Byzantine Commonwealth of Nations: Concept and Historical Reality Introduction: The Empire as a Civilizational Pole The term “Byzantine Commonwealth of Nations” (angl. Byzantine Commonwealth), introduced into scientific discourse by the British historian Dimitrii Obolenskii, denotes not a political confederation, but a cultural-religious space formed under the determining influence of the Byzantine Empire. This space encompassed peoples of Eastern and Southeastern Europe who adopted Christianity in its Eastern Orthodox (Byzantine) form and assimilated the main elements of Byzantine civilization. The chronological framework of the phenomenon is from the 9th to the 15th century, with a peak of influence in the 10th–12th centuries. The Core of the Concept: The Trinity of Influence The Commonwealth was based on three interrelated pillars of Byzantine civilization: Orthodoxy: A common faith, liturgical practice, church organization (the Patriarchate of Constantinople as the leading center), monastic ideals. This was the main civilizational marker that distinguished the “Commonwealth” from the Latin West and the Islamic world. Cultural-literary tradition: The spread of Greek as the language of theology and high culture, as well as the creation of writing in local languages based on the Greek uncial (Cyrillic in Slavs) or adaptation of the Greek alphabet (Georgian and Armenian writing emerged earlier but developed in contact). Translation of sacred texts and Byzantine literature. Political ideology and aesthetics: The adoption of the concept of symphony of powers (cooperation between church and state), imperial ideology, Roman law (in an adapted form), as well as architectural canons (cross-domed temples), iconography, and decorative-applied art. Key “Nations” of the Commonwealth and Mechanisms of Influence The peoples that entered the orbit of the Commonwealth were not passive recipients. They creatively adapted Byzantine models. Bulgarians: The First Bulgarian ... Read more