Freemasons in the Russian Empire. The power of puppets and Freemasonry in Russia. Masonic head table
"I was ordered to do it": the secret side of Russian Freemasonry
A tall man in a black coat leads the way through the winding streets of the night capital. “I was once in the lodge for the sake of scientific interest, so to speak,” he throws, not looking back. Now he does not stop communicating with other members of the brotherhood, but does not name the reason for his departure.
"They enter the box for various reasons. Some think, and seriously, that they will decide the fate of the world, others believe that they will gain secret knowledge. And someone just read Tolstoy's" War and Peace " his life in the box. - Approx. ed.) ", - remarks my interlocutor Pavel.
Masonic head table
If at the time of Pushkin and Griboyedov (Masons consider them "theirs" - Ed.) The principle was: "to be a Mason, ask a Mason about it" and it was necessary to make as many acquaintances as possible with members of the lodge, then in the 21st century the opportunity Almost everyone can use "steer" the destinies of the world.
"In the same USA there are millions of Freemasons. There are also many in Europe. And we have a continuous turnover. There are few permanent members of the lodge," Pavel complains. According to him, it's all about enough expensive "entrance ticket" - from 10-20 thousand rubles... Therefore, the budget of Russian Freemasonry - in contrast to foreign secret societies - is not as large as it is commonly believed.
"A few years ago, one of the major lodges in France kicked out its great master with a scandal. Do you know why? He bought a personal helicopter with the money of the brotherhood," he says.
We approach a small door in an old building next to Tverskoy-Yamskaya(st. Tverskaya, 21 Museum of the Revolution, former English Club... Prim Ruan), followed by steps leading down. The basement is either a bar or a club. "Usually, in such an entourage, meetings of various secret societies are held. Although at the best times the Grand Lodge of Russia (the only Masonic organization recognized abroad in Russian Federation... - Approx. ed.) arranged their meetings in the "Metropol", near the Kremlin. There were also Martinists who practice occultism - they have something like Christian Kabbalism, "says my interlocutor.
Are there many freemasons in Russia
Freemasonry does not have a single centralized organization, but at the same time it is quite hierarchical. Various Masonic lodges of about 10 people (maximum of 20) can be combined into "great" ones. The first such joint lodge appeared in England exactly 300 years ago (1917 anniversary, 2017 anniversary approx. Rouen) and has since been considered the most authoritative. In 1740, her adept, a general in the Russian service James (Jacob) Keith, was appointed the great master of Russia. And by the end of the 18th century, the entire Russian nobility "fell ill" by Freemasonry: famous members of the lodge became statesmen, poets, artists, architects. This continued until the grandson of Catherine II, Emperor Alexander I, in 1822, unexpectedly for everyone, outlawed Freemasonry. It got to the point that officials gave special receipts about their "non-membership of lodges."
Freemasonry was revived only for a short time after 1905 ( They lie and don't even blush. Approx. Rouen). But in the very first decade of Soviet power, the Masonic lodges were "cleaned out". There is a story that the Freemasons tried to cooperate personally with Stalin, but he, having familiarized himself with their proposal, immediately requested the names of all the members of the Russian lodge. And in post-war years When the campaign to "fight Zionism" was launched, the idea of the Freemasons as a "secret world government" finally took root in the public consciousness.
Once again, Russian Freemasonry has risen in 1995 year with the emergence Grand Lodge of Russia (VLR) recognized by more than 90 Masonic organizations around the world. Its members call themselves "a club of men who believe in God and want to bring the light of knowledge to society"... This organization considers itself the only one that received the official right to exist from foreign lodges. Continuity is an important concept for Masons, because they believe that they have been keeping and transmitting "secret knowledge" for more than one millennium.
The VLR today includes 50 lodges, mostly from Moscow. However, in Russia there are other Masonic organizations with different statutes. But they, unlike VLR, do not have official status"grand lodge" and are, in fact, representations of foreign Masonic assemblies.
Meeting of the Grand Lodge of Russia
"Now in Russia there are about one and a half thousand Masons. Moreover more than a thousand of them are regular, that is, they are in the Grand Lodge of Russia ", - notes the religious scholar Dmitry Pedenko.
Most of the lodges operating in Russia require their candidates to believe in God and the immortality of the soul. However, this does not mean that there are no atheist Masons. “A distinctive feature of a number of so-called irregular Masonic organizations is that they accept not only believers, but also atheists. However, the number of such lodges in Russia is insignificant and there are very few participants. are the same persons, "the expert emphasizes.
"Ordered to become a Freemason"
"Freemasonry is, first of all, an ancient club of respectable people", - assures ( lies and does not blush. Approx. Rouen) political scientist Vyacheslav Smirnov, member of the Grand Lodge of Russia. When asked what prompted him to become a Freemason, he evasively replies: "The Motherland ordered."
Each lodge has three degrees (degrees. - Ed.) Of initiation - apprentice, journeyman, master mason. In addition, there are still many different degrees, however, as they say in the lodges, there is no higher degree of initiation, After all, a Freemason is a brother to a Freemason.
The initiation rite itself in the degree complex and symbolic... Thus, before the initiation begins, a candidate for "disciple" is half naked, blindfolded and left for half an hour in the "room of reflection." After that, he is taken to the "temple", where a number of different symbolic actions are performed: for example, the future Mason solemnly swears on the sacred book of his religion (most often it is the Bible. - Ed.).
"Often the initiation ceremony is carried out with musical accompaniment, which enhances the impression of the candidate," says one of the Masonic forums.
At the end of the ceremony, the master mason calls on the members of the lodge to help the newcomer in difficulties, being confident that he will help them in difficult times. It is help to one's neighbor, brotherly love and adherence to truth that are the main principles of Freemasonry ( and the brother of the Freemason is the neighbor of the Freemason. Brotherly love. Approx. Rouen). The Masons themselves formulate their vocation as follows: "to make good man better. ”At the same time, the Masons themselves often cannot answer how intricate rituals, together with the requirement to understand a huge number of abstract terms, really contribute to this.
Masonic initiation ritual
In turn, Paul argues that the higher the degree, the more you will have to pay for initiation. In addition, according to the already official information on the VLR website, the Freemasons make annual contributions.
For some reason, it is generally accepted that Masons have sex during their rituals. "Masons are often confused with thelemites... These are the real marginalized, they initiate through sex. One of my acquaintances Thelemites told that some master from the USA even came to them for ceremonies in Moscow, "says Pavel. Thelemites are followers of the teachings of the famous English mystic Aleister Crowley, which is expressed in principle:" do what you please, let it be then the law "(in they are scumbags. Approx. Rouen).
"We do not give out our own"
Masonic lodges have several rules of anonymity. Thus, any member of the brotherhood can declare his membership in Freemasonry without prior agreement with his fellows. But you cannot give others away.
“When meeting with a Russian member of the fraternity, there is no point in giving signs - everyone knows each other anyway, at least for sure me. If I don’t know someone, my acquaintances will introduce them. But for foreign brothers there are letters of recommendation with stamps or e-mails from their jurisdictions with a photo and a recommendation for communication, "explains Vyacheslav Smirnov.
However, in the early 2010s, Russian Freemasonry was still shaken by an "exposing" scandal: someone published on the Web the lists of full members of the lodge. This gave new food to various kinds of conspiracy theories that the Freemasons first destroyed the USSR, and then firmly settled in the Kremlin. “The culprit was found quickly and forced to remove everything. There (on the list. - Ed.) There were even some officials and managers of well-known companies,” says Pavel.
However, in last years Masonic ranks, he said, are thinning. “Let's just say that expectations do not coincide with reality: many people see that it is rather boring to be a Freemason. And they do not like them with us", - he concludes ( But this is absolutely true. Approx. Rouen).
Freemasons and the February Revolution
“In the depths of world freemasonry the issue of world war was resolved and war became inevitable. The center of the terrible intrigue that led to the world slaughter was in England... From here came directives and instructions for all English continental lodges.
Masonic lodges carried out propaganda against Germany, put pressure on their own and foreign governments and contributed to the diplomatic and military encirclement of Germany. England, France, Italy and America, whose governments were in the hands of the Freemasons, created inner unity from socialists to monarchists, created an alarming mood and advocated the inevitability of preventive measures against "attacking imperialist Germany." Russian diplomacy, captured by the Freemasons, worked for the Allies.
Masons Sazonov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Imperial Government, Russian ambassadors - Izvolsky in Paris, Strandman in Serbia - were mere pawns in the hands of Anglo-French Freemason politicians. The Russian ambassador in Paris Izvolsky, upon receiving news of the outbreak of war, with the air of a triumphant, said:
"This is my war!" The murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914, which served as a pretext for a world war, was carried out by the Freemasons.
The plan of his assassination for several years was drawn up by the "Grand Orient of France". Lord Balfour at the beginning of the war declared that the war would end in 1918 before the feast of the Nativity of Christ. The Jewish newspaper Peyevishe Wordle wrote on January 13, 1919:
"International Jewry forced Europe to accept war in order to start a new Jewish era around the world." German General Ludendorff said: “Now it became clear to me that the German soldier ultimately found himself hidden behind the scenes of the dark forces. Now we cannot but admit that the German sword cleared the way for these forces that enslaved Russia. This could have happened only due to the fact that most of us at that time still did not know the hidden springs that pushed us. "
The world conspiracy not only provided for the defeat of the central powers, but also the defeat of Russia, the Russian revolution and world chaos, which was supposed to lead to the implementation of the age-old Masonic dream - the creation of a Masonic superstate(World Government, approx. Rouen).
The revolution in Russia, as it is now established, was prepared and arranged by the Freemasons.
The intensive and systematic work of the Freemasons in Russia especially intensified after the murder in 1911 of P.A. Stolypin. With the assistance of the "Grand Orient of France", already in 1911, Masonic lodges were founded everywhere in Russia, members of which were representatives of different strata of the population, including the military.
Freemasonry captured various political movements, from liberals to the Bolsheviks, inclusive. All the leaders of the Socialists and Communists belonged to the Masons: Savinkov, Avksentyev, Kerensky, Burtsev, Apfelbaum (Zinoviev), Radek-Sobelson, Sverdlov, Tchaikovsky, Lenin, Trotsky and others.
By the time of the 1917 revolution, the military lodges, gathered in the palace of Count Orlov-Davydov. Generals Polivanov belonged to the Masons, Ruzsky, Polovtsev, Prince Vyazemsky. For example, the commander of the Finnish regiment, Teplov, was admitted to the Masonic lodge. When one of the brothers asked him a question about the Tsar, Teplov replied: "I will kill if ordered."
One of the highest members of the "Grand Orient of France" Baron Senshol, who was entrusted with organizing Freemasonry in Russia, exclaimed: "If the Tsar saw the list of Russian Masons, he would find in it the names of persons who stood very close to him." The conspiracy was led by a conspiracy center, which arose back in 1915.
It was the famous Masonic "five", consisting of Efremov, Kerensky, Konovalov, Tereshchenko and Nekrasov. A provisional government headed by Prince Lvov was outlined back in April 1916. There was propaganda from England that the Russian court was ready to conclude a separate peace and betray the national interests of Russia and the interests of the allies.
The leaders of British policy, using Russia to crush Germany, welcomed the coup d'etat in Russia, for “ England doesn't need a strong Russia", As he later quite openly told the whole world about it Lloyd George.
The representative of England, Buchanan, tells our conspirators that it would be much better for Russia if the revolution "came from above." Italian Minister Niti stated quite definitely that “ the victory of Russia in the world war would be the greatest misfortune for civilization". In a word, all our "loyal allies" were in solidarity and inspired by one desire: that Russia, for the incalculable sacrifices made, would be defeated - if not at the front, then with the help of the revolution. By the end of 1916, when the question of the victory of the Allies over Germany became clear, an order was given from England: to take action. In Masonic circles, the idea of the need to remove the Tsar from the throne was born. Thought about it submitted Prince Lvov from the very first days of the war at a meeting with Konovalov.
From that moment on, the question of a palace coup was raised in Masonic conspiratorial meetings. The question is raised about the elimination of the "German", that is, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. In this spirit, Prince Lvov led his intimate negotiations with General Alekseev... The agreements worked, and by the fall of 1916, an agreement on action was established. The plan was to arrest the Tsarina, exile her to the Crimea, and force the Tsar to agree to a "ministry of public trust."
This plan was scheduled for November 30 (3.11.9), but collapsed by itself: Alekseev had an acute attack of a chronic illness, and the chief of staff was forced to go for a long treatment to the Crimea, where he was until February 20, 1917. After this failure, on December 9, a secret meeting was held at the apartment of Prince Lvov. The prince developed the idea palace coup with the aim of overthrowing Nicholas II from the throne and replacing him with Nikolai Nikolaevich.
Khatisov was authorized to enter into negotiations with Nikolai Nikolaevich, acquainting him with the project of the palace coup and finding out how Grand Duke will relate to this project and is it possible to count on his assistance.
Lvov said that he had a statement from General Manikovsky that the army would support the coup. According to this plan, it was assumed Arrest the Tsar and take him into exile, and the Tsarina was imprisoned in a monastery, they talked about exile, and the idea of murder was not rejected. In Tiflis, during the New Year's reception, Khatisov presented to Nikolai Nikolayevich the “Lvov plan”. After 2 days, Khatisov met with Nikolai Nikolaevich again and learned from him that the Grand Duke decided to evade participation in the conspiracy, motivating his refusal with the opinion of General Yanushkevich that the army was monarchical and would not go against the Tsar.
The idea of the Tsar's forced abdication was persistently pursued in Petrograd at the end of 1916 and the beginning of 1917. Palaeologus (French ambassador), who was entering the house of the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, writes that the grand dukes, among whom are called the sons of Maria Pavlovna, were supposed to seize Tsarskoe Selo with the help of four guards regiments (Pavlovsky, Preobrazhensky, Izmailovsky and Personal escort) at night and force the Emperor to abdicate. The Empress was supposed to be imprisoned in a monastery and proclaimed the heir Tsar under the regency of Nikolai Nikolaevich.
The question of the compulsory removal of the Sovereign from the throne was also raised at a dinner with the Grand Duke Gabriel Konstantinovich. It was attended by Putilov and Ozerov who belonged to the Freemasons and were in connection with the conspirators. General Krymov was involved in organizing the coup. Admiral Kolchak not only sympathized with the coup, but also took an active part in it. The commanding staff of the Russian army, thus, by that time was sufficiently propagandized, prepared for the revolution, and when at the end of February street traffic began in Petrograd, he did not take any measures to suppress the riot, but on the contrary, all the front commanders recommended the Tsar to abdicate. from the throne.
The army - the pillar of the throne - has become a force hostile to the throne. November 1, 1916Freemason Milyukov from the rostrum of the State Duma delivers a speech on the topic: "Stupidity or treason?" national treason... This vile speech of one of the most vile people in Russia had absolutely no evidence under it - everything from start to finish was a deliberate lie.
This was later found out by a commission created by the Provisional Government, which, despite its prejudice against the leaders of the "old regime", revealed with full evidence that not only the Empress, but also Sturmer, Shcheglovitov, Protopopov and Sukhomlinov himself were in no way guilty of treason, neither in negotiations with Germany, nor in the search for a separate peace.
In the Duma, deputies make speeches against Rasputin. Freemason Maklakov persuades Yusupov to murder Rasputin. The participation of Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich and Prince Yusupov in the assassination of Rasputin was even more convincing that Rasputin was a traitor and destroyer of Russia. In January 1917, an allied commission from representatives of England, France and Italy arrived in Petrograd. After a consultation with his brother Guchkov, who was at that time the chairman of the Military-Industrial Committee, prince, brother Lvov, Chairman of the State Duma, brother Rodzianko, general, brother Polivanov, brother Sazonov, British Ambassador, Brother Buchanan, by brother Milyukov and other persons, this mission presented to the Tsar demands of the following kind:
1) the introduction to the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the allied representatives with the right of a decisive vote:
2) renewal of the command staff of all armies according to the instructions of the Entente powers;
3) introduction of a constitution with a responsible ministry.
The Emperor put the following resolutions on these demands: "On the first point: It is unnecessary to introduce allied representatives, because I do not propose to introduce my representatives into the allied armies with a decisive vote." “On the second point: Too superfluous. My armies are fighting with greater success than the armies of My allies. " "On the third point: The act of internal government is subject to the discretion of the Monarch and does not require the indication of allies."
As soon as the Tsar's answer became known at the British Embassy, an emergency conference was held with the participation of the same persons; it was decided “ quit the legal path and embark on the path of revolution».
“We knew,” said brother P. N. Milyukov after the revolution, “that in the spring the victories of the Russian army lay ahead. In this case, the prestige and charm of the Tsar among the people would again become so strong and tenacious that all our efforts to undermine and overthrow the throne of the Autocrat would be in vain. That is why we had to resort to an early revolutionary explosion in order to prevent this danger. " At the end of February, Freemasonry unleashes destructive forces. Someone else's gold appears. February 23 a skilful hand drives the crowds out into the streets of Petrograd.
The rabble is frightened by the impending famine. Clashes begin with the police and troops. On February 26, a decree on the dissolution of the Duma follows, to which it does not obey.
March 19, 1917 Jacob Schiff, who, according to French intelligence, transferred twelve million dollars to the Russian revolutionaries, sent Milyukov telegram: “Let me, as an implacable enemy of the tyrannical autocracy, which ruthlessly persecuted our fellow believers, to congratulate the Russian people through your mediation on the deed they have just brilliantly accomplished, and to wish your comrades in the new government and you personally complete success in the great work that you began with such patriotism. "
Igor Froyanov. "The February revolution was unleashed not by the Bolsheviks, but by the Freemasons."
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Lieutenant Colonel of the Corps of Railway Engineers. Poet. Participant Patriotic War 1812 and foreign campaigns in 1813. While serving in Tomsk (1813-1817), he became close to M.M. Speransky and became his closest collaborator. Decembrist, member of the Northern Society. After the Decembrist uprising, he spent about twenty years in solitary confinement, demonstrating rare courage and self-control. Left "Masonic Memories". Participated in the development of the plan for the uprising on December 14, 1825, speaking out for decisive action and involving the masses in the uprising. He was designated as a candidate for membership in the Provisional Government. During the investigation, he presented a statement about belonging to a secret society and agreement with its plans, wrote that the speech on December 14 was “not a rebellion, as to my shame I called it several times, but the first experience of a political revolution in Russia, an experience respected in everyday life and in the eyes of other enlightened peoples ”. Of the surviving Decembrists, he suffered the most severe punishment: he was sentenced to eternal hard labor, but was kept from 1827 to 1846 in the solitary cell of the Alekseevsky Ravelin of the Peter and Paul Fortress. In the fortress he was not allowed to communicate with anyone, from books he was allowed to read only the Bible. Member of the Lodge “Chosen Michael” in 2 gr. Founding member and Grand Secretary of the "Eastern Sun" lodge in Tomsk, 1818-1819.
"A Freemason in Russia is more than a Freemason." He is, first of all, "the sun of Russian poetry", an invincible commander, a classic of Russian literature, the creator of the "History of the Russian State", the head of the Provisional Government, and secondly, and sometimes even the third - a free mason.
On January 7, 1761, Suvorov was promoted to the Scottish Master of the Masonic Lodge "To the Three Crowns". The first Freemason Lodge was founded in London on June 24, 1717. From Great Britain, Freemasonry spread to other countries, including Russia, where Freemasons enjoyed great influence in the 18th - first third of the 19th century. There was a legend among Russian Masons that the first Masonic lodge in Russia was established by Peter the Great. To many, the absence of social inequality between brothers, the protection of the interests of the brothers by all members of the lodge seemed an attractive idea. At their meetings, the lodges discussed various theoretical and practical issues, played the role of both political clubs and philosophical societies. The Masons had traditions, symbols, the Masons invented a new story for themselves, dating back to the construction of the Temple of Solomon. Russian Freemasonry set itself the task of “knowing the mystery of being” through Christian tolerance and “the obligation of conciliar work,” which included self-improvement, spiritual creativity, and enlightenment. We decided to tell you about the most famous Russian masons.
SUVOROV
Suvorov was admitted to the Masonic order in 1761. At that time, Freemasonry had not yet won wide sympathy, so Suvorov entered the Brotherhood not on the wave of fashion, but out of deep spiritual necessity, and was one of the first Russian free masons. At the same time, he did not just join the Brotherhood, but went through several steps: Suvorov was initiated and promoted to the third master degree in St. Petersburg. And although only a few documents speak of his belonging to the order - in particular, in the list of the Konigsberg Lodge dated March 16, 1761, recently discovered in the archives of the Grand National Lodge of three globes in Berlin, Ober-Lieutenant Alexander von Suvorov is listed as number 6 - well-known circumstances his life: religiosity, asceticism, the struggle with passions, especially characteristic of Freemasonry of that period, testify to just this.
KUTUZOV
In 1779, the commander Kutuzov entered the box "To the Three Keys" in Regensburg. He came to seek in the brotherhood "forces to fight against passions and the keys to the secrets of the world." Traveling around Europe, he also entered the lodges of Frankfurt and Berlin, Moscow and St. Petersburg. Among historians, there is a version that it was Suvorov who recommended Kutuzov to the brothers-masons, who became for him not only a military man, but also a spiritual mentor. Kutuzov reached high degrees and was one of the most influential members of the brotherhood, linking his name with the lodge for more than 30 years. Upon initiation into the 7th degree of Swedish Freemasonry, Kutuzov received the order's name - Greening Laurel, and the motto - "Glorify yourself with victories", which became prophetic. Some historians of Freemasonry believe that it was the Masonic society that contributed to the appointment of Kutuzov as the leader of the forces in the fight against Napoleon, who appeared to the Freemasons early XIX centuries the embodiment of evil, lust for power and violence. Masons considered it their duty to resist this evil.
PUSHKIN
In his diary, Pushkin made an entry in 1821: "On May 4, I was admitted to the Freemasons." He received the dedication in the "Ovid" lodge in Chisinau, she was never recognized as official, and in November of the same year she was forced to stop working. In addition, on August 1, 1822, Alexander I signed a decree banning Masonic lodges and all secret societies in general. Thus, Pushkin's initiation into Freemasonry was, as it were, unofficial, although it took place in compliance with all the subtleties of the ritual. Nevertheless, most historians are sure that Pushkin simply could not help but be a Freemason: the environment from which the poet emerged was saturated with Masonic ideas. His father Sergei Lvovich and uncle Vasily Lvovich were part of the brotherhood; in the house they constantly read the magazines of the masons N. Novikov and I. Lopukhin, publications by A. Labzin and P. Beketov. Many pupils of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, where Pushkin studied, the poet's inner circle, people with whom he often met, or, later, was in correspondence, became brothers of the Petersburg lodges. Exiled to the south, Pushkin met with many freemasons: Raevsky, Pestel, S. Volkonsky and others. Maybe not formally participating in the work of any of the lodges, he was constantly in the society of the Masons, participated in their conversations, therefore the symbolism of the lodge and the Masonic ritual was as clear to him as to those around him. Researchers of his work have more than once found the symbolism of masons in his poems and stories. In addition, Prince Vyazemsky put a glove in the poet's coffin before the funeral as a sign of recognition as his brother in the bed.
CHAADAEV
Chaadaev was one of the brightest characters among the Freemasons. Few could compare with him in his erudition, brilliant erudition, excellent memory and intellectual level. Pushkin called him the smartest person Russia and recognized him as his teacher. The development of Chaadaev's philosophical outlook was greatly influenced by the works of his relative, Prince M.M. Shcherbatov, who at one time was a very famous Freemason. Chaadaev himself was admitted to the Masonic lodge in 1814 in Krakow and attained one of the highest degrees of initiation into the order - the eighth degree of the "Secret White Brothers of John's Lodge" out of nine possible. However, being a person of very independent judgments, who did not recognize any doctrines, in 1821 Chaadaev became disillusioned with Freemasonry and left the lodge. The reasons that prompted the departure from Freemasonry, Chaadaev outlined in a letter. It seemed to him that the masons' rituals were empty, and the brothers preferred talking about intentions instead of actions.
KERENSKY
Alexander Kerensky is considered one of the most prominent representatives of XX century Freemasonry. At the end of 1912, he was accepted as a member of the Masonic lodge "The Great East of the Peoples of Russia", which was not recognized by others as a Masonic organization, since political activity was a priority for itself. The organization had strong radicals who advocated a republican state structure. Among the three hundred members of this Masonic lodge were representatives of almost all political parties and the deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Empire, who could quite successfully influence the Russian policy of that time. Four years later, in 1916, Kerensky was elected general secretary of the Masonic lodge. Historians believe that Kerensky's rapid political career, which began in 1917, is associated with his influence and authority in the Masonic organization. After February revolution Kerensky finds himself simultaneously in two opposing bodies of power: in the first composition of the Provisional Government as Minister of Justice, and in the first composition of the Petrograd Soviet as deputy chairman. Then there was the post of military and naval minister of the Provisional Government, which was the peak of Kerensky's political career. After the Bolsheviks came to power, Kerensky emigrated from Russia.
It was not enough for diplomat and writer Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov to be a member of the most numerous Masonic lodge of St. Petersburg, “United Friends”. He wanted to improve it, his letters and notes about this have been preserved. According to Griboyedov's project, this lodge was supposed to be called “Blago”. Instead of an official French The language of all her affairs was to be Russian, 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 spent on the splendor and gloomy solemnity of meetings, on rituals, could be used with great intelligence. 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 Freemason-diplomat, and connections among the Freemasons contributed a lot to his diplomatic career. Unlike Karamzin or Chaadaev, Griboyedov never left the Masonic lodge - at least with papers and a manifesto.
Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilev is a member of the “Guild of Poets”, an acmeist, which in itself is already associated with the ideas and symbols of Freemasonry, because the word “acme” contains the image of a stone, and “Cadmus” is a reference to Adam, the “first freemason”. The "Poets' Workshop" was conceived as a "poetic lodge" headed by the "perfect master" Gumilev. Many of Gumilyov'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 in 1917 or 1918 Gumilyov was admitted to the "mystical lodge of English free masons", but this is not known for certain. Although in one of the poet's poems we meet: “Do you remember how before us / There was a temple, blackened in the darkness, / Above the gloomy altars / Fire signs were burning. / Solemn, granite-winged / He guarded our sleepy city, / They sang in it hammers and saws, / Masons worked in the night ... ".
"A Freemason in Russia is more than a Freemason." He is, first of all, "the sun of Russian poetry", an invincible commander, a classic of Russian literature, the creator of the "History of the Russian State", the head of the Provisional Government, and secondly, and sometimes even the third - a free mason.
Alexander Pushkin
"On May 4, I was admitted to the Freemasons," wrote Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in 1821 in his diary. The lodge, which the poet joined, was called "Ovid" and was located in Chisinau. The members of this lodge acted surprisingly openly. There is evidence that, when ordaining the Bulgarian Archimandrite Ephraim as brothers, he was blindfolded and led through the courtyard to the basement. The Bulgarians, crowding in the square, immediately rushed to save their archimandrite, deciding that he was being taken to prison. However, there is no evidence that the same was done with Pushkin. And what kind of Mason is Alexander Sergeevich? In his papers, there are still unfilled counting books of the lodge, on which the poet wrote ... poetry. 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 not known when Pushkin left it - most likely, it happened by itself, when, a year and two months after Pushkin was accepted into the Order, Emperor Alexander I closed all Masonic lodges by his decree. Nevertheless, before the funeral, Vyazemsky put a glove in the poet's coffin as a sign of recognition as his brother in the bed ...
Alexander Suvorov
In the department of manuscripts of the Russian State Library you can find a description of a handwritten book - the minutes of the meetings of the Masonic lodges of St. Andrew and the Three Crowns in Königsberg for 1760-1768. In this book, in particular, there is a mention of the famous commander Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov. In the early 1760s, the Russian military generally actively participated in the work of the Konigsberg lodges. One of the most active Russian members of the Königsberg lodge "Zu den Drei Kronen" ("To the Three Crowns") - he recommended at least 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 ordained a freemason 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 "free masons". On January 27, 1761, he was promoted to Scottish master in the already mentioned lodge "Zu den Drei Kronen". He was a member of this lodge until his departure from Konigsberg at the beginning of 1762.
Nikolay Karamzin
Masonry saved Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, perhaps, from the fate of Eugene Onegin: as an eighteen-year-old boy, he served in one of the best guards regiments, and then went to Simbirsk to shine in society. Famous freemason and the writer Turgenev noticed a gifted youth and drew him into the Rosicrucian order. He settled him in a house that belonged to the lodge, and forced him to delve into science, develop his writing skills. Young Karamzin worked and communicated a lot with Masons, during this time he began to write poetry and prose, but four years later he became disillusioned with Freemasonry. Nevertheless, in 1792 he criticized the actions of the authorities when they defeated the Moscow Masonic organization and concluded former teacher Karamzin Novikov to the fortress. Despite the fact that Karamzin himself was under Catherine's suspicion as a student of the Freemasons, he published an ode "To Grace", which clearly reads his rejection of the empress's actions.
Alexander Griboyedov
It was not enough for diplomat and writer Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov to be a member of the most numerous Masonic lodge of St. Petersburg, “United Friends”. He wanted to improve it, his letters and notes about this have been preserved. According to Griboyedov's project, this lodge was supposed to be called “Blago”. Instead of the official French language, Russian was to become the language of all her affairs, despite the fact that there were many foreigners in her. 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 spent on the splendor and gloomy solemnity of meetings, on rituals, could be used with great intelligence. 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 Freemason-diplomat, and connections among the Freemasons contributed a lot to his diplomatic career. Unlike Karamzin or Chaadaev, Griboyedov never left the Masonic lodge - at least with papers and a manifesto.
Petr Chaadaev
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 John's Lodge" out of nine possible. The reasons why Chaadaev left the box are consonant with those that Griboyedov, a member of the same “United Friends” lodge, lamented: rituals for its own sake, spectacular rituals, empty talk about intentions instead of actions. True, this is only a part of the letter written by Chaadaev to leave the lodge, the second part has been lost, but experts do not deny that it will “emerge”, as is typical of Masonic documents. Chaadaev's biographers emphasize his leadership traits and believe that between the lines of this letter one reads "I would be glad to serve, it is sickening to serve ...". Chaadaev is one of the brightest characters among the Freemasons and Decembrists.
Alexander Kerensky
One of the most prominent representatives of XX Freemasonry is Alexander Kerensky. After two years in the Masonic lodge, Kerensky even entered the leadership of this secret organization, and only Nikolai Nekrasov, the general secretary of the Masonic lodge, a member of the Cadet party, was higher in rank at that time. However, already in 1916, Alexander Fedorovich Kerensky was elected general secretary instead of Nekrasov by a majority of votes at the next congress of the Masonic lodge "The Great East of the Peoples of Russia". Skillfully using his new secret position, Alexander Kerensky throughout 1916 vividly increased his influence on the sidelines of Russian politics, which led to the meteoric rise of his political career, which the whole world watched in 1917. Kerensky even wrote about his membership in the lodge after the versions about the guilt of the Masonic lodges in the revolution and the "collapse of Russia" became popular.
