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Vladimir Solovyov Russia (1853 - 1900) Timeline Christian : Eastern Orthodox Secular or Eclectic Poems by Vladimir Solovyov Books - Links |
Solovyov was born in Moscow in 1853. His father was a famous historian and a professor at Moscow University. At the age of nine, triggered by longings of love for a girl, Solovyov had the first in a series of three mystical encounters with Sophia.
At the age of 13, Solovyov renounced the Orthodox Church and began what he described as a troubled exploration of materialism and nihilism. He initially studied natural history and biology at university, but his grades began to slip. He switched to studies in history and philosophy.
Sometime around the age of 20, he "reconverted" to the Orthodox Church, and became a lay theological student and lecturer. He later traveled to London to do research at the British Museum.
It was then, while studying in the British Museum, that Solovyov had his second encounter with Sophia, where he saw only her face. Pleading with her to see her full form, Solovyov believed he received a message to meet her in Egypt. He went to Egypt and Sophia once again appeared to him in the desert at dawn. She also showed him a vision of the Earth transfigured, of all nature, all things, unified within her form as the Divine Feminine.
After his return to Russia, Solovyov briefly taught philosophy at Moscow University, but soon left because he disliked university politics. He then moved to St. Petersberg where he wrote and taught.
Solovyov taught an engaged Christianity of service and activism, in which the binding power of Sophia — the Mother/Wisdom/Love nature of God — could heal the world. For Solovyov, art could be a modern form of prophecy to bring greater awareness of this mystical unity to humanity.
Among his many works of poetry, his masterpiece is Tri Svidaniya or "Three Meetings" describing his three mystical encounters with Sophia. In his poetry, his encounters with Sophia are permeated with radiant azure and violet.
Solovyov was friends with the great Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Poems by Vladimir Solovyov
- If desires fly by like shadows
- The Sign
- Thou shalt have no other gods before me
- All in azure today
- Three Meetings
- Near, far off, not here, not there
- And it was here -- it was autumn
- Sophia in Egypt (from Three Meetings)
- Triumphing over death from the start (from Three Meetings)
Recommended Books: Vladimir Solovyov
Related Links
Vladimir Solovyov (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
http://www.iep.utm.edu/s/solovyov.htm
A brief biography and in-depth survey of Solovyov's philosophy.
Introduction to Sophiology
http://home.zonnet.nl/chotki/introduction_to_sophiology.htm
A brief article exploring the philosophy and mysticism of Sophia in the Eastern Othodox tradition, with several references to Solovyov.
Vladimir Solovyov
http://max.mmlc.northwestern.edu/~mdenner/Demo/poetpage/soloviev.html
A small selection of Solovyov's poems translated into English.
Diakonia Vol 29:3
http://academic.uofs.edu/organization/ecsc/DIAKONIA.HTML
Includes an article entitled "Mary in the Eschatology of Vladimir Solovyov" by David Matual.
Philip Holliday - Russian Vision
http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC15/Holliday.htm
A brief article on Sophia and Solovyov.
Vladimir Solovyov - Yahoo! Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/solovyov/
This group is for discussion of the work and legacy of the Russian philosopher Vladimir Solovyov (1853-1900). Solovyov is generally considered to be his country's greatest 19th century philosopher. He was a decisive figure in the birth of Russia's "Silver Age" in the arts, literature, philosophy and religion (about 1895-1922).
