Souad Slim The Important Influence of Russian Schools on Levantine Culture

Abstract

The article analyzes the cultural significance of the Russian schools established by the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society in the Levant in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The study addresses an important yet understudied aspect of the sociocultural interaction between Russia and this Middle Eastern region in modern historiography. The aim of the article is to examine the influence of Russian schools on the formation of the cultural, religious, and national identity of Arab Orthodox communities, as well as their role in the process of the Arabization of the patriarchates. The author demonstrates that the Russian schools not only provided free education but also contributed to strengthening the Arabic language and literature, the development of a local intelligentsia, and the broader cultural revival known as the Nahda. Through the example of the schools’ graduates (such as Mikhayil Nu’aymeh, Khalil Baydas, and others), the study shows how exposure to Russian literature and culture influenced the emergence of modern Arabic literature and journalism. Particular attention is given to the role of Russian diplomats and educators in supporting the Arab Orthodox communities in their pursuit of the Arabization of the local church administration. The research confirms that the activities of Russian schools and diplomats played a key role in the Arabization of the Antiochian Patriarchate and contributed to the cultural renaissance of the Arab world. The main contribution of the work lies in the use of new historical sources (including interviews) as well as in the systematic analysis of historical evidence demonstrating the interconnection between Russia’s educational policy and the religious and national developments in the Levant.

Keywords

Russian schools, Orthodox communities of the Levant, Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, Middle East, Antiochian Patriarchate, Jerusalem Patriarchate, Nahda.

For citation

Slim Souad. The Important Influence of Russian Schools in the Levant // The Historical Reporter. 2025. Vol. LIV. P. 198–215. DOI: 10.35549/ HR.2025.2025.54.005

Souad Abou Elrousse Slim

D.Sc. (History), Professor, Director of History and Archives department at the research center of Balamand university. Beirut, Lebanon.

e-mail: Souad.Slim@balamand.edu.lb

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