Bolotov Vasily Vasilievich (1853-1900) - Russian Orthodox historian of the Church. He graduated from the Ostashkov Theological College and the Tver Theological Seminary, and then St. Petersburg. Theological Academy (1879). As a student, he amazed everyone with "an amazing knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and free reading in Latin, Greek, German and French texts." He knew Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and other ancient languages. His posthumously published "Lectures on the History of the Ancient Church" (St. Petersburg, 1907-18, vol. 1-4) became a classic example of the Orthodox and at the same time strictly scientific method of research. period, as well as the further fate of Christianity of different peoples of the East and West. He is also interested in questions about the relationship between church and state, the church's relationship to the pagan world, the history of theological thought, the schism of churches, and the birth of the papacy.