “perfect master” Gumilyov. Many of Gumilev’s works (the play “Actaeon”, the collection “Quiver”, “Gondla”, the cycle “To the Blue Star” and, especially, “The Pillar of Fire”) contain Masonic motifs. It is assumed that Gumilyov was accepted into the “mystical lodge of English freemasons” in 1917 or 1918, but this is not known for certain. Although in one of the poet’s poems we meet: “Do you remember how in front of us / A temple stood, blackening in the darkness, / Above the gloomy altars / Fire signs were burning. / Solemn, granite-winged / It guarded our sleepy city, / They sang in it hammers and saws, / Masons worked in the night...”
In August 1822, 193 years ago, Emperor Alexander I signed a rescript “On the prohibition of secret societies and Masonic lodges.” SPB.AIF.RU recalls the heyday of Freemasonry in St. Petersburg, as well as the persecution that members of the lodge faced.
For the prosperity of the Fatherland
Secret societies accompany the entire history of mankind. But not many acquire such a scope as Freemasonry. The movement arose in Europe in the 16th century. XVII centuries, its roots are found in medieval corporations of masons, hence the name of the members - “free masons”. However, according to some versions, Freemasonry appeared much earlier, and dates back to the times of the Order of the Templars or Rosicrucians.Although the organization was considered a “secret society” in all countries, it arose, rather, as a “society with secrets,” and its main goal was the development of charity, moral improvement, camaraderie and friendship.
In Russia, Masonic lodges arose at the beginning of the 18th century and also set themselves humanistic and educational goals. We can say that it was a spiritual community of people striving to contribute to the prosperity of the Fatherland.
According to legend, Franz Lefort and Patrick Gordon were considered the founders of Freemasonry in Russia.
Roman Vorontsov is one of the first figures of Russian Freemasonry. Younger brother of Chancellor Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
The government drew attention to the society in 1747, having found out that there was a lodge “Silence” in St. Petersburg, the members of which were guards officers, and the master was Count Vorontsov. His palace on Sadovaya Street is the current Suvorov School.
It is believed that the house (which belonged to Count Andrei Zubov) has been preserved, in which initiation ceremonies for new members took place at the end of the 18th century. This building is on Gorokhovaya Street, at number 57. Many people call it “Rotunda”.
Almost from the very beginning, the Masons were under police surveillance and “instilled panic” in society. However, according to the judgment of the dignitary Elagin, Freemasonry was not of a serious nature. He himself reorganized the network of lodges into unified system, the total number of masons was about 400 people. Ivan Elagin became the main Russian Freemason with the title “Grand Vice-Master”. And today we can see his residence - this is the famous Elaginoostrovsky Palace. There is a wonderful museum there, however, it is not customary to talk about the Masonic page of history there.
Summer Imperial Palace on Elagin Island in St. Petersburg. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / A.Savin
Catherine II was suspicious of the “secret society”; at her direction, the Freemasons began to be persecuted. The empress was particularly dissatisfied with the educational activities of Nikolai Novikov, who published books without permission. Novikov was sent to imprisonment in the Shlisselburg fortress for five years. In the end, Freemasonry in Russia was practically destroyed and “remained in voluntary silence.”
Mystical books
The situation changed with Paul coming to power. He released the arrested “masons”, returned the exiled ones, and allowed the activities of the lodges.All this was not an accident, because, according to contemporaries, Paul was “more than any of the kings connected by invisible threads with Freemasonry.” Even during the life of Catherine II, Paul’s small opposition court in Gatchina became a real Masonic “nest”, where everything was decided by prominent members of society - the “regent master of the Great Provincial Lodge of Russia” Count Nikita Panin, his secretary and co-author of constitutional “projects” Fonvizin. Even the court doctors and teachers of music and other sciences were Germans and entirely Freemasons.
Paul had a great interest in Freemasonry, its philosophy, aesthetics and ethics. In addition, the Prussian king Frederick the Great was in the society, whom Paul worshiped and imitated from childhood. The future Russian emperor read mystical books stored in the library of the Gatchina Palace.
V. L. Borovikovsky: Portrait of Paul I in the attire of the Grand Master of the Order of Malta. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
There is another unique place in Gatchina, shrouded in secrets: the Priory Palace. He looks like medieval castle, and the name is translated from French as “small monastery”. It was erected by the architect Lvov in 1799. Interestingly, this is the only structure made of earth in Russia: layers of compressed loam soaked in lime mortar were used. If you look closely at the design of the rooms and facades, you can discover mysterious symbolism...
And yet, a radical revival of Freemasonry did not occur, the reason is not only the death of Emperor Paul, but also the change in the historical and cultural situation in Europe.
Priory is located on the southeastern shore of the Black Lake. The park in which the lake is located later also began to be called “Prioratsky”. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Artyom Topchiy
"Eye in the Pyramid"
Alexander I, who, having just ascended the throne, declared that “with me everything will be the same as with my grandmother,” followed her path in relation to the Freemasons. A rescript addressed to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Count Kochubey, directly spoke about the destruction of the lodges. In this situation, Masonic rites and oaths began to be associated with oaths alien to loyalty to the throne and Orthodoxy.However, in the provinces, lodges operated secretly throughout the 19th century and brought some benefit, contributing to enlightenment and the improvement of morals. And at the beginning of the twentieth century, with the permission of Emperor Nicholas II, the “masons” were able to legalize their activities.
Well, after the revolution, the activities of the lodges were again prohibited: the members began to be persecuted by the Cheka authorities. Russian lodges began to actively develop abroad, primarily in France.
It is believed that the revival of Freemasonry in Russia began in the early 1990s; two lodges opened in St. Petersburg, but ceased their activities in 2013.
Although there is an opinion that the Masons are still active today. And on the facades of ancient St. Petersburg buildings you can find a variety of mysterious symbols. There would be a desire. Thus, those who like to seek out secrets discover “the true temple of Freemasonry in the very heart of St. Petersburg.” And they call it...Kazan Cathedral! However, the proof of such a bold hypothesis is up to the authors. They consider the so-called “eye in a triangle” - the all-seeing eye - to be a Masonic sign. But this symbol arose long before the advent of the “free masons” and can be found all over the world.
12. EMPEROR ALEXANDER AND THE MASONS
Masonic lodges were the only ones public organizations, where public initiative could be manifested in the days of the advancing reaction.
S.P. MELGUNOV
THE FLOWER OF FREEMASONRY IN THE FIRST YEARS OF THE REIGN OF ALEXANDER
It is believed that the Freemasons were directly related to the death of Paul I, and the history of Russian Freemasonry in 1796–1801. only confirms the validity of this assumption. There was no official decision to ban Freemasonry in Russia, but most of the lodges were forced to announce the cessation or suspension of their work.
This is due to the fact that among Paul’s inner circle, along with zealous Freemasons, there were many of their opponents: A.A. Arakcheev, I.P. Kutaisov, F.V. Rostopchin and others. The latter, in particular, somehow took advantage of his closeness to the emperor and informed him about one Masonic dinner in the early 90s, at which the Masonic brothers allegedly cast lots for who would kill Empress Catherine II. This information amazed the impressionable Pavel. But by and large, the point here was still his principled position: he considered the Freemasons to be something contrary to “the principles of his absolute power.” Well acquainted with their teachings, this emperor, while still heir, hated in Masonic activities “the manifestation of social power independent of the supreme government.”
It is not difficult to guess that this complicated the relationship between Paul I and the Freemasons. This is where a number of authors attempt to connect the murder of this emperor with a Masonic conspiracy against him.
In fact, among the participants in the conspiracy there were many members of Masonic lodges: General P.V. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, N.M. Borozdin, P.A. Zubov, V.A. Zubov and others. L.L. was also a Mason. Bennigsen, who led a group of officers (the Zubov brothers, Prince V.M. Yashvil, I.M. Tatarinov, Ya.F. Skaryatin, etc.), which, in fact, killed Pavel Petrovich. But the inspirer of all this was a Masonic aristocratic group led by the former Russian ambassador to England S.R. Vorontsov (member of the St. Petersburg lodge "Modesty").
It should be noted that political secret societies arose in Russia later than in Western Europe, although long before Alexander I, the scientific and religious goals of some societies served their members as a cover to hide political goals.
IN last years During the reign of Catherine II in Russia, the Freemasons began to be viewed as Jacobins. Emperor Paul I, on the contrary, provided patronage to some Freemasons, but under him not a single lodge in Russia was opened. As for Alexander I, he acted very leniently towards the Freemasons: the government knew all the lodges, but for many years no one thought about supervising their actions. The number of freemason brothers included Tsarevich Konstantin Pavlovich and many other famous persons (for example, Count A.F. Langeron, Count P.A. Shuvalov, honorary member of the Academy of Arts Count F.P. Tolstoy, F.N. Glinka, N. I. Grech, etc.).
Information about Alexander’s own involvement in the brotherhood of Freemasons, contained in some historical works, does not deserve much confidence. For example, N.A. Berdyaev points out that “Alexander I was associated with Freemasonry and, like the Freemasons, was looking for true and universal Christianity. He<…>prayed with Quakers and sympathized with interdenominational mysticism. He did not have a deep Orthodox basis."
Historian M.V. Zyzykin in his work “The Secret of Alexander I” says that Alexander was not only associated with the Freemasons, but was himself a Freemason. He's writing:
“What kind of religious chaos was in Alexander’s head can be seen from the fact that he not only supported the Freemasons himself, but was also among them for some time, as evidenced by his action with General Vandamm, captured near Dresden, who, having been brought to Alexander, made him a Masonic sign and received a gracious order to be sent to improve his lot in Moscow. And in Paris in 1814, Alexander presided over the military Masonic lodge when the Prussian king Frederick William III was admitted there as a member."
Where did he get this information from, M.V. Zyzykin does not specify, and therefore we will leave these statements on his conscience.
“Whether Alexander I was a Freemason - this question requires special research, but the fact that Russian Freemasons widely used Alexander’s mystical sentiments in the direction they needed is certain.”
In any case, the era of Alexander I turned into the “golden age” of Russian Freemasonry. During his time in Russia, mainly in the capitals, many Masonic lodges, all kinds of schools and sects were formed, and the personnel of the lodges was surprisingly varied, including both the highest officials of the empire and future Decembrists.
According to the historian and anarchist theorist Prince P.A. Kropotkin, “with the accession to the throne of Alexander I, the Freemasons received the opportunity to preach their ideas more freely.”
It is known, for example, that in 1803 one of the grandmasters of Russian Freemasonry, I.V., came to Alexander. Weber, and he managed to convince the emperor that Freemasons in all European countries enjoy the patronage of monarchs and that he can fully count on Russian Freemasons as his most loyal subjects.
In this regard, Boris Bashilov asks the question:
“Or maybe the situation was different. Maybe Weber made it clear to Emperor Alexander I that there was no point in him embarking on the path of fighting Russian Freemasonry, which showed its strength three years ago during the conspiracy he organized against Alexander’s father. Only one thing is known for sure "that after the audience given to Weber, Alexander I allowed Freemasons to again openly meet in Masonic lodges."
In the same 1803, the Rosicrucians opened the secret lodge “Neptune” in Moscow, and Senator P.I. stood at the head of the lodge. Golenishchev-Kutuzov.
Masons of other directions also developed their activities. Freemasons of the French trend opened the Palestine Lodge in March 1809, and Count M.Yu. stood at its head. Vielgorsky.
Representatives of the most revolutionary Masonic order of the Illuminati also became more active. Since 1807, their “Polar Star” operated in St. Petersburg. At the head of the lodge was the German Ignaz Fessler.
In 1809, three lodges (Russian, German and French) together formed the Grand Directorial Lodge "Vladimir to Order", and the actual state councilor Ivan Vasilyevich (Johann) Beber became its grandmaster. He led until 1814, and then Adjutant General Count P.A. was elected in his place. Shuvalov. When Shuvalov refused the dignity offered to him, explaining this by his frequent absences from the capital, then, on January 20, 1815, Count V.V. was installed in his place. Musin-Pushkin-Bruce.
In 1810, the lodge “Peter to Pravda” arose in St. Petersburg. It consisted mainly of Germans living in the city - evangelists and Lutherans.
Under Alexander I, Masonic magazines began to be published. For example, in 1804 the Masonic magazine began to be published
"Zion Messenger", but it was banned after the first issue. In Moscow, "Solomon's Sciences" and other Masonic "wisdoms" were studied in the "To the Death's Head" lodge. Admiral I.S. took an active part in this work. Mordvinov and the Trubetskoy princes.
As we see, with the beginning of the reign of Alexander I, Masonic lodges in Russia sharply revived.
In fact, by a certain time a situation had developed where Alexander found himself under close tutelage from his “brothers.” So, for example, of the four members of the “Secret Committee”, with the help of which he ruled the empire at first, at least three (Adam Czartoryski, V.P. Kochubey and N.N. Novosiltsev) were Freemasons. Under these conditions, the Masons had nothing to fear from any persecution from the government.
They themselves were, by and large, the government.
In total, by 1810 in St. Petersburg there were up to 239 Masons plus 25 honorary members of Masonic lodges. It was most likely about the same in other cities. In total there are about 500 brothers. At that time, this was already a considerable force, especially since the Freemasons were not just anyone, but mostly very influential people.
CLOSURE OF MASONIC LODGES
And then the moment came when Alexander I, wanting to clarify for himself the true political intentions of Russian Freemasonry, ordered the Minister of Police to request the charters of existing Masonic lodges, collect information about their rituals, the number of members, etc. But this did not take the Masons by surprise. The Masons understood that their activities could not go unnoticed, and they prepared in a timely manner, achieving, through the Freemason brothers surrounding the emperor, the appointment of General A.D. to the post of Minister of Police. Balashov, a member of the Masonic lodge "United Friends".
Nevertheless, in 1821, Alexander closed the Masonic lodges in Warsaw and Vilna, and then, in August 1822, the Highest Command addressed to the Minister of Internal Affairs V.P. Kochubey about the destruction of Masonic lodges and all kinds of secret societies throughout Russia. At the same time, signatures had to be taken from all employees (both military and civilian) that they undertake not to belong to any secret societies.
As a result, A.S. Pushkin characterized the Masons of his time as follows:
"We still found several old people who belonged to this semi-political, semi-religious society<…>. People who found their profit in insidious slander tried to present the Martinists as conspirators and attributed to them criminal political views.<…>but their ill will was limited to grumpy censure of the present, innocent hopes for the future and ambiguous toasts at Farmazan dinners.”
MASONS AND DECEMBRISTS
By the way, Pushkin’s assessment, even though it was made in 1836, is very frivolous. In fact, even after the ban, the secret activities of the lodges continued. All of them were in one way or another connected with the Decembrists.
The degree of influence of Freemasonry on Decembrist movement often underestimated. But actually after Patriotic War 1812 and especially after the Foreign Campaign of the Russian Army of 1813–1814. liberal ideas captured many Russian “brothers” - members of regimental military lodges. The real incubator of future Decembrists, undoubtedly, was the Masonic lodge of the “Three Virtues”, established in 1815 by Prince S.G. Volkonsky, P.P. Lopukhin and M.Yu. Vielgorsky. At least ten of its members were simultaneously members of the Decembrist organization “Union of Salvation” (Major General Prince S.G. Volkonsky, Prince I.A. Dolgoruky, Prince S.P. Trubetskoy, M.I. Muravyov-Apostol, S. I. Muravyov-Apostol, N.M. Muravyov, P.I. Pestel, A.N. Muravyov, A.S. Norov, F.P. Shakhovskoy). That is, in fact, the first Decembrist organization, the Union of Salvation, directly came out of the Three Virtues lodge.
The secret revolutionary organization "Union of Welfare" was founded in 1818 in Moscow on the basis of the "Union of Salvation" and consisted of about 200 people, including F.N. Glinka and such subsequently famous Decembrists as N.A. Bestuzhev, V.K. Kuchelbecker, G.S. Batenkov and others.
And it is no coincidence that the emblem of the Union of Welfare was a beehive - one of the common symbols of Freemasonry. By the way, the basis for the new charter of this secret society was the statutes of the German society Tugendbund (Union of Valor), which actively participated in the 1813 uprising against Napoleon. The reworking of the rules of the German charter in the Russian manner was entrusted to M.I. Muravyov-Apostol, Prince S.P. Trubetskoy and N.M. Muravyov.
As you know, the Union of Welfare was dissolved in 1822 and transformed into the Northern Secret Society. In fact, its members raised the December uprising of 1825.
The governing body of the society was the “Supreme Duma,” which consisted of three people: initially N.M. Muravyov, N.I. Turgenev and E.P. Obolensky, later S.P. Trubetskoy, K.F. Ryleev, A.I. Odoevsky and A.A. Bestuzhev. At the beginning of 1825, K.F. Ryleev attracted P.G. to the society. Kakhovsky, who was extremely negative towards the imperial power and demanded the extermination of the entire royal family.
During the dissolution of the Union of Welfare, the Moscow Congress also took place, but some of the future Decembrists, led by P.I. Pestel did not recognize the decision of the congress and became a member of the Southern Secret Society.
P.I. Pestel had the fifth degree of the Scottish lodge "Sphinx". The corresponding patent in Latin with the seal of the “Sphinx” was received by P.I. Pestel in February 1817.
Proposing to establish a republic, P.I. Pestel took on the role of George Washington, but the main figures of society, knowing his exorbitant lust for power, found in him more similarities with Napoleon. By the way, the external similarity between Pestel and Napoleon was striking to many. And according to Ryleev’s recollections, Pestel often repeated: “This is true great person! In my opinion, if you have a despot over you, then you have Napoleon."
Starting in 1822, through N.M. Muravyov constantly negotiated between the “Northern Secret Society” and the “Southern Secret Society”, but Pestel and Muravyov could not agree with each other: the first was known as a determined republican and was a supporter of democratic rule, and the second preferred a monarchical form of government.
How the Decembrist uprising ended is well known. Some authors claim that approximately 20% of the Decembrists committed to the Supreme Criminal Court were members of Masonic lodges. In addition, a number of people were Freemasons - members of the Decembrist secret societies who were brought into the investigation as witnesses. Thus, according to the most conservative estimates, there were at least fifty Masons among the Decembrists. Other authors, with some assumptions, bring the number of Decembrist Masons to 120 people.
Be that as it may, V.S. Brachev in his book “Masons in Russia - from Peter I to the present day” states:
“If there had not been Masonic lodges in Russia during Alexander’s time, there would most likely not have been the uprising itself.”
And it’s hard to disagree with this.
But, surprisingly, along with the direct participants in the movement, among the Freemasons there were also many active persecutors of the participants in the December uprising of 1825: V.A. Perovsky, A.I. Neidgard, E.A. Golovkin, I.I. Levenshtern, O.I. Pryanishnikov. Among the members and employees of the Supreme Criminal Court over the Decembrists there were also freemasons: A.Kh. Benkendorf, M.Yu. Vielgorsky and others.
At one time S.D. Tol, daughter of Count D.A. Tolstoy, in her book “Masonic Action” even suggested that the Freemasons - participants in the trial of the Decembrists - allegedly tried to conduct the case in such a way as to prevent the discovery of the main leaders of the conspiracy. On the other hand, they sought to punish those leaders of the uprising who failed to properly carry out the task entrusted to them.
“Pavel Pestel,” writes S.D. Tol, “a protege of the highest Masonic hierarchy, was unable or did not want (dreaming for himself of the crown and bars of Monomakh) to fulfill exactly the orders given to him. He promised a lot, but did nothing. Thanks for this he was subject to the highest punishment."
As for Emperor Alexander, he allegedly, when he was informed about the Decembrist conspiracy, said:
You know that I myself shared and supported these illusions!
In fact, the emperor knew about the existence of a Masonic-noble conspiracy and was ready to neutralize it. Alexander I wrote specifically about international Freemasonry to Prince A.N. Golitsyn in February 1821 as follows:
"From your letters<…>I see a criticism of the political system that I currently adhere to. I cannot admit that this censure could arise in you after the principle of destruction in six months has led to revolution in three countries and threatens to spread throughout Europe. After all, you really can’t allow this to happen calmly. Your judgment can hardly diverge from my point of view, because these principles of destruction, like enemies of thrones, are directed even more against Christian faith So what the main objective, pursued by them, goes to achieve this, for which I have thousands and thousands of irrefutable evidence that I can present to you. In short, this is the result, put into practice, of the doctrines preached by Voltaire, Mirabeau, Condorcet and all the so-called encyclopedists<…>.
Please have no doubt that all these people united into one common conspiracy, breaking up into separate groups and societies, about whose actions I have all the documents, and I know that they all act in solidarity. Since then, they have become convinced that the new course of cabinet policy is no longer the same as before, that there is no hope of dividing us and catching us in troubled waters, or that there is no possibility of setting governments at odds with each other<…>, all societies and sects based on anti-Christianity and on the philosophy of Voltaire and others like him swore revenge on the governments. Attempts of this kind were made in France, England and Prussia, but unsuccessfully, and were successful only in Spain, Naples and Portugal, where the governments were overthrown. But all revolutionaries are even more bitter against the teachings of Christ, which they especially persecute. Their motto is: kill."
From this letter it is clearly clear that the emperor clearly understood that the source revolutionary movement Masons are everywhere. But Alexander I died on November 19 (December 1), 1825, at the age of less than 48 years. The Masons remained, and they still existed for a long time, especially in the provinces, they were able to legally resume their activities only under Emperor Nicholas II.
This text is an introductory fragment. From the book Secrets of the House of Romanov author From book Everyday life Russian officer of the era of 1812 author Ivchenko Lidia Leonidovna From the book Textbook of Russian History author Platonov Sergey Fedorovich§ 171. Emperor Alexander III Alexandrovich (1881–1894) The main goal of his activities, Emperor Alexander III set the establishment of autocratic power and the shaken state order. This goal was to be achieved first of all by the firm suppression of any
From the book From Peter I to the disaster of 1917 author Klyuchnik RomanCHAPTER 8. Alexander I and the Decembrist Freemasons Finally, all historians in Russia unanimously admit that the “Decembrist” rebels were Freemasons, and, therefore, the Decembrist uprising is an uprising of Freemasons, prepared by Masonic organizations in Russia; 12-15 years ago - in the 90s
From the book Battle of Tsushima author Alexandrovsky Georgy BorisovichCHAPTER X. “EMPEROR ALEXANDER III” The battle in the Tsushima Strait passed its climax, but the battle did not stop and continued with no less ferocity. The leadership of the Russian squadron, according to the instructions for the battle developed by Admiral Rozhestvensky, passes to
From the book of the Romanovs. Family secrets of Russian emperors author Balyazin Voldemar NikolaevichEmperor Alexander and Prussian Queen Louise The most important internal affairs at that time were relations with Georgia and a change of leadership in the College of Foreign Affairs. The Manifesto on the accession of Georgia to Russia was signed and the appointment to the post of chancellor took place
From the book History of Rus' author author unknownEmperor Alexander III (1881–1894) Experienced in state affairs, already upon his accession to the throne, Emperor Alexander III showed a lot of firmness and self-control in governing the state. Emperor Alexander III cared a lot about the needs of the peasant class: He gave him
From the book Catherine the Great and her family author Balyazin Voldemar NikolaevichEmperor Alexander and Prussian Queen Louise The most important internal affairs at that time were relations with Georgia and the change of leadership in the College of Foreign Affairs. The Manifesto on the accession of Georgia to Russia was signed and the appointment to the post of chancellor took place
From the book Alphabetical reference list of Russian sovereigns and the most remarkable persons of their blood author Khmyrov Mikhail Dmitrievich11. ALEXANDER I PAVLOVICH, Emperor and Autocrat All-Russian son of Emperor Paul I Petrovich from his second marriage with Princess Sophia-Dorothea-Augusta-Louise of Wirtemberg-Stuttgart, in Orthodoxy Empress Maria Feodorovna. Born in St. Petersburg on December 12, 1777;
author Vostryshev Mikhail IvanovichEMPEROR ALEXANDER II NIKOLAEVICH (1818–1881) The eldest son of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Born in Moscow on April 17, 1818. Declared heir to the Russian throne on December 12, 1825, crown prince on August 30, 1831. Mentor of Alexander
From the book All the Rulers of Russia author Vostryshev Mikhail IvanovichEMPEROR ALEXANDER I PAVLOVICH (1777–1825) Son of Emperor Paul I and Empress Maria Feodorovna. Born on December 12, 1777 in St. Petersburg. Empress Catherine II did not love her son Pavel Petrovich, but took care of the education of her eldest grandchildren Alexander and Konstantin.
Chapter 5 EMPEROR ALEXANDER THE THREE Alexander Alexandrovich was the second son of Emperor Alexander the Second and was not at all prepared to be the heir to the imperial throne, the heir was Tsarevich Nicholas, but in 1865 he died, and his bride, Princess Dagmara of Denmark
From the book The First Defense of Sevastopol 1854–1855. "Russian Troy" author Dubrovin Nikolay FedorovichEmperor Alexander II Born in 1818; died in 1881. The Emperor's accession to the throne on February 18, 1855 occurred under very difficult circumstances for Russia. She fought with the combined forces of four European powers, including three first-class ones, and could
Freemasonry, despite its 300-year history, remains the most closed organization. He is credited with incredible influence in the world, untold wealth, secret conspiracies, overthrow of rulers and revolutions. Who are the Masons, or, as they are also called, “free masons”? How many are there in Russia? And which famous Russian figures are members of Masonic lodges today?
And the kings too
It would be strange if the word “Freemason” in Russia did not become synonymous with “conspiracy.” Russian politics itself, always behind the scenes, purely Byzantine, when everything is decided “under the carpet,” could not help but give rise to the idea of a secret conspiracy. And no wonder. Take the Decembrists, for example - almost half of them were Freemasons (the most famous are Pestel, Muravyov-Apostol, Bestuzhev, Ryleev). Even Pushkin - our everything - was a member of the Masonic lodge. Moreover, Russian tsars were also Freemasons! According to some information, the first Mason of Russia was Peter I. The emperor was also a member of the brotherhood of “freemasons” Peter III. Tsar Paul I was raised by Freemasons and surrounded himself with Freemasons. The heyday of Freemasonry in Russia came in early XIX century, under Alexander I. He himself was a Freemason. The culprit of the Russian fashion for Freemasonry is Napoleon Bonaparte, who elevated Freemasonry in France to an organ government controlled. The Russian establishment actively traveled to France and decided to copy the idea for Russia. But our Masonic business did not work out. And in 1822, Alexander I banned the lodges, although he resisted for a long time: “I myself shared and encouraged these illusions, so it’s not for me to punish them.” But even under Alexander II there were still Masonic ministers.
After the 1917 revolution, Russian lodges moved abroad. And they appeared in Russia only in 1992. Who sits in the box now?
Gorbachev was also offered
The notorious historian Platonov, revealing various kinds of “conspiracies against the Russian people,” published “lists of Russian Freemasons.” He claims that Brezhnev, Yeltsin were Freemasons, Gorbachev, Luzhkov, Primakov, Abramovich, Berezovsky, Voloshin (former head of the Kremlin administration), Kiriyenko, Kozyrev, Gaidar, Yavlinsky, Nemtsov (and almost all famous politicians) were or are even members of the lodges 90s), Kasparov, banker Aven, ex-banker Gerashchenko, Khodorkovsky, director Govorukhin, businessman Bendukidze, Tsereteli, as well as human rights activists Alekseeva, Ponomarev, Kovalev. And several hundred more famous names. (By the way, the Freemasons themselves officially deny the involvement of Yeltsin, Gorbachev, and Gaidar in the Masonic lodges.)
One of the historical books published a funny fact: supposedly in 1990, the secretary of the Soviet embassy in France was invited to the Masonic order. He was asked to convey an invitation to USSR President Gorbachev to join the lodge. The secretary refused: “Mikhail Sergeevich adheres to universal human values and does not intend to be a member of the lodges!”
I think these lists should be treated with a great deal of irony.
Secret signs
What else did you manage to find out about Freemasonry? To recognize a Freemason (in the minds of many - a gloomy gentleman with a tenacious gaze, similar to a spy) in a citizen who pleasantly jokes with you at a social party and, in general, charm itself, is almost unrealistic. Although there are many secret, strictly classified Masonic signs that they can exchange with each other (one of such signs, they say, is the thumb and index finger forming a circle). But now secret signs practically do not work. Not a single lodge will accept a visiting Mason unless he has a letter of recommendation and telephone confirmation from the leadership of the “fraternal lodge.” Strangers, in short, don’t go there. If the Masons discover a stranger in their circle, they warn each other: “It’s raining.” So, if you hear this, at least be able to avoid looking like a weirdo and exclaiming: “Where? The sun is out!”
Masonic symbols mainly reflect construction themes. Compasses, hammer, hatchet, ruler; five-pointed and six-pointed stars; a triangle with an all-seeing eye placed inside, etc.
It seems incredible, but in Moscow it is quite possible to open an excursion tour “Masonic Moscow”: buildings with Masonic symbols built by the freemason architect Vasily Bazhenov in the 18th century have been preserved: for example, the Tsaritsyno estate, Putevoy royal palace on Leningradskoe highway. Masonic signs are on the mansion of Prince Gagarin (a famous freemason) in Gagarinsky Lane, as well as on the old building of Moscow State University on Mokhovaya (built in late XIX- early 20th century).
A typically Masonic sign is depicted on the US dollar bill (which is not surprising, given that most US presidents belong to Freemasonry), as well as on the 500-hryvnia Ukrainian bill.
I was lucky: I was able to communicate with the main Mason of Russia, Andrei Bogdanov, who is called the “Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Russia.”
FROM THE HISTORY
Freemasonry was born in London in 1717; June 24 is still celebrated today as the main Masonic holiday. Four London lodges of artisans, named after the taverns where they met - "Brush of Grapes", "Crown", "Apple", "Goose and Tray" - merged to form the Grand Lodge of London. Then the intelligentsia, businessmen, and nobility began to join the brotherhoods of “free masons.” Historians believe that intellectuals were brought into Freemasonry by ideological quests; they liked democratic morals and the construction of a class of artisans, and the desire to help each other.
LEGENDS
There is a version that Mozart, a member of the Masonic lodge, was poisoned because he revealed Masonic secrets in his “The Magic Flute.” Masons love this work very much. When The Magic Flute is performed at the Vienna Opera, during the Master's aria, several dozen people in the audience stand up - these are the Masons.
ONLY NUMBERS
There are 1 million 800 thousand Masons in the USA, about 300 thousand in Great Britain. There are about 400 Masons in Russia.
Membership fees (per year): in the USA - 100 dollars, in Europe - 400 - 600 euros, in Russia - about 300 dollars per year plus voluntary donations.
BY THE WAY
The path is closed to women
The lodge meets once a month. A candidate for Freemasonry must receive recommendations from 2 - 3 “brothers”. The future “free mason” undergoes “surveys under a blindfold” (in front of his eyes). The main question is the motives for joining the lodge. They vote with black and white balls. If a candidate collects 3 black balls, he is denied access not only to this box, but also to any other.
Also at meetings of lodges, Masons read out reports of a moral and philosophical nature (the so-called “architectural works”).
After the official part, there is dinner (agape): the first toast is necessarily to Russia, the second to its president, the third to the lodge and its master.
Women are not accepted as “free masons”.
OPINION OF A HISTORIAN
The oligarchs are still standing aside
For answers to questions that the main Mason had not clarified, I went to Sergei KARPACHEV, Doctor of Historical Sciences, author of four books on Freemasonry: “Modern domestic Freemasonry consists of the intelligentsia - teachers, journalists, entrepreneurs, officers, mostly retired. There are no active politicians, including high-ranking ones, or oligarchs among the Masons. Freemasonry does not pose political goals. The main occupation of Russian “free masons” is ritual work and the preparation of “architectural” works on ethical, philosophical and historical topics. It is extremely weak materially and can barely support itself. There will be no flourishing of Freemasonry in Russia, as at the beginning of the 19th century: it is not ready for Freemasonry either morally or intellectually. Russia is an anti-Masonic country; Nazism and fascism are more likely to revive here, but certainly not Freemasonry. Another thing is that experts and journalists (sometimes out of ignorance, more often deliberately) classify other organizations as Freemasonry - the elite Rotary Club or Order of Malta, which was created by the Catholic Church to combat Freemasonry.
Who was a Mason?
Pushkin (and, by the way, his persecutor, Chief of the Gendarmerie Benckendorff), Suvorov, Kutuzov, Radishchev, Karamzin, Fonvizin, Bestuzhev, Ryleev, Muravyov-Apostol. Kerensky, Petlyura, artist Bryullov, composer Rimsky-Korsakov, princes Golitsyn, Volkonsky, Vyazemsky, Kurakin, Trubetskoy, Razumovsky.
US Presidents Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, Prime Minister of England Churchill, banker Rothschild, auto tycoons Citroen, Henry Ford, composers Liszt, Mozart, Haydn, writers Swift, Defoe, Scott, Wilde, Kipling, Conan Doyle, poets Heine, Goethe , illusionist Guddini, jazzman Duke Ellington.
Other connections are in price now
It is no secret that the Masons helped each other in career growth. It is no coincidence that Freemasonry became widespread among US presidents and senior officials of Russia at the beginning of the 19th century. Is it possible to revive Freemasonry in Russia for such a long time? high level? Unlikely. Nowadays, it is not Masonic, but Kremlin connections that are at a premium. But in the Kremlin, it seems, there are no Masons after all.
Of course, domestic Freemasons would like to see influential politicians and wealthy fellow citizens, ideally oligarchs, in their ranks. But the former are unlikely to risk participating in secret projects. And the latter are too busy with their business and have no time to participate in archaic rituals and philosophical hearings. And if business people have time, they can while away it in another closed elite club. It is no coincidence that retired officers come to Freemasonry, experiencing a lack of communication, and perhaps the need to “think about the soul.”
Of course, Freemasonry can become fashionable if suddenly some very influential politician declares himself a Freemason. But such “originals” are not yet visible in power. Although, given the tortuous and mysterious path of Freemasonry, it is hardly possible to say anything categorically about this phenomenon. Anything, you know, has happened in our history...
FIRST-HAND
Andrei Vladimirovich, people think of Freemasons as something frightening, mystical and archaic, but still very influential. What exactly is Freemasonry?
Freemasonry is 300 years old, it is an organization, more precisely, a conglomerate of ancient initiatory organizations with a very venerable history, with an internal philosophy, with goals lying in the sphere of morality, where Masonic etiquette is extremely significant. This is a specific view of the world, maybe even a specific way of life. The main Masonic task is to reveal the spiritual potential of a person. Through moral and philosophical quests. The goal, if you want, is to do good man better. The organization is closed, but in all countries it is strictly loyal to the authorities in whose territory it operates.
They say that the Freemasons want to revive the monarchy in Russia and that they wrote the sensational book “Project Russia”?
Discussion of political issues, including government system, is prohibited among the Masons. 300 years of history suggests that we should behave respectably and think about the long future.
Could it happen that the Masonic lodge in Russia will try to enter the State Duma?
Excluded, since Freemasonry is a non-political organization. Although in ordinary life(as the Freemasons say, profane) a person can engage in any type of activity, including politics. But in general the lodge - no, of course.
Let’s say, come out of the “underground” and open an office in Moscow on Tverskaya?
That's how it will be someday. Masonic lodges in Great Britain and France have official offices in the center of the capitals.
Is Russian Freemasonry going to participate in any open public projects?
Freemasonry in the world carries out a lot of social and charitable projects. For example, in the United States it officially maintains a large network of children's hospitals in which children with cancer and other serious diseases are treated free of charge. I think that when Russian Freemasonry strengthens, some complex social projects will take upon himself.
War and Peace describes the impressive ritual of initiation into the Masons of Pierre Bezukhov. Now he is the same - a closed room, candles, a blindfold over the eyes of the newcomer?
Many rituals have been preserved.
There is a version that soviet symbol- five-pointed star - was borrowed by the Bolsheviks from the Freemasons?
A flaming five-pointed star is one of the symbols of the second degree of Masonic lodges. The symbol is ancient, Freemasonry does not have any exclusive rights to it, it could have been borrowed from other sources.
There are among Russian masons famous people, politicians?
The names of the brothers are always and under all circumstances not disclosed. A Mason has the right to reveal his name, but only his own. But never the names of brothers. This circumstance, as you understand, prevents a frank answer to your question. I would like to use the Masonic tradition of non-disclosure of names. Ask this question personally to those from whom you want to hear the answer.
Yes, I can imagine: “Ivan Ivanovich, are you a Freemason?” It will be especially effective at a press conference. But at least tell me, are there any top-ranking politicians among them?
No comments.
They often equate Masons and Jews and talk about conspiracies...
Those who use the term “Jewish Freemasonry” are very understandable in their simplicity. Freemasonry is non-national and non-denominational. A Christian, a Muslim, or a Jew can be a Mason.
But why then are conspiracies attributed to the Masons?
But is it only the Masons? The policy of secrecy, the extensive network of Freemasonry, the centuries-old history - all this leads to accusing Freemasonry of some kind of secret conspiracies.
But does Freemasonry have enemies?