# Konstantin Kapkov

Konstatin Gennadievich Kapkov (Russian: Константин Геннадиевич Капков, born 22 August 1969) is a Russian historian, writer, theologian, and creator of the database of the military and naval clergy of the Russian Empire of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He has published several historical works, mainly on the reign of Nicholas II and the history of the Russian Orthodox church.

## Biography

Kapkov was born in Moscow. In 1997 Konstantin Kapkov made a new Russian revision of the texts of the Gospels on the basis of Russian and European translations. In the introduction to the publication the author describes the principles of religious liberalism on which the work is based. In 1999 Kapkov was baptized and entered Saint Tikhon's Orthodox University which he graduated from with a degree in History of Religion.
Since 2008, Kapkov has been the head of the сhurch historical project "Letopis" to create a database and synodic (commemoration book) of the clergy of the Russian Empire. He collected about 40,000 names of the clergy of the Orthodox Church in various archives, about 1000 personalities were published in the "Commemorative book of the Russian military and naval clergy."
Kapkov became a nominee and winner of the Makariev Prize: "for significant scientific achievements" in 2009 and in the nomination "History of the Orthodox Church" for the work "Priests – Cavaliers of the Imperial Military Order of St. George” in 2013.
Kapkov is in charge of the Scientific and Historical Department of the St. Nicholas Solba Convent. In 2014, Kapkov organized an exhibition "Ancient engraving of the Solovetsky Monastery," the exhibits of which are included in the funds of the History of Monasticism Museum. Three published books on the history of St. Nicholas Solba Convent offer detailed insights into the past of the institution and on the problem of monasticism in Russia.
He specializes in the reign of the last Emperor of the Russian Empire Nicholas II and the religious life of the Imperial family. In his book "Tsar’s Choice" the relationship of Nicholas II with Grigori Rasputin, the abdication of the Emperor from the throne, and the February Revolution are analyzed through a religious prism. His 2017 book “The Spiritual World of Nicholas II and His Family” received many positive reviews as the Royal family was firstly shown through their everyday prayers, fasting and Eucharistic discipline, religious literature they read and their deep faith in God. With the blessing of Metropolitan Mark in 2021 the book was translated and published in Germany.
Kapkov made several archival documentaries based on archival footage and pre-revolutionary music where he showed the Romanovs’ daily life. Created in 2022 an archival documentary “Brushstrokes for a Portrait of the Russian Royal Family" features some vintage footage and reveals the piety of Emperor Nicholas II and his family attending religious ceremonies, also it focuses on his Majesty’s vacationing and includes the interesting examination of the Royal family’s habits.
According to the Russian Orthodox web portal Pravoslavie.ru in the archival documentary film dedicated to the tercentenary of the Imperial House of Romanov the author managed to reconstruct the plot of a provincial tour although the most part of the pre-revolutionary film footage of the Imperial Family was destroyed. During the provincial tour the Royal family visited 12 ancient Russian cities associated with the founding of the Romanov dynasty in 1613. The film was released both in Russian and English languages.
Kapkov has authored more than twenty books and articles. One of his books has been published in German translation. Kapkov’s works are included in the international scientific open access bibliography for theology and religious studies the Index Theologicus and kept in the largest libraries of the world.

## Filmography

* An archival documentary “The Holy Tsar in Crimea, 1902–1914”, 2017.
* An archival documentary “Brushstrokes for a Portrait of the Russian Royal Family”, 2022.
* An archival documentary “The Great Pilgrimage of Emperor Nicholas II May 15-28, 1913”, 2023.

## Selected books and publications

* Canonical Gospels: new Russian edition edited by K.G. Kapkov. Moscow, 1997.
* Kapkov K.G. Commemorative book of the Russian military and naval clergy of the XIX – early XX century. Moscow, 2008, 752 p.
* Kapkov K.G. Essays on the history of the military and maritime clergy of the Russian Empire XVIII – XX centuries: the results by 1917. Moscow, 2009, 256 p.
* Kapkov K.G. Materials to biographies of holy martyrs Vasiliy (Koklin), Dmitriy (Glivenko), Alexey (Smirnov), Sergey (Lebedev), Sergey (Tsvetkov) and other clergymen suffered with them. Moscow, 2010, 172 p.
* Kapkov K.G. Mysterious medal: the history of the medal of the Imperial Educational Home and the list of award winners. Moscow, Belgorod, 2011, 256 p.
* Kapkov K.G. History of villages Zimovenka and Belyanka of the Belgorod region, XVII-XXI centuries. Church. Events. People. Moscow, Belgorod, editions of 2012, 2015, 120 p.
* Kapkov K.G. Priests — Cavaliers of the Imperial Military Order of St. George. Moscow, 2012, 868 p.
* Kapkov K.G. Metropolitan Makarius (Bulgakov). Collection of materials for the science of canonical law of the Russian Orthodox Church described in a systematic manner. Edited by K.G. Kapkov. Belgorod, 2012, 388 p.
* Kapkov K.G., Sorokin V.U. Sinodik of the Order of Saint Prince Vladimir. St.Petersburg, 2015, 616 p.
* Kapkov K.G. Tsar’s choice. The spiritual world of the Emperor Nicholas II and his family. The latest priests under the Tsar. Voluntary sacrifice. Moscow; Tashkent; Vyatka, 2016, 608 p.
* Kapkov K.G. The spiritual world of the Emperor Nicholas II and his family. Moscow, editions of 2017–2023, 352 p.
* Maksimov V.U., Kapkov K.G. For Service and Bravery. Priests – members of the Order of Saint George. Moscow, 2018, 704 p.
* Kapkov K.G. The Last Confessor of the Emperor Nicholas II and his Family: Tobolsk Archpriest Vladimir Khlynov. According to archival documents. Moscow, 2018, 120 p.
* Kapkov K.G. The last priest of the Emperor Nicholas II and his family: Yekaterinburg Archpriest Ioann Storozhev. According to archival documents, 2018, 160 p.
* Kapkov K.G. Darkness. Tragedy. Terror. The history of the destruction of the St. Nickolas – Solba Convent and the fate of 8 of its inhabitants, 1918–1938. Problems of reading investigation files. editions of 2020, 2021, 336 p.
* Sukina L.B., Kapkov K.G. Illuminated synodiks (commemoration books) of the St. Nickolas – Solba Convent. XVIII century. 2021, 352 p.
* Kapkov K.G. Glaube und Spiritualität von Zar Nikolaus II. und seiner Familie deutsche Übersetzung: Dr. Thomas Willmann. 2021, 376 p.
* Kapkov K.G. The Unity of Fates: The Last Tsar and Confessor. (The life path of Archpriest Vladimir Khlynov). Moscow, 2022, 248 p.
* Kapkov K.G. Ancient monastery. St. Nicholas-Solba Hermitage from Metropolitan of All Rus' Varlaam to Varlaam, candidate for Patriarch, and retired corporal Bishop Pachomius (Simansky), XV – mid-18th century. Moscow, 2024, 384 p.