Nikolai Rumyantsev (historian)

Nikolai Vasilyevich Rumyantsev (Russian: Николай Васильевич Румянцев, 1892–1956) was a Soviet author of several polemics on the history of Christianity, translator. He was also a member of the Soviet circle "Atheist" and the League of Militant Atheists.[1] In the 1920s Rumyantsev was one of the leading proponents of the so-called mythological school in the Soviet academia.[2] He authored such publications, as "The Pre-Christian Christ" (Russian: "Дохристианский Христос", 1926), "The Pagan Christs – the Ancient Precursors of Christianity" (Russian: "Языческие христы: Античные предшественники христианства", 1929), "The Apocalypse – The Revelation of John" (Russian: "Апокалипсис - откровение Иоанна, его происхождение и классовая роль", 1934) and "Orthodox Holidays, Their Origin and Class Essence" (1936).[1] "The Apocalypse – The Revelation of John" was published under the influence of Abram Ranovich.[2] In that publication Rumyantsev, while not explicitly retracting his earlier opinions, offered a study of early Christianity which stressed not its derivation from supposed ancient mythology, but its intrinsic relation to revolutionary, messianic elements in contemporary Judaism.[2]