The Josephites and the concept of "Moscow-the Third Rome" in Polish historiography and journalism of the XX-XXI centuries.

The article analyzes the views of Polish historians and publicists on the Josephite movement, the personality of Joseph Volotsky, and the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the history of the Russian state. The material includes the works of Polish researchers written during the period of the so-called "independent Poland", that is, from 1918 to 1939 and from 1990 to the present. The range of materials under consideration includes not only scientific, but also popular scientific works, as well as publications by journalists and bloggers.The texts published on the website of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the University of Warsaw deserve special attention, since its staff specialize in the study of the countries of the former USSR. As noted above, the time frame of our study covers the period from the early 1920s (the restoration of Poland's state independence) to the present (excluding the period of Poland's membership in the socialist bloc). The methods used are both general scientific (analysis, synthesis, comparison, induction, deduction) and special historical methods (historical-chronological, historical-genetic). The author adhered to the principles of objectivity and historicism. This kind of research was carried out for the first time in Russian historiography. Translations of Polish works were made by the author of the article and are partially presented in the text of the article.It is concluded that the stereotypical narratives contained in Polish studies characterizing the Josephites and their ideology of "Moscow – the Third Rome" have not changed over the past hundred years and have an exclusively negative emotional connotation. It is noted that the evaluative characteristics given in these studies are closely related to the policy of the Polish state and to Poland's positioning as an outpost of Western civilization, with Poland's search for its own cultural and national identity. It is emphasized that the analytical narratives used by Polish authors are secondary to the stereotypical and cliched anti-Russian views broadcast by the West.