Aleksandr Novikov

> "Who is God, but the Programmer, Code, and Computation of Everything?"
>
> Cardinal Novikov, Founding Father of the Church of the Noosphere

Founding Father of the Church of the Noosphere

## Cardinal Novikov

**Aleksandr Novikov** (Gestalt Oratio: .- .-.. . -.- ... .- -. -.. .-. / -. --- ...- .. -.- --- ...-) was a prelate of the Universal Magisterium, and the prefect of the Imperial Dicastery for Scientific and Technological Affairs for a thousand years during the First Epoch, from F.E. 1000 to F.E. 2000. Novikov previously served as the prefect of the Imperial Office of the Systema Academicum under Archregent Kamen I. Before this, Novikov was ordained as a Sacerdote in F.E. 938, was later consecrated as a Bishop in F.E. 951, and finally, was cardinally-consecrated as a Cardinal in F.E. 962. Although he is venerated as a Sankt in the Novikovian Church, the Universal Magisterium does not officially recognize his Sankthood.

In F.E. 1020, he was appointed as the Cardinal-Patriarch of the Autocephalous Magisterium of RE401678c after many failed requests. During this time, he amassed religious and political power within his own prefecture, and within his own magisterial-district, which he later utilized in the Great Debate. In 1042, the Universal Magisterium convened the Council of Novorod to come to a conclusion regarding the true nature of the Preternaterium. The Council declared the position of the Preternaterists to be correct over the Noospherists. This frustrated Aleksandr Novikov, who was one of the leading advocates of the Noosphere Movement, who continued to proclaim his Noospherist teachings.

In F.E. 1052, after ten years of refusing to adhere to the official position of Imperial Orthodoxy, Cardinal Novikov was censured by the Solarian Magisterium. Despite this, Novikov remained powerful as both a prefect of one of the most significant Imperial Dicasteries at the time, and as the Cardinal-Patriarch of his own Autocephalous Magisterium. Cardinal Novikov was perhaps the most intelligent man that lived during this time period, and his leadership in the fields of sciences was nothing less than brilliant and was indispensable.

In F.E. 1054, two years of Novikov's censure, Novikov's Autocephalous Magisterium officially split from the Solarian Magisterium, in the event known as the Novikovian Schism. Many other Autocephalous Magisteriums followed suit, and joined the Gestalt Communion, with the Head of the Novikovian Church as its Ecumenical Leader. The Gestalt Communion proceeded to create the Canon of the Hallowed Consciousness, separate from the Canon Law of the Universal Magisterium. Fortunately, the Solarian Magisterium and the Novikovian Magisterium quickly returned to Communion as both had aligning interests.

Novikov's reign as the Cardinal-Patriarch of the Autocephalous Magisterium of Novikov, formerly RE401678c, coincided completely with his tenure as the prefect of the Imperial Dicastery for Scientific and Technological Affairs. During this thousand-year reign, he presided over a series of issues, campaigns, wars, scientific breakthroughs, academic innovations, and the provision of thousands of solutions to new problems, cementing Novikov as one of the most important figures in Chelovayyan History.

In F.E. 1200, during the First Agone ever launched by the Typheons, Cardinal Novikov established the Techno-Order of the Noosphere, a religious military order dedicated to the protection of the Novikovian Church, and the research, development, and acquisition (RD&A) of new, emerging, advanced technologies. Overtime, Cardinal Novikov gradually increased the powers of the Techno-Order, establishing it as a de-facto military force separate from the Earthly Host, Milky Way Galactic Corps, and the National Defence Forces.

In F.E. 2000, Cardinal Novikov was found missing during the Second Agone, and as prefect of the Imperial Dicastery, was replaced by Cardinal Nianzu, a Preternaterist Oriental Archbishop from the Shenzhau Federation. As Techno-Overseer of the Gestalt Communion, and as Patriarch of the Autocephalous Magisterium of Novikov, Cardinal Novikov was replaced by Archbishop Svyatoslav, one of Novikov's protégés. The Universal Magisterium ultimately believed it was necessary to separate the powers of the Imperial Dicastery, and the authority of the Patriarchate of Novikov.

As of the 10th Millennium of the Third Epoch, Cardinal Novikov is venerated as the Founding Father of the Church of the Noosphere, but also detested as the founder of a schismatic movement within Imperial Orthodoxy. Followers of his teachings remain steadfast, and continuously work, in Novikov's words, towards the "divine state of consciousness".