INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES IN MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY IN FIRST HALF OF XX CENTURY

The article deals with the history of the institutional development of scientifi c research of the religion in the Moscow State University which took place after founding the chairs of the History of religions in Russian higher schools in first half of XX century. Author analyses the reception of Western experience in Religious Studies taken into account by Russian scientists in the very beginning of XX century. He describes and studies academic subjects and initiatives concerned with the scientific research into religious studies, which were undertaken at historical and philological faculty, faculty of social sciences, ethnological faculty, historical and ethnological faculty, historical and philosophical faculty, historical faculty and faculty of philosophy of Moscow State University. The article produces information on the development of the scientifi c knowledge about religion in Moscow institute of philosophy, history and literature, informs of Chairs of history of religion outside the Moscow State University: in Bestuzhev Courses, in Universities of Saratov and Smolensk, in Smolensk Branch of Moscow institute of archeology. The acute need for studies of religion, especially in the field of its rise, origin and early forms of evolution, brought to founding diverse Chairs of history of religion in Moscow University as well as outside it. Author states that religious studies in Russia being in progress before 1917–1918s, kept developing till 1920s just mechanically and therefore later had gone down. In the second quarter of XX century one could see decline of interest to religious studies. There were no way to study religious disciplines before 1950s in USSR because of close control in the system of high education and because of beginning of cruel fight with all types of religio