Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The device of the Russian Orthodox Church. Reforms of Patriarch Nikon

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RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH.Tradition connects the spread of the Orthodox faith within the Russian borders with the preaching of the Apostle Andrew, who, as early church writers testify, got Scythia by lot for evangelism (the Byzantine writers use the term "Scythians" or "Tavro-Scythians" to denote the Russian people). Subsequently, the veneration of St. Andrew was the basis of the church unity of Russia and Byzantium, which was also under his patronage. The legend about the visit of Russia by the Apostle Andrew is recorded in the oldest Russian historical chronicle Tale of Bygone Years... According to this legend, St. Andrei, following the waterway known as the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", visited Kiev and reached Novgorod.

CHRISTIANIZATION OF RUSSIA (9-11 centuries)

The Slavs made repeated raids, invading the borders of the Byzantine Empire. In 860, the Russian fleet appeared directly under the walls of Constantinople. The response to the military action of the Slavs was the intensification of the missionary activity of the Byzantine Church among the neighbors of the empire. In 963 the saints Equal to the Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius were sent to the Slavic lands and began their apostolic mission in Great Moravia. Indirect evidence suggests that Russia also entered the sphere of activity of Cyril and Methodius. The circular epistle of the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius (9th century), addressed to the heads of the Eastern Churches, testifies that "a people surpassing all others with ferocity and bloodthirstiness, called Ros, received the bishop and pastors, and also accepted Christian worship with great zeal and joy." It was the so-called. the first baptism of Russia. However, it had no practical consequences, except that the contacts of the Slavs with the Christian Empire intensified. Sources abound in information about baptized merchants "from the Russians" who visited Constantinople, about the Varangians who entered the military service of the emperor and returned to Russia as Christians, contributing to the spread of Christianity in the Russian state. The chronicle reports about the first holy Russian martyrs Saint Theodore and his son John: "But that Varangian came from the Greeks and held the Christian faith."

A new stage in the Christianization of Rus came after the death of Prince Igor, when his wife, Princess Olga (c. 945 - c. 969), took the reins of power and was baptized in Constantinople. Her plans undoubtedly included the introduction of the church organization into Russian society. In 959 Olga turned to the German king Otto I with a request to send a bishop and priests to Russia. Bishop Adalbert was sent to Russia. However, for reasons unknown to us, he was unable to cope with the task of establishing a new diocese. After Olga's death and in connection with the coming to power of Olga's warlike son, the pagan Svyatoslav Igorevich, a pagan reaction ensued. The further prehistory of the baptism of Rus is restored from Byzantine, Russian and Syrian sources as follows. In 987, the rebellion of the commander Barda Phocas began in Byzantium. Emperor Basil II (ruled 976-1025) in view of the danger hanging over the Macedonian dynasty, sent an embassy to Kiev and asked Prince Vladimir for military assistance. In return, he offered him the hand of his sister, Princess Anne, which undoubtedly implied the baptism of the Russian prince. The Russian army, sent to Byzantium, decided the confrontation between Barda Phocas and Basil II in favor of the emperor, but he was in no hurry to send the bride promised to the prince to Kiev. Then Vladimir besieged Korsun (Chersonesus), the main fortress of the Byzantines in the Crimea, and took it, after which Anna arrived in Korsun and their wedding took place here (989–990). Upon the return of Vladimir to Kiev, a mass baptism of the population began in Kiev and Novgorod, and no later than 997 the Russian Metropolitanate was established, subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. It is believed that at the same time as the metropolitanate, episcopal sees were founded in Belgorod, Novgorod, Chernigov, Polotsk and Pereyaslavl. Cm... METROPOLITANTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH. On the maintenance of the church, Prince Vladimir put the so-called. tithe.

Under Prince Vladimir's son, Yaroslav the Wise, the role of the church in the state system was strengthened. This is evidenced primarily by the monumental church construction: it was during this period that the majestic Sophia cathedrals were erected in Kiev, Novgorod, Polotsk. Patronizing the church, Yaroslav contributed to the emergence of the first Russian monasteries, libraries and schools. During his reign, the first Russian original literary works were created ( A word about law and grace Metropolitan Hilarion). At the same time, the church The charter, written under Vladimir. The charter Yaroslav was drawn up already taking into account local customs. The most important events in the church life of the era of Yaroslav the Wise were the glorification of the first Russian saints - princes Boris and Gleb (under Yaroslav their relics were found and transferred to a church specially built for them), as well as the election of the first Russian bishop, Hilarion, to the metropolitanate. Cm... BORIS AND GLEB; HILARION. Under the sons of Yaroslav, the decisive role of the princely power in the Christianization of Rus was preserved. According to the chronicles, it is known about the pagan disturbances that arose during this period, during which the prince and his squad acted as the support and protection of the bishop, while "the people are all idosh for the sorcerer." In the second half of the 11th century. the heyday of the ancient Russian Kievo-Pechersky Monastery, which during this period turned into the leading religious and cultural center of Russia. Cm... KIEV-PECHERSK LAVRA . Here the all-Russian national chronicle was born ( Tale of Bygone Years), the traditions of Russian hagiography are laid (Nestorovo Reading about Boris and Gleb). The cenobitic charter of the Pechersk Lavra, borrowed from the Constantinople Studian monastery, was the basis on which other Russian monasteries were subsequently created. Natives of the Pechersk brethren occupied in the 11-12 centuries. episcopal sees, and cathedrals erected in dioceses were dedicated, like the cathedral church of the Pechersk monastery, to the Assumption of the Mother of God. As one of the ecclesiastical provinces of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Russia did not avoid participating in the polemic with the "Latins" that arose in 1054 after the separation of the Western and Eastern Churches. Russian metropolitans and bishops responded to it with writings that defended the tenets of the Eastern Church.

RUSSIA BEFORE THE MONGOLO-TATAR INVASION (12-13th centuries)

By the middle of the 12th century. in Ancient Russia, a polycentric state system was established, caused by feudal fragmentation. Under the new conditions, the metropolis was the only force capable of resisting centrifugal tendencies. However, before the metropolitans realized their historical mission, they were embroiled in a long confusion between the princes who fought for the Kiev throne. This struggle led to the fact that Metropolitan Michael II left Kiev, closing the Metropolitan Sophia Cathedral with a special manuscript. In response, the new Kiev prince Izyaslav (1114-1154) independently appointed the Russian bishop Clement Smolyatich to the metropolitanate. ( Cm... KLIMENT SMOLYATICH) Many Russian hierarchs refused to recognize him as the head of the church. Many princes, opponents of Izyaslav, did not accept the metropolitan either. The metropolitanate was divided into two warring camps. Under these conditions, Clement Smolyatich behaved like a protege of the Grand Duke, providing him with all possible support. When Izyaslav died, he immediately retired to Volyn. Taking possession of Kiev, Yuri Dolgoruky sent to Constantinople for a new metropolitan. Soon Constantine II (1155-1159) arrived in Kiev. The excessively harsh measures he took (anathematizing Izyaslav and Clement) aggravated the turmoil. In 1158 Kiev passed into the hands of Mstislav Izyaslavich, who expelled Constantine and insisted on the return of Clement Smolyatich, while Rostislav Mstislavich stood for Constantine. As a result of the disputes, the princes came to a decision to ask Constantinople for a new hierarch. The sent Theodore died a year later, and John IV appeared in Kiev only two years after his death, since the Kiev prince did not want to receive him. Only the admonitions of the emperor Manuel II himself made the prince come to terms with this candidacy.

In the 1160s, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky first tried to divide the Russian metropolis, with the goal of establishing an independent cathedra in the capital of his principality, Vladimir on the Klyazma. With this request, he turned to Constantinople to Patriarch Luke Chrysoverg. Despite the resolute refusal of the saint, Andrei Yurievich, as the metropolitan of the Vladimir land, "planted" a certain un-ordained Theodore. In 1169 Theodore went to Kiev, where, at the behest of Metropolitan Constantine II, he was captured and executed: his right hand was cut off and his eyes were taken out. The unusual cruelty of the execution confirms the reality of the existing threat of the division of the metropolis. The unity of the metropolitanate was preserved, and the metropolitans later concluded for themselves that it was necessary to direct efforts to reconcile the princely groups and preserve the unity of the church.

At the beginning of the 13th century. Constantinople was captured by the crusaders, and for almost half a century it became the capital of the Latin Kingdom. The Patriarch of Constantinople left the city and moved to Nicaea. The victories of the knights contributed to the fact that in the West the idea of \u200b\u200bthe subordination of the Russian Church to the power of Rome revived again. There are several known appeals to Russian princes written by the popes of Rome, in which they urged them "to submit to the light yoke of the Roman Church." In the large Russian cities that lay on trade routes with the West, the missionary activity of Catholics exceeded the permissible limits. In 1233, Prince Vladimir was forced to expel the Dominicans from Kiev, who until then had their own monastery here.

RUSSIA UNDER THE RULE OF MONGOLO-TATAR (13-14 centuries)

In 1237–1240 Russia survived the Mongol-Tatar invasion. Russian cities were destroyed and burned. The princes lost their independence and had to ask the Mongol Khan for the right to the great reign. The Russian Church was going through a deep crisis. Under these conditions, the burden of metropolitan power was assumed by Cyril II, the protege of the Galician-Volyn prince. Cyril II entered into close cooperation with the Grand Duke of Vladimir Alexander Nevsky. The prince and the metropolitan agreed that at this stage, the bloodless Russia needs a respite, which could only be given by the recognition of the power of the Mongol khan. This political move allowed Alexander Nevsky to gather strength in order to defend the northwestern borders of Russia from the encroachments of the Teutonic Order. In turn, Metropolitan Cyril II directed efforts to restore the internal church life. The council convened by him in 1273 laid the foundation for the creation of a code of laws, the so-called Russian helmsman... The Mongol policy towards the church, which exempted the church from paying tribute, contributed to the rapid restoration of its strength. Metropolitan Cyril II did not get tired of touring the dioceses, but at the same time he remained in Vladimir for a long time and appeared less and less often in Kiev, which was in ruins after the sack of 1240.

Maxim, who replaced Cyril II, finally chose Vladimir as his place of residence. The transfer of the Metropolitan See from Kiev to Vladimir was due not only to purely practical circumstances. Both contemporaries and historians regard it as a political act, as a result of which the authority of the princes of Vladimir increased, and the princes themselves acquired the opportunity to directly influence the policy of the metropolitan. The current situation caused the strongest discontent of the Galician princes. Threatening to come under the jurisdiction of Rome, they got the patriarch to establish an independent Galician metropolis. However, it did not last long. In 1305, when two applicants for the metropolitan dignity arrived in Constantinople, one from the Galician prince and the other from the Vladimir prince, the patriarch elected Peter, who had arrived from Volyn, as the primate of the Russian Church, and consecrated him to the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia. The attempt to divide the metropolitanate was repeated ten years later: on the initiative of the Lithuanian prince Gediminas, the Lithuanian metropolitanate was created, abolished only with the appointment of Metropolitan Theognost (1327 / 28-1353). The political development of Eastern Europe further and further divorced the historical destinies of southwestern and northwestern Russia, so that the final division of the metropolitanate became inevitable and was only a matter of time.

THE RISE OF THE MOSCOW KINGDOM (14-15th centuries)

Metropolitan Peter chose northwestern Russia as his place of residence. He connected the future of the Russian Church with the towering Moscow, choosing the Moscow prince as his companion. Peter's choice received a symbolic design in the act of his will, according to which Peter was buried in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, which from that moment became the resting place of the primates of the Russian Church. The Greek Theognost, who replaced Peter, arrived directly in Moscow and, occupying the metropolitan see, followed the line of Peter, supporting the Moscow prince and promoting the growth of his authority among the Russian princes. During his lifetime, Theognost appointed Alexy as his successor, who came from an ancient boyar family. Constantinople sanctioned this election in view of the exceptional qualities of an outstanding political figure inherent in Alexy. Saint Alexis is noted for the fact that it was during this period that the metropolitan court was formed, similar in structure to the prince's court, and the church turned into a large landowner and its possessions were legally registered. The successes of the unifying policy of the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich were also largely due to the authority that Metropolitan Alexy enjoyed in the Russian lands. More than once he managed to subdue the opponents of the Moscow prince and stop princely conflicts, and he often resorted to very drastic measures. So, in order to suppress the enmity of the Nizhny Novgorod princes in 1362, Alexy ordered the closure of all the Nizhny Novgorod churches.

The strengthening of Moscow could not please its main rival - the Grand Duke of Lithuania, whose ally was Mikhail Tverskoy. The Lithuanian prince Olgerd “besieged” Constantinople with demands to place an independent metropolitan in Kiev so that his power would extend to the lands that were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. After unsuccessful attempts to reconcile Olgerd and Mikhail Tverskoy with Alexy, Patriarch Philotheus resorted to a compromise, placing his former cell-attendant Cyprian as Metropolitan of Kiev on the condition that after Alexy's death he would head the entire Russian Church. This measure had no effect, but only intensified the church turmoil. When, after the death of Alexis, Cyprian declared his rights to the metropolitanate, the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich did not accept him, considering him a Lithuanian protege. Dmitry Ivanovich made several attempts to elevate one of his chosen ones to the metropolitan dignity, but none of them were crowned with success. The end of the turmoil was put by the death of Prince Dmitry in 1389.

The new Moscow ruler, Prince Vasily Dmitrievich, summoned Cyprian to Moscow. Taking into account the experience of the Troubles of 1375-1389, Cyprian paid special attention to the Lithuanian dioceses, repeatedly visiting them and maintaining friendly relations with the Lithuanian prince. The Metropolitan's actions were aimed at preserving the unity of the Metropolitanate and the peace within it. Metropolitan Cyprian put a lot of effort into developing liturgical practice. A number of significant liturgical works belong to him. On his initiative, the process of transition to a new liturgical charter, from the Studite to the Jerusalem one, began in the Russian Church. Cyprian and his successor Photius did much to settle the issues of church courts and church land ownership. However, in the agreement concluded by Vasily Dmitrievich and Cyprian, there is a clear tendency to reduce the property and administrative privileges of the church. So, the church was obliged to participate in the payment of tribute, and it was also forbidden to ordain as priests and deacons of the grand ducal servants.

During the reign of Photius, the heretical movement of the shearers broke out in Pskov. Apparently, the teaching messages of Photius and other measures taken by him had an effect, since soon information about heresy disappears from the sources.

AUTOCEPHALOUS RUSSIAN CHURCH (15-16 centuries)

The main content of the next historical period, starting from the middle of the 15th century, is the formation of the autocephaly of the Russian Church and the determination of its legal status among the churches of the Christian world. In 1453, under the blows of the Turks, the Byzantine Empire fell, which traditionally acted as the guarantor of the preservation of Orthodoxy. Under these conditions, the positions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople were so weakened that it could not resist the final division of the Russian metropolis into Moscow and Kiev, and in Rome an unprecedented appointment of the metropolitan to the Kiev metropolis took place. Even before the fall of Constantinople in 1439, in search of allies to resist the Turks, the Byzantine emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople agreed to conclude a union with the Catholics. The Uniate Council took place in Florence. However, most of the hierarchs of the Eastern Church did not accept his decision. The Russian Church also reacted negatively to them. The conclusion of the union put the Russian bishops in a difficult position. Following the tradition of “receiving” a metropolitan from Constantinople in the new conditions lost its relevance primarily because it did not meet the main requirement - to have an Orthodox metropolitan. Cm... UNIA.

After the death of Photius, the Ryazan bishop Jonah (1433) was named to the Russian metropolitan table. Difficult historical circumstances made it impossible for him to travel to Constantinople. When, in 1435, the embassy of Jonah was ready to leave, Moscow learned that Constantinople had appointed a supporter of the union, Isidore, to the Russian metropolitans. After long negotiations, not daring to break the tradition, Prince Vasily II received Isidore. Soon the new metropolitan left Moscow for Florence to participate in the Uniate Council. He returned in 1441 and entered the city as a papal legate and cardinal. The Russian authorities, both secular and ecclesiastical, showed unanimity in their rejection of the newly-made cardinal. Isidore was immediately captured and taken into custody. Basil II convened a church council, at which a letter was drawn up addressed to the patriarch. It very clearly stated the position of the Russian Church's rejection of Isidore as a hierarch who publicly preaches heresy, and also contained a request to allow a council of Russian bishops to independently supply metropolitans with their subsequent blessing in Constantinople. An embassy with a message was sent, but for unknown reasons it returned before reaching Constantinople. By that time, Isidore was given the opportunity to flee, and in 1448 Prince Vasily again convened a council, which this time consecrated Jonah to the metropolitan. From that moment on, we can talk about the actual autocephaly of the Russian Church. Metropolitans following Jonah were ordained without any appeal to Constantinople. Henceforth, in the election and appointment of a metropolitan, they primarily attached importance to the consenting expression of the will of the predecessor metropolitan, the grand duke and the consecrated cathedral, which met canonical church norms and corresponded to the principle of a symphony of the kingdom and priesthood, on which the administration of the Orthodox state was based.

The growth of the authority of the church during this period was peculiarly reflected in changes in the face of Russian holiness. Now it was replenished not by holy princes, but by saints and monks. Metropolitan Jonah already in 1448 established a church-wide celebration of St. Alexis, and in 1472 Metropolitan Philip established the feast day of St. Jonah. The main problem faced by the Russian Church in the conditions of independence was the questions of internal order, opposition to Latinism and the fight against heresies. The Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Casimir IV did not abandon their attempts to extend their power to the northern Russian lands. They even managed to get Patriarch Dionysius to transfer all the fullness of metropolitan power to Metropolitan Gregory of Kiev. In Novgorod, a strong opposition was organized, agreeing to church subordination to Lithuania. Metropolitan Philip and Grand Duke Ivan III repeatedly appealed to the people of Novgorod with admonitions to remain faithful to Orthodoxy, but the "great upheaval" continued. Under these conditions, the mutual decision of the prince and the metropolitan was to organize a campaign against Novgorod, which was given the meaning of protecting Orthodoxy from Latinism. However, the “symphony of kingdom and priesthood” situation did not last long. Already the hierarchy of Metropolitan Gerontius (1473-1489) was marked by conflicts with the princely power. So, in 1479, a dispute broke out between the prince and the metropolitan about how to make the procession of the cross - "salting" or against the sun. Defending the walking against the sun, accepted in the Russian tradition, almost cost Gerontius the metropolitan dignity, although this time the prince resigned himself and admitted he was wrong. The relationship between the church and the Grand Duke during this period was very difficult in connection with the heresy of the Judaizers. The prince did not support the "searches" against heretics undertaken by the church. During his stay in Novgorod, Ivan III met the priests involved in the heretical movement, and invited them to Moscow, making them protopopes of the Kremlin cathedrals. The disagreements between the church and the prince continued until 1504, when nine heretics were excommunicated and sentenced to death. Council of 1503 discussed issues of church land tenure. Ivan III proposed a program for the alienation of the church's land holdings in favor of state power. In fact, this was the first offensive of the secular authorities on the property of the church, but the church hierarchs managed to defend their rights.

An important event in church life in the 16th century. the restoration of ties with the Patriarchate of Constantinople: in 1518, the embassy of Patriarch Theolipt arrived in Moscow with a request for financial assistance. The titles of letters testified to the recognition of the Metropolitan of Moscow by the patriarch.

A significant stage in the history of the Russian Church was the prelacy of Metropolitan Macarius (1542-1563). This pastor, on the one hand, managed to resist the chaos of boyar rule, on the other hand, to restrain the angry outbursts of the first Russian Tsar Ivan IV. During his primacy, a number of councils were held that were extremely important for the life of the church and state. The councils of 1547–1549 established an official church celebration for a large number of Russian saints, whose spontaneous veneration already had its own history. At the Council of 1551 (the Stoglavy Cathedral), the norm of the symphony of the royal and hierarchical power was legally enshrined - a change introduced in connection with the wedding to the kingdom of Ivan IV that took place in 1547. Here, the issue of the church's land ownership was raised again. Now the tsar succeeded in limiting the growth of church land tenure by a number of measures, and the possibility of confiscating church lands was also envisaged.

After the death of Metropolitan Macarius, the harmony of interaction between church and secular authorities was violated. The tsar established a regime of terror in the country, which extended to the saints. Now he raised and overthrew the metropolitans, guided only by his own will. In 1568, Ivan IV publicly desecrated Metropolitan Philip II, tearing off his holy mantle while serving in the Assumption Cathedral. Metropolitan Philip II became the last high priest who was not afraid to openly oppose the unrighteous rule of the tyrant. Cyril, who replaced him, and the later metropolitans could no longer offer the authorities any resistance.

INTRODUCTION OF PATRIARCHISM IN RUSSIA (16th century)

During the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich in 1586, Patriarch Joachim of Antioch came to Moscow for alms. This was the first ecumenical patriarch to visit Russia. The Moscow government took advantage of his visit to raise the issue of establishing a patriarchate in Russia. Joachim promised to intercede for the Russian Church before other patriarchs upon his return to the East. Two years later, Moscow solemnly greeted Patriarch Jeremiah of Constantinople. However, contrary to the expectations of the sovereign, it turned out that he was not vested with the authority to appoint the Russian patriarch. Negotiations on the establishment of the patriarchate were resumed. Unexpectedly for the Russians, Jeremiah expressed a desire to stay in Russia and become the first Russian patriarch. Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich agreed, but on the condition that the department was not in Moscow, but in Vladimir. Jeremiah, as Moscow sought, did not accept such a humiliating condition, according to which he would be away from the court, having no chance of influencing state policy. In 1589, a council of Russian bishops elected Metropolitan Job to the established patriarchal throne. He was elevated to the rank of Patriarch Jeremiah of Constantinople. In 1590 and 1593, at the Councils of Constantinople, the chief priests confirmed the legitimacy of the act and assigned the Patriarch of Moscow the fifth place among the ecumenical primates.

In 1591, with the death of Tsarevich Dmitry, the Rurik dynasty was suppressed (Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich had no children). Boris Godunov was elected to the royal throne. Patriarch Job in every possible way contributed to his enthronement, and later, after the death of the latter, opposed the impostor False Dmitry I, who imposed Catholicism and Western customs. The new self-appointed ruler managed to force the council of bishops to remove Job from the throne and send him into exile. The former archbishop of Ryazan, Ignatius, who was loyal to the Westernizing innovations of False Dmitry, became the patriarch. After the overthrow of the impostor, his protege Ignatius was also removed from the patriarchal throne. Metropolitan Hermogenes of Kazan was elected the new patriarch. In 1611-1612, it was he, in the conditions of the Polish-Swedish intervention and actual anarchy, who led the national liberation movement, appealing to the people with an appeal to protect the Orthodox faith from the Gentiles. The Poles imprisoned Hermogenes in the Chudov Monastery, where he was martyred from hunger. Thanks to his appeals, the liberation movement took on a nationwide character and led to the expulsion of the Poles from Moscow.

In 1613 the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Romanov to the throne. For the father of the young tsar, Metropolitan Filaret of Rostov, who was in Polish captivity, the title of "named patriarch" was approved. Filaret returned from captivity in 1619 and was made patriarch by the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophanes IV, who was then in Moscow.

One of the first acts of the new patriarch was the restoration of the Printing House, where work began to correct the liturgical books, since during the years of turmoil it entered liturgical use a large number of books of the South Russian press, which required bringing them into line with the Greek canon.

An important event in the church life of that time was the council convened on the initiative of Filaret and dedicated to the question of the re-baptism of Catholics, whom many priests accepted into Orthodoxy through chrismation. The Council decisively decreed the need to re-baptize Catholics. There were even approved special "ranks of accession", drawn up by the patriarch Hermogenes.

The further policy of Patriarch Filaret, based on his personal experience of staying in Poland, was aimed at all-round protection of the Russian Church from Latin influences. Official doctrine declared Russia to be the only guardian of ancient piety, whose religious experience was not influenced by Western influences. In accordance with this point of view, with the blessing of Filaret, public readings of new theological works that were created in Ukraine or Poland were organized in Moscow, during which they were subject to detailed analysis and criticism of Moscow “spokesmen”. Several such writings were condemned for Latin influences and burned.

In addition to establishing strict control over the publishing and liturgical activities, Filaret, as the de facto co-ruler of Mikhail Romanov, took an active part in solving the most important state issues. Under him, the authority and power of the patriarch were raised to an unprecedented height.

His successors, Joasaph (1634-1640) and Joseph (1640-1652), did not have such power. During the period of their hierarchy in religious life, the issues of ordering parish and monastic life came to the fore, the imperfection of which began to cause acute concern for both the laity and the clergy. A significant number of the teachings and epistles written by Joseph denounce sorcery, buffoonery, drunkenness among the white and black clergy, all kinds of violations of the liturgical rules by the priests. In addition to pointing out the dark sides of Russian religious life, the works of the patriarch indicate that during this period the laity began to take a much more active interest in issues of faith and church life.

In the late 1640s, a circle of devotees of piety was formed around the confessor of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Stefan Vonifatiev. He set himself the goal of ordering church life by restoring ancient traditions. The increased activity of religious life in all strata of the population could not but contribute to the emergence of new heretical movements. Among them, the heresy of the monk Kapiton stood out, who saw the only means of achieving salvation in severe asceticism, and also denied the sacraments and hierarchy.

In the 1630s-1640s, the idea of \u200b\u200bRussia as the defender of the peoples conquered by the Turks was established in the world community. This circumstance contributed to the development of the process of rapprochement with the Orthodox peoples of the East and, as a result, the weakening of the policy of isolationism. The experience of the religious life of other peoples began to penetrate intensively into Russian church life. In 1649 the tsar issued Cathedral Code, which had the significance of the legislative code, which consolidated the dominant position of the Orthodox Church in the Russian state system. By this act, the power took under the protection and patronage of both the church and the Orthodox doctrine itself, while it established civil status for persons of clergy and limited the power of the church by the creation of the Monastic Order, to which the trial of the clergy was transferred, from metropolitans to clergy. Code caused a sharp rejection among the clergy. The answer to the publication of this document was the publication Feeding the book, where civil law was brought into line with church law according to the ancient Byzantine tradition. Edition Helmsman and Code demonstrated a tendency to divide the right into secular and ecclesiastical.

REFORMS OF PATRIARCH NIKON

In 1652 Metropolitan Nikon of Novgorod ascended the patriarchal throne. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich himself indicated his candidacy, contrary to the opinion of many zealots of piety. In the young, energetic and ambitious bishop, the tsar saw a close-minded person with whom, as it seemed to him, he had much in common in his views on the future of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1653, the energetic Nikon, with the support of Alexei Mikhailovich, began a church reform, the main content of which at first consisted in organizing the correction of liturgical books according to Greek models. In fact, the reformers used the books of the Belarusian and Ukrainian press, which in turn were guided by the Venetian editions. A church council convened by Nikon supported the course chosen by the tsar and the patriarch.

In addition to the problem of correcting the liturgical books, the reform also affected the ritual side of church life, which caused resistance to Nikon's innovations not only among the clergy, but also among the people and ultimately led to a split in the church and the emergence of the Old Believers.

The first successes on the path of transforming the Russian Church and the patronage of the sovereign contributed to the fact that Nikon began to act equally decisively, and sometimes even despotically, in other matters, clearly exceeding his powers. The rise of patriarchal power, unprecedented since the time of Filaret, and its active intervention in the affairs of state administration, in the end caused the Tsar's discontent. Feeling the "thunderstorm", Nikon decided to leave the pulpit without permission, hoping that the tsar would return him. Nikon's wrong step was immediately taken advantage of in order to draw up an accusation against the patriarch. The Council of 1666 decided to deprive Nikon of the rank and elect a new primate of the Russian Church. Nikon's decisive position, who through his intermediaries proved the uncanonicity of the conciliar decision, delayed its implementation. Nikon insisted that the priesthood is above the kingdom and only the ecumenical patriarchs can judge the patriarch. In 1666 the patriarchs of Antioch and Alexandria arrived in Moscow. The council brought Nikon down from the throne and sent him into exile. The successor to the patriarchal power was Joasaph II, who resolutely continued the liturgical transformations of Nikon, realizing that the condemnation of Nikon caused serious damage to the authority of the church.

Pitirim, and then Joachim, who replaced him, with difficulty restrained the decisive offensive of the secular authorities on the rights of the church. Patriarch Joachim achieved the abolition of the Monastic Order and the return to the hands of the clergy of financial, judicial and administrative power in resolving issues related to the church. The patriarch also contributed a lot to limiting the spread of the Old Believers. He penned a number of anti-schismatic works. With his blessing, schismatic monasteries and hermitages were destroyed; instead of old printed books, the priests were given free service books of the new print. In 1682, the church council decided to consider staying in schism as a civil crime. In the same year, under pressure from the archers and their leader, Prince Khovansky, Patriarch Joachim agreed to an open dispute with the leader of the Old Believers Nikita Pustosvyat. The debate went on so violently that the regent, Princess Sophia, threatened to leave the capital in discussion. The dispute was ended. Nikita Pustosvyat was soon captured and executed by order of Sophia. During the patriarchate of Joachim, the problem of the increasingly spreading Catholic influence was still acute. Its powerful source was the writings of Simeon of Polotsk, a writer who was under the personal patronage of the tsar. An important event of this time was the return of the Kiev Metropolitanate to the jurisdiction of Moscow. see also SPLIT.

RUSSIAN CHURCH UNDER PETER THE GREAT

In the context of the weakness of state power at the end of the 17th century. Joachim managed to consolidate the forces of the clergy and defend the property rights of the church. Joachim's successor Adrian followed the policy of his predecessor in everything, but he managed to achieve little on this path - he faced the strengthened will of the young Tsar Peter I. The Tsar's intervention in church affairs took on a systematic nature, he completely ignored, and at times publicly insulted the Patriarch. The tsar reintroduced strict control over church property by the state. Joachim's successes were wiped out by the end of the century.

After the death of Hadrian in 1700, Peter I took decisive steps to achieve complete subordination of the church. The election of a new patriarch was constantly postponed. To fulfill the role of locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, Peter appointed the Metropolitan of Ryazan and Murom Stephen (Yavorsky). Metropolitan Stephen was brought up in Catholic schools in Lvov and Poznan. Peter's choice fell on him as a pro-Western bishop. However, in reality, Stefan Yavorsky turned out to be a champion of the patriarchate and high authority of the church. He did not always agree with the policy of Peter. Apparently, Metropolitan Stephen was involved in the case of Tsarevich Alexei, although the tsar was unable to find any evidence against him.

In 1718, Metropolitan Stephen filed a petition to let him go to Moscow under the pretext that, being in Moscow, it was more convenient to govern the Moscow and Ryazan dioceses. In connection with the departure of the saint, Peter instructed the Bishop of Pskov Theophan Prokopovich to draw up a project for the establishment of the Theological Collegium, which would replace the sole authority of the patriarch and, thus, would not be dangerous for the autocracy. Formally, the Collegium was endowed with judicial, administrative and legislative powers, but it could exercise the power given to it only with the consent of the sovereign himself. Under pressure from the monarch, the bishops signed a document on the creation of a new state collegium - the Holy Synod. Its opening took place in 1721. Since then, the church has completely lost its former independence from the secular authorities. Stefan Yavorsky became the President of the Holy Synod. In 1722, the emperor established the post of Chief Procurator of the Holy Synod, to which an officer was appointed who served in the Synod as "the sovereign's eye." As a result, Stefan Yavorsky was practically removed from the management of the church. After the death of Metropolitan Stephen, the office of president was abolished.

From now on, the state controlled all aspects of church life. In accordance with the educational reform of Peter, the compulsory education of the children of clergy was proclaimed (under pain of expulsion from the class). In different cities of Russia - Nizhny Novgorod, Vologda, Kazan, etc. - seminary-type religious schools were created; in Moscow, the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was transformed into the Theological Academy based on the Kiev model. New rules were introduced regarding monastic life. Military and civil servants were forbidden to enter the monastery. An age limit was introduced: men could enter the monastery from 30, women from 50. The foundation of sketes was strictly forbidden. The founding of new monasteries was only possible with the permission of the Synod. Many monasteries were closed under the pretext of lack of funds for their maintenance. These state measures quickly led to the desolation of monastic life and the extinction of the tradition of ascetic monastic practice, the life of which was "fueled" by only a very few of its representatives.

AFTER PETER

After Peter's death during the reign of Catherine I, the Holy Synod was subordinated to a new state body - the Privy Council, which in fact meant the subordination of the church not to the chrismated sovereign, but to a state government devoid of any sacredness.

During the short reign of Peter II, the son of Tsarevich Alexei, there was a movement towards the restoration of the patriarchate, but the sudden death of the fifteen-year-old emperor did not allow these hopes to come true.

Anna Ivanovna, who ascended the Russian throne, proclaimed a "return" to the precepts of Peter. Her policy was primarily manifested in the wave of the so-called. episcopal processes. A significant role in their organization belonged to Feofan Prokopovich, who sent the saints into exile and imprisonment, thus dealing with his "enemies." Monasteries were subjected to new severe tests. Now only widowed priests and retired soldiers could be tonsured into the monastery. The abbots of the monasteries were charged with the duty of reporting to the Synod about the slightest misdeeds of monks who were subjected to severe punishments: they were either exiled to the mines, or sent to the army. By the end of Anna Ivanovna's reign, some monasteries were completely empty, in others only deep elders remained.

The situation changed somewhat with the accession of Elizabeth Petrovna. Being very pious, the empress returned innocently convicted pastors from prison and exile, allowed young monks from any class to be tonsured, made generous donations to many monasteries and restored the monastic system of management of the lands belonging to the monasteries. However, to the proposal to restore the patriarchate, Elizabeth, who sacredly revered her father's reformatory activities, responded with a decisive refusal. During the reign of Elizabeth, the first occurred in the 18th century. canonization: Dmitry Rostovsky was canonized.

In the Petrine and post-Petrine epochs, the empire's borders continued to expand intensively. In this regard, the missionary activity of the Russian Church received serious support from the state. Newly baptized foreigners were provided with serious benefits to the extent that tax and recruitment duties were shifted to unbaptized fellow tribesmen. Missionary activities were carried out by a specially established Office of New Baptism Affairs.

CHURCH IN THE RULE OF CATHERINE II

The ecclesiastical policy of Catherine II, who succeeded Peter III, who reigned for a short time, is clearly characterized by her statement: "Respect the faith, but in no way let it influence state affairs." It was during her reign that the results of the centuries-old dispute over monastic estates were summed up. A manifesto issued by the empress announced the secularization of church real estate. Funds for the maintenance of monasteries were now provided by the Board of Economics. States were introduced for monasteries. Monasteries that were not included in the states were abolished or had to exist on the offerings of believers. As a result of this reform, the number of monastics was reduced from 12 to 5 thousand, and many ancient monasteries were closed. Closed monasteries turned into barracks and homes for the insane. Despite the new wave of persecution, the surviving monasteries managed to derive considerable benefit from the current situation, seeing in it an opportunity for the revival of the ancient ascetic monastic spirit. Metropolitan Gabriel of Novgorod and St. Petersburg helped to ensure that from now on the monasteries were headed not just by "learned monks", but by people experienced in spiritual life. The institute of eldership was revived, the rooting of which is associated with the name of Paisius Velichkovsky, who asceticised in the monasteries of Athos and Moldavia.

RUSSIAN CHURCH IN 19-21 centuries.

Catherine's son Paul, during his short reign, in everything contradicted the beginnings of his mother. He somewhat improved the position of the clergy, freeing them from corporal punishment and increasing the staffing of the clergy. At first, Alexander I Pavlovich was very little interested in the affairs of the church. The question of the state of church affairs was posed to the sovereign by M.M. Speransky. Speransky began to intensively deal with the problem of spiritual education. Together with Archbishop Theophylact, he developed new statutes for academies, seminaries and schools, according to which the emphasis was not on the mechanical memorization of educational material, but on its creative assimilation. In 1809, classes in the new programs began at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, and in 1814 at the Moscow one. Both academies soon became real centers of theology.

At the beginning of the 19th century. in Russian society, what was happening during the 18th century became really tangible. the division of national culture into folk culture, which remained faithful to the ancient religious and moral customs, and the culture of the nobility, fed by Western sources. After the war of 1812, mystical sentiments increased in high society, which was the reason for the emergence of religious sects.

A significant event in church life in the 19th century. The Georgian Exarchate was founded in 1811. The Catholicos of Georgia was henceforth a permanent member of the Holy Synod. The incorporation of the Georgian Church into the Russian Orthodox Church created favorable conditions for missionary activities to restore the Orthodox faith in the Caucasus. In 1814 the Ossetian mission was opened. Metropolitan Theophylact translated the liturgical texts into the Ossetian language and Catechism.

With the coming to power of Nicholas I (1825), the state policy in relation to the church acquired a strict "protective" character. The king tried to protect the official church from the influence of a large number of Masonic lodges and various sects. Spiritual censorship intensified, some especially zealous representatives of which placed the creations of Macarius the Great and Isaac the Syrian on a par with the works of sectarians. Chief Prosecutor of the Synod N.A. Protasov (1798-1855, Chief Prosecutor 1836-1855) tried to carry out a new educational reform designed to lower the cultural level of theological schools under the pretext of adapting curricula to rural life. Metropolitan Filaret of Moscow resolutely opposed the reform. He succeeded in preventing the implementation of a plan for the extreme simplification of secondary spiritual education. In 1842 Protasov achieved the removal of Metropolitan Filaret from the Synod; however, even after his removal from the Synod, he remained the spiritual leader of the Russian bishops. A new phenomenon was the creation in 1841 on the initiative of the chief prosecutor of spiritual consistories - advisory and executive bodies under the diocesan bishops. The consistories consisted of bishops and secular officials, headed by a secretary, who was appointed by the chief prosecutor himself. Any decision of the diocesan bishop could be contested by the secretary. Thus, the diocesan administration, which received its own chief prosecutor in the person of the secretary, was also taken under strict state control. In the 1820s – 1830s, the number of Uniates who converted to the Orthodox faith increased in western Russia. In 1839, a council of the Uniate clergy was held in Polotsk, which drew up an act of joining the Russian Orthodox Church. In the same period, a movement to join Orthodoxy was found among Estonians and Latvians, who perceived Lutheranism as the religion of the German barons. Russian bishops (Filaret Gumilevsky, Platon Gorodetsky) managed to consolidate the position of Orthodoxy in the Baltic States. In 1836 the opening of the Riga Vicariate of the Pskov Diocese took place in Riga. In 1847 the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission was opened in Jerusalem.

The system of church government that took shape under Nicholas I and the chief prosecutor N.A. Protasov caused sharp criticism in different strata of society during the change of the sovereign. A. Muravyov, who served under the Chief Prosecutor of the Synod, criticized the formalism and bureaucracy in church administration. He submitted a memorandum to the new chief prosecutor A.P. Tolstoy On the state of the Orthodox Church in Russia... The period of the chief prosecutor of A.P. Tolstoy (1856–1862) was marked by a softening of tight control over the church. A.P. Tolstoy himself was a man of sincere faith, who treated the church with respect; quite often he made pilgrimage trips to Optina Pustyn. In the second half of the 1860s, D.A. Tolstoy (1865–1880) took over the post of chief prosecutor, trying to revive the times of Protasov. He contributed to the removal of the clergy from the organization of the primary education of peasant children.

In the late 1860s, great changes took place in the position of the parish clergy. Abolished hereditary rights to church offices. The sons of clergy received rights similar to those of the children of personal noblemen or hereditary honorary citizens. They were given the opportunity to enter the military or civilian service and join the merchant guilds. Thus, the estate of the clergy was legally eliminated. Missionary work remained an important activity of the church at that time. In 1865 an Orthodox Missionary Society was formed in St. Petersburg. It trained missionaries, provided material assistance to existing missions. Special attention was still paid to the Christianization of the peoples of the Volga region. In Kazan, Professor Nikolai Ilminsky (1822–1891) opened the first school for baptized Tatar children with teaching in the Tatar language. In 1869, a divine service in the Tatar language was first performed in Kazan.

In the church press of the 1860s, the issue of reforming secondary and higher spiritual education was widely discussed. By 1867-1869, a special committee developed the statutes of seminaries, theological schools, and academies. Now the administration of theological schools belonged to the Study Committee under the Synod instead of the previous administration, subordinate to the chief prosecutor. Internal administration was based on the principles of collegiality and self-government. The curricula have undergone significant changes. The circle of sciences has been reduced. Physics and mathematics disciplines were excluded from the curriculum of the Academies. Only the best students were left to work on master's and master's theses. Master's theses were subject to public defense. After the reform in the 1870s, a rapid growth in the number of theological educational institutions began. Through the efforts of Metropolitan Filaret in the 1860s, work on the translation of the Bible was resumed, and in 1876 the first edition of the Bible in Russian was published. see also BIBLE.

The era of Alexander III went down in history as an era of reaction to the liberal reforms of the 1860s. Church policy was now carried out by K.P. Pobedonostsev (1827-1907, chief prosecutor 1880-1905). The new head of the Synod stated that the government was striving for the practical application of the ancient canonical ecclesiastical right to conciliarly discuss the most important issues, but in reality strict state control over the church remained. The Russian episcopate received only the right to convene district councils of bishops. At the end of the 19th century. the class isolation of the spiritual rank has finally receded into the past. The rise of the clergy on the estate ladder brought him closer to the noble intelligentsia, to representatives of academic science. Numbered among the saints, John of Krondstadt, a shepherd who belonged to the White clergy, became famous not only for his sermons, but also for his deep theological writings. However, this phenomenon also had its downside: an inordinately large number of graduates of seminaries and academies began to go to universities, to secular science. Pobedonostsev did not fail to strengthen church-protective measures in the system of spiritual education: they canceled the elective beginning of administration, abolished specialization in departments. On the other hand, Pobedonostsev strove to expand the influence of the clergy on public education and contributed to a significant increase in the number of parish schools.

With the accession to the throne of Nicholas II, the number of canonizations increased. During the short reign of the last emperor, Theodosius of Chernigov, Joasaph of Belgorod, Hermogen of Moscow, Pitirim of Moscow were canonized, and the veneration of Anna Kashinskaya was restored. The glorification of Seraphim of Sarov was a great celebration. At the beginning of the 20th century. The Russian Church continued to carry out extensive missionary activity. At that time, the Japanese Spiritual Mission, headed by the later canonized Metropolitan Nikolai (Kasatkin), and the Korean Spiritual Mission, whose work proceeded in the difficult conditions of the Russo-Japanese War, became especially famous. In 1898-1912 the Russian episcopate was headed by Metropolitan Anthony (Vadkovsky) of St. Petersburg and Ladoga (1846-1912). In 1905, he led a church movement aimed at reviving the conciliar principle in church administration. For his part, Pobedonostsev opposed this movement in every possible way, stating that the chief prosecutor's supervision is a reliable guarantee of collegiality and conciliarity. Under pressure from Pobedonostsev, the tsar postponed the convening of the council, referring to the alarming time, but gave permission for the opening of the Pre-Council meeting. The meeting was called in 1912, but its work was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War. The tragic moment of the collapse of the Russian Empire was approaching.

On March 2, 1917, Nicholas II abdicated the throne. The administration of the country passed to the Provisional Government. A new Chief Prosecutor VN Lvov was appointed to the Synod. First of all, he dismissed from the Synod all the bishops who were suspected of sympathizing with the previous regime. In the new composition, the Synod, chaired by Metropolitan Platon, tried to improve relations between the church and the Provisional Government. The result was the convocation of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, which began its work in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin on August 15, 1917. Cm... LOCAL CATHEDRAL 1917-1918.

The main decision of the cathedral was the restoration of the patriarchate. Metropolitan Tikhon (Belavin) was elected His Holiness Patriarch. The Council took place in the days when the Provisional Government could no longer rule the country. The desertion of soldiers from the front became widespread. The country was in chaos. After the October Revolution, the Council issued an appeal in which it described the events that had taken place as "raging atheism." The second session of the cathedral opened on January 21, 1918, and on August 7, its activities were terminated due to the confiscation of the premises where its work took place. Having come to power, the Bolshevik government immediately began preparing a law on the separation of church and state. The adoption of this law was regarded by the church as the beginning of persecution of clergy. Indeed, at this time, the persecution of priests, monks and nuns had already begun in the country. Patriarch Tikhon tried to stop this process by addressing the Council of People's Commissars with a message. However, the patriarch's appeals remained unanswered. In the Civil War, the new government won one victory after another. First, the Red Army defeated the troops of A.V. Kolchak, then the army of A.I.Denikin. With the retreat of the White Army, many priests and bishops left Russia. Patriarch Tikhon was faced with the task of protecting the remaining pastors, and he called on the clergy to abandon all political speeches.

The picture of church life in Ukraine was complicated in the first post-revolutionary years. The idea of \u200b\u200bseparating the Ukrainian Church from the Russian Church and the introduction of a union arose again. The government of S.V. Petlyura proclaimed the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church and arrested Metropolitan Anthony of Kiev (Khrapovitsky) and Archbishop of Volyn Eulogius. However, soon after the arrival of the Red Army in Kiev, the Ukrainian Church was left without a bishop. Trying to end the church turmoil in Ukraine, Patriarch Tikhon temporarily abolished the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church in 1921, giving it the status of an exarchate. Despite this, Ukrainian separatists in October of the same year proclaimed the autocephaly of the church, and Kiev priests ordained the married Archpriest Vasily Lipkovsky to the rank of metropolitan. Then, within a week, a whole false hierarchy appeared, which was called "Lipkovshchina".

The civil war and the defeat of the White Army led to the fact that a large number of Russian people were forced to emigrate. By 1920, there were more than two million Russians in European countries alone. Among them were clergymen. On November 21, 1921, in Sremski Karlovtsy, with the consent of the Patriarch of Serbia, a meeting of the general church overseas assembly took place, which was later renamed the Russian all-abroad church council. It included the bishops and members of the Local Council of 1917-1918 who were in Karlovtsi. The Charles Cathedral formed the Higher Church Administration Abroad, headed by Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), which headed the church life of the Russian diaspora.

The Bolshevik campaign of 1920 for the autopsy and destruction of the relics of the saints was a strong shock for the believers of the Russian Church. In the summer of 1921, a drought began in the Volga region, resulting in a terrible famine. In February 1922, a decree was issued on the seizure of church property in order to find means to fight hunger. In a number of cases, during the confiscation, bloody clashes between believers and the police took place. Arrests began, followed by a trial of a group of clerics, who were sentenced to death. Patriarch Tikhon was placed under house arrest in connection with these events. In the midst of the outbreak of terror, several Petrograd priests headed by A.I. Vvedensky, having entered into an agreement with the GPU, seized church administration. In April 1923 they announced that Tikhon had been deprived of his dignity. While the patriarch was in prison, a show trial was being prepared against him. However, it did not take place due to protests from the international community and fears of possible popular unrest. Patriarch Tikhon was released, having previously demanded to publicly plead guilty to the Soviet regime. The saint considered it necessary to compromise with the authorities and fulfilled the condition he had set. When he was released, the patriarch began to put in order the church administration, which was upset by the confusion of the "renovationists". Pretty soon he managed to restore the hierarchical apparatus and give the church organization, in the words of the Bolsheviks themselves, "the appearance of an ideological and organic whole." Patriarch Tikhon died in 1925. Cm... TIKHON, ST.

By the will of the deceased patriarch, Metropolitan Peter (Polyansky) became the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne. There could be no question of convening a council and new elections for the patriarch, since the Church was in fact in a semi-legal position, and the Soviet government recognized the Renovationist group as the Orthodox Church. In 1925, the Renovationists held another council, at which they accused Patriarch Tikhon and Metropolitan Peter of having links with emigrant monarchists. Their political accusation was immediately taken up by the Soviet press. Metropolitan Peter, foreseeing the further course of events, drew up a will and appointed successors in case of his death. Metropolitan Peter was soon arrested. Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) took over the duties of patriarchal locum tenens. Cm... SERGY.

Meanwhile, another schismatic grouping arose in the Russian Church: ten bishops spoke out against Metropolitan Peter as the head of the church and formed the Supreme Church Council. This body was legalized by the authorities.

In the 1920s – 1930s, the former Solovetsky Monastery became the main place of confinement for clergy. In 1926 there were 24 bishops there. They compiled and addressed to the government the so-called. Aide Memoire... In it, they recognized the legitimacy of the separation of church from state and expressed their loyalty to the authorities. At the same time, the document emphasized the incompatibility of the Christian worldview with atheism, which is an integral part of the communist doctrine, and expressed the hope that the church would be allowed to elect a patriarch and organize diocesan administration. Metropolitan Sergius also asked the government to legalize the church. The authorities responded with another arrest of Sergius. In April 1927, Metropolitan Sergius was released. Returning to Moscow, he convened a conference of bishops who elected the Provisional Patriarchal Holy Synod. This body was officially registered for the first time.

The Synod issued a decree on the resumption of the commemoration of the state authorities during the divine service, which was introduced by Patriarch Tikhon. The decree confused many bishops. Some of them even announced their separation from the "graceless Sergius church." Now it is obvious that the policy of Sergius was dictated by the desire to preserve the church and its ministers, without putting the people before a tough choice between "renovationism" and catacomb existence. In 1929, after a short lull, the persecution of the church began again. L.M. Kaganovich declared religious organizations a legally operating counter-revolutionary force. A number of new decrees were issued prohibiting charitable activities and private religious education for religious associations. The mass closure of churches and monasteries began. Many of them were simply destroyed, others turned into warehouses, prisons and colonies. In 1934, arrests and exile of clergy were resumed. In 1935, the deputy locum tenens, Metropolitan Sergius, was forced to dissolve the Synod. Only a secretary and a typist remained in the Metropolitan's office.

In 1936, the false news came about the death of the locum tenens Metropolitan Peter (shot in 1937). Metropolitan Sergius officially assumed the office of patriarchal locum tenens.

The Great Patriotic War forced the government to change its attitude towards the church. In 1943, Metropolitans Sergius, Alexy and Nikolai met with Stalin, who agreed to hold a church council and elect a patriarch. The council, which took place in September 1943, was elected Patriarch Sergius. As a high priest, he began active efforts to restore the greatly thinned church hierarchy. Under the new conditions, the employees of the NKVD, using their inherent methods, contributed to the abolition of the Renovationist Church, which was once under their patronage.

In 1944, Patriarch Sergius died. The new patriarch was Alexy I ( cm... ALEXIUS I). In the postwar years, the Russian Orthodox Church restored communion with the ecumenical churches and gained international prestige. The replacement of the bishops' chairs remained an urgent task. By 1949, the Russian episcopate already numbered 73 bishops. However, significant changes in the life of the church took place only after the death of Stalin. Many priests have been granted amnesty; in 1956 the relics of St. Nikita of Novgorod were transferred to the church; for the first time since the restoration of the patriarchate, the Bible was reprinted.

Again the threat of persecution hung over the church in 1958. By order of NS Khrushchev, the church was demanded to reform the parish administration. According to the requirements, the abbot, together with the clergy, became legally hired personnel, with whom the parish council concluded an agreement. This achieved the goal of eliminating the priest from participating in the economic affairs of the parish. The number of parishes has almost halved. Many churches were closed under the pretext of restoration, others were simply destroyed. In 1963 the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was closed.

After the change of government and the coming to power of Leonid Brezhnev (1964), the position of the church remained almost unchanged. The project submitted to the government on the introduction of parish rectors into the parish council did not meet with success. By the early 1970s, a situation had developed when more than half of the country's population was brought up outside the influence of church and religion. The situation began to change towards the end of the decade, when the number of new converts who were consciously coming to church life multiplied. A wide circle of parishioners formed around the parish priests, which consisted mainly of the intelligentsia. One of the most popular churches in Moscow is the Church of St. Nicholas in Kuznets, where Father Vsevolod Shpiller (died 1984) served as the rector. Particular care for the neophytes was shown by Archpriest Alexander Men (killed in 1990), priest Dmitry Dudko, and others. Despite the small number of functioning monasteries, the tradition of elders did not fade away in them. The flow of pilgrims to Schedule Savva and Archimandrite John Krestyankin from the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery, and to Archimandrite Kirill from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra did not stop.

The 1980s were marked by preparations for the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Rus. In connection with the upcoming holiday, Patriarch Pimen appealed to the government with a request to transfer the St. Danilov monastery to the church. This event took place in 1983. On the eve of the anniversary celebrations, three conferences were held - a church history conference in Kiev, a theological conference in Moscow, and a conference on liturgy and church art in Leningrad. They clearly demonstrated that the church has preserved ancient traditions. At the jubilee Local Council in 1988, for the first time in many years, a number of Russian saints were canonized. During the celebration of the anniversary, there was a radical shift in society in relation to the church. Churches began to return churches and monasteries, and the canonization of Patriarch Tikhon was the first step towards the glorification of clergy who suffered during the years of Soviet power. Since 1991, services have been regularly held in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The diocesan administration was fully restored. By 1994, the number of dioceses had reached 114. A notable event was the adoption of a new law of the Russian Federation on freedom of conscience and on religious associations, the text of which was drawn up taking into account the wishes of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church (1997).

Under Patriarch Alexy II, more than 20,000 churches and monasteries were opened (sometimes rebuilt) and consecrated, monastic life resumed in the mass of monasteries, many new saints entered the calendar, including the new martyrs and confessors of the 20th century, who became victims of revolutionary terror and persecution. One after another followed such significant events as: the uncovering of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the solemn transfer of them to Diveyevo, the acquisition of the relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod and their return to Belgorod, the acquisition of the relics of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon and the solemn transfer of them to the Great Cathedral of the Donskoy Monastery, the uncovering in Trinity -Sergius Lavra of the relics of St. Philaret of Moscow and St. Maximus the Greek, the discovery of the incorruptible relics of St. Alexander of Svir. With the blessing of His Holiness, more than 100 theological educational institutions were opened: seminaries, colleges and parish schools. The patriarch supported the idea of \u200b\u200breviving charity towards the poor and mercy, in particular, ministry in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons. Alexy II saw the role of the Orthodox Church in the establishment and maintenance of peace and harmony.

In May 2007, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II and First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Laurus, signed Canonical Communion Act, establishing the norms of relations between the two Orthodox Churches and aimed at restoring the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church. Thus, an end was put to the almost century-old division of the Russian Orthodox Church. In conditions of social stratification, the church under Alexy II tried to spread its influence and unite various segments of the population, contributing to the formation of a common system of values. The merits of Alexy II include the return of the Church to broad public service, the revival and spread of the Orthodox religion and culture.

APPENDIX. DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF THE X WORLD RUSSIAN PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY

Realizing that the world is going through a turning point in history, is facing the threat of a conflict of civilizations that have different understandings of man and his purpose, the World Russian People's Council, on behalf of the original Russian civilization, adopts this declaration.

Man as the image of God has a special value that cannot be taken away. It must be respected by each of us, society and the state. By doing good, a person acquires dignity. Thus, we distinguish between the value and dignity of the individual. Value is what is given, dignity is what is acquired.

The eternal moral law has a solid foundation in the human soul, which does not depend on culture, nationality, life circumstances. This foundation was laid by the Creator in human nature and manifests itself in conscience. However, the voice of conscience can be drowned out by sin. That is why the distinction between good and evil is called upon to contribute to the religious tradition, which has God as its Primary Source.

We distinguish between two freedoms: inner freedom from evil and freedom of moral choice. Freedom from evil is valuable in itself. Freedom of choice acquires value, and personality acquires dignity, when a person chooses good. On the contrary, freedom of choice leads to self-destruction and damages a person's dignity when he chooses evil.

Human rights are based on the value of an individual and should be aimed at realizing his dignity. That is why the content of human rights cannot but be linked to morality. The separation of these rights from morality means their profanation, for there is no immoral dignity.

We are for the right to life and against the “right” to death, for the right to create and against the “right” to destruction. We recognize human rights and freedoms to the extent that they help the individual's ascent to good, protect it from internal and external evil, and allow it to be positively realized in society. In this light, we respect not only civil, political rights and freedoms, but also social, economic and cultural rights.

Rights and freedoms are inextricably linked with the duties and responsibilities of a person. A person, realizing his interests, is called upon to correlate them with the interests of his neighbor, family, local community, people, and all mankind.

There are values \u200b\u200bthat are not inferior to human rights. These are such values \u200b\u200bas faith, morality, shrines, Fatherland. When these values \u200b\u200band the realization of human rights come into conflict, society, the state and the law must harmoniously combine both. Situations should not be allowed in which the exercise of human rights would suppress faith and moral tradition, would lead to insult to religious and national feelings, revered shrines, would threaten the existence of the Fatherland. The “invention” of such “rights” that legitimize behavior condemned by traditional morality and all historical religions is also considered dangerous.

We reject the policy of double standards in the field of human rights, as well as attempts to use these rights to advance political, ideological, military and economic interests, to impose a certain state and social system.

We are ready to cooperate with the state and with all well-meaning forces in ensuring human rights. Special areas of such cooperation should be the preservation of the rights of nations and ethnic groups to their religion, language and culture, upholding the freedom of religion and the right of believers to their way of life, confronting crimes on national and religious grounds, protecting the individual from the arbitrariness of the authorities and employers, taking care of the rights military personnel, protecting the rights of the child, caring for people in places of detention and social institutions, protecting victims of destructive sects, preventing total control over a person's private life and beliefs, counteracting the involvement of people in crime, corruption, slave trade, prostitution, drug addiction, gambling addiction.

We strive for a dialogue with people of different faiths and views on human rights issues and their place in the hierarchy of values. Today, such a dialogue, like nothing else, will help to avoid a conflict of civilizations, to achieve a peaceful combination of different worldviews, cultures, legal and political systems on the planet. Their future depends on how people manage to solve this problem.

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TASS-DOSSIER. On February 12, 2016 in Havana, the first ever meeting of the heads of the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches - Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis will take place. The editorial staff of TASS-DOSSIER has prepared a note containing basic information about the history and structure of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (ROC MP) is the largest of the currently existing autocephalous (independent) local Orthodox churches. In the official list of historical seniority of local churches (diptych), it ranks fifth out of 15.

History

In 988 the baptism of Rus took place. Initially, the head of the Russian Church was appointed from the Greek clergy of Byzantium, in 1051 Hilarion became the first Russian Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia. In 1448 the Local Council of the Russian Church adopted a decision on its autocephaly (self-government) and independently elected Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia Iona. In 1589, the first patriarch was elected, who became Job, after which the independence of the Russian Church was recognized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In 1666, the Russian Church experienced a schism as a result of the reforms of Patriarch Nikon.

Under Emperor Peter I, the Orthodox Church in Russia was subordinated to the state, and the patriarchate was liquidated. From 1721 to 1917, the church was headed by the Holy Governing Synod. Its members were appointed by the emperor, the Synod was governed by state officials - chief prosecutors.

During the Local Council of the Orthodox Church, which took place in 1917-1918, the Patriarchate was restored. The first patriarch in the twentieth century. was Tikhon (Belavin; 1865-1925).

After the October Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks who came to power began to fight religion. On February 2 (January 20, old style), 1918, the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR "On the separation of church from state and school from church" came into force, according to which the Russian church was deprived of the rights of a legal entity, land and property. In the period from 1917 to 1939, most churches and monasteries were forcibly closed, most of the clergy were repressed. After the death of Patriarch Tikhon, the election of a new head of the church was prohibited by the authorities.

In 1914 there were more than 55 thousand churches in the Russian Orthodox Church; as of 1915, 168 bishops and more than 66 thousand clergymen served in them. By 1939 there were four bishops, about 300 priests and the same number of churches.

In the 1920s. The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) was created, uniting Russian Orthodox emigrants who were in exile as a result of the 1917 revolution and the Civil War (1917-1922). During the Great Patriotic War, the state softened its anti-religious policy. In 1943, with the permission of the Soviet government, the Bishops' Council was held, at which the new Patriarch Sergius (Stragorodsky) was elected. At the same time, the modern name was officially fixed - the Russian Orthodox Church.

The liberalization of policy towards the Orthodox Church in the USSR began during preparations for the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus in 1988. On May 30, 1991, on the basis of the law "On freedom of conscience and religious organizations", the church received the official status of a religious organization and the rights of a legal entity ... In May 2007, the ROC reunited with the ROCOR.

Device

The ROC is registered as a legal entity in the Russian Federation as a centralized religious organization.

It carries out its activities on the basis of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, the canons and rules of the holy apostles, the holy Ecumenical Councils and holy fathers, the decrees of its Local and Bishops' Councils, the Holy Synod and decrees of the Patriarch, as well as the charter of the Russian Orthodox Church (the last amendments were made in 2016. ).

The highest bodies of church power and administration are the Local and Bishops' Councils, the Holy Synod, headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Since 2009, Kirill (Gundyaev) has been the patriarch. Since 2011, he has also chaired the Supreme Church Council.

The church has 22 synodal institutions in the main areas of activity, including the Department for External Church Relations, the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints, the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism, etc. Also, the ROC has a general church court (there are also courts of local jurisdictions), which are intended to maintain the order of church life and are designed to facilitate the observance of sacred canons and other church institutions. In particular, the courts can make decisions on ejection from dignity, excommunication.

The Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate includes seven autonomous or self-governing churches: the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (established in 1920), Chinese (1956), Japanese (1970), Ukrainian Orthodox Church (1990; Moscow Patriarchate), Latvian Orthodox Church (1992), Orthodox Church of Moldova (1992), Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (became part of the ROC as a result of the unification of churches in 2007).

In addition, the ROC includes the Belarusian Exarchate (a church region outside the country in which the patriarchy is located) and two metropolitan districts (in the Republic of Kazakhstan and Central Asia), 57 metropolises, 296 dioceses.

The Russian Orthodox Church has 21 scientific and educational institutions, including the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, the Orthodox St. Tikhon University for the Humanities, the Orthodox Encyclopedia Church Scientific Center, and others.

Statistics, monasteries and temples

"1.4 thousand divine services and 57 new metropolises: seven years of service of Patriarch Kirill"

In the Russian Orthodox Church there are 34,764 churches or other premises for worship; the clergy includes 354 bishops, 35 thousand 171 priests, 4 thousand 816 deacons, 455 men's and 471 women's monasteries, including 56 in the far abroad. The ROC does not provide data on the number of parishioners and believers, and there are no official statistics on the religious composition of the population in Russia.

The spiritual and administrative center of the Russian Orthodox Church is the Moscow Danilov Monastery. It houses the residence of the Patriarch, and holds meetings of the Holy Synod.

Worship language and calendar

The main language of worship is Church Slavonic, in Moldova - Moldavian (Romanian), in Japan - Japanese, in China - Chinese, in a number of parishes other languages \u200b\u200bof the peoples of the former USSR; in the diaspora abroad also English, Spanish, French, etc.

The ROC uses the Julian calendar.

media

The Moscow Patriarchate is directly subordinate to the Orthodox Education news agency, the Spas Orthodox TV channel and the Soyuz TV company, and a number of printed publications (The Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Tserkovny Vestnik newspaper, etc.).

Awards

The system of awards of the Russian Orthodox Church includes hierarchical (promotion, liturgical) and church-wide. The latter include various orders and medals, patriarchal signs and letters. The highest order is the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called with a diamond star, the second in seniority is the Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir.

STRUCTURE OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH.

& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Russian Orthodox Churchis a multinational Local Autocephalous Church, which is in doctrinal unity and prayer-canonical communion with other Local Orthodox Churches.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Churchextends to persons of the Orthodox confession living in the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church: in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Estonia, as well as Orthodox Christians who voluntarily enter it, living in other countries.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp In 1988, the Russian Orthodox Church solemnly celebrated the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus. In this jubilee year, there were 67 dioceses, 21 monasteries, 6893 parishes, 2 Theological academies and 3 Theological seminaries.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Under the primate omophorion of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, the fifteenth Patriarch in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, elected in 1990, a comprehensive revival of church life is taking place. At present, the Russian Orthodox Church has 132 (136 including the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church) dioceses in various states, more than 26600 parishes (of which 12,665 are in Russia). The pastoral ministry is carried out by 175 bishops, including 132 diocesan and 32 vicars; 11 bishops are at rest. There are 688 monasteries (Russia: 207 male and 226 female, Ukraine: 85 male and 80 female, other CIS countries: 35 male and 50 female, foreign countries: 2 male and 3 female). The education system of the Russian Orthodox Church currently includes 5 Theological Academies, 2 Orthodox Universities, 1 Theological Institute, 34 Theological Seminaries, 36 Theological Schools, and in 2 dioceses - pastoral courses. Regent and icon painting schools operate at several academies and seminaries. Parish Sunday schools also operate in most parishes.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp The Russian Orthodox Church has a hierarchical management structure. The supreme bodies of church authority and administration are the Local Council, the Bishops' Council, the Holy Synod headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Local Cathedral consists of bishops, representatives of the clergy, monastics and laity. The Local Council interprets the teaching of the Orthodox Church, preserving doctrinal and canonical unity with the Local Orthodox Churches, resolves internal issues of church life, canonizes the saints, elects the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and establishes the procedure for such election.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Bishops' Council consists of diocesan bishops, as well as vicar bishops who head Synodal institutions and theological academies or have canonical jurisdiction over the parishes under their jurisdiction. The competence of the Council of Bishops, among other things, includes preparing for the convocation of the Local Council and overseeing the implementation of its decisions; adoption and amendment of the Statutes of the Russian Orthodox Church; solution of fundamental theological, canonical, liturgical and pastoral issues; the canonization of saints and the approval of liturgical rites; competent interpretation of church statutes; expression of pastoral concern with the problems of our time; determining the nature of relations with government agencies; maintaining relations with the Local Orthodox Churches; creation, reorganization and liquidation of self-governing Churches, exarchates, dioceses, Synodal institutions; approval of new church-wide awards and the like.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Holy Synodheaded by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, is the governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church in the period between the Councils of Bishops.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia has the primacy of honor among the episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church. He takes care of the internal and external well-being of the Russian Orthodox Church and manages it jointly with the Holy Synod, being its Chairman. The Patriarch is elected by the Local Council from among the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church not younger than 40 years old, enjoying a good reputation and trust of hierarchs, clergy and people, having a higher theological education and sufficient experience in diocesan administration, distinguished by their adherence to the canonical legal order, having "a good testimony from outsiders" (1 Tim. 3, 7). San of the Patriarch is life-long.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp The executive bodies of the Patriarch and the Holy Synod are Synodal institutions... Synodal institutions include the Department for External Church Relations, the Publishing Council, the Study Committee, the Department of Catechesis and Religious Education, the Department of Charity and Social Service, the Missionary Department, the Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies, and the Department for Youth Affairs. The Moscow Patriarchate, as a Synodal institution, includes the Administration of Affairs. Each of the Synodal institutions is in charge of a circle of general church affairs that is within its sphere of competence.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchaterepresents the Russian Orthodox Church in her relations with the outside world. The department maintains relations of the Russian Orthodox Church with Local Orthodox Churches, heterodox churches and Christian associations, non-Christian religions, government, parliamentary, public organizations and institutions, intergovernmental, religious and public international organizations, secular media, cultural, economic, financial and tourism organizations ... The DECR MP exercises, within the limits of canonical powers, hierarchical, administrative and financial and economic management of dioceses, missions, monasteries, parishes, representations and farmsteads of the Russian Orthodox Church in the far abroad, and also promotes the work of the farmsteads of Local Orthodox Churches on the canonical territory of the Moscow Patriarchate. Within the framework of the DECR MP, there are: the Orthodox Pilgrimage Service, which carries out trips of bishops, pastors and children of the Russian Church to shrines of the far abroad; The Communication Service, which maintains church-wide relations with the secular media, monitors publications about the Russian Orthodox Church, maintains the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate on the Internet; The Publications Sector, which publishes the DECR Newsletter and the Church and Scientific Journal "Church and Time". Since 1989, the Department for External Church Relations has been headed by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Publishing Council of the Moscow Patriarchate - a collegial body consisting of representatives of the Synodal institutions, theological educational institutions, church publishing houses and other institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Publishing Council coordinates publishing activities at the general church level, submits publishing plans for approval by the Holy Synod, and evaluates published manuscripts. The Moscow Patriarchate Publishing House publishes the "Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate" and the newspaper "Tserkovny Vestnik" - the official press organs of the Moscow Patriarchate; publishes the collection "Theological Works", an official church calendar, maintains a chronicle of the Patriarchal ministry, and publishes official church documents. In addition, the publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate is responsible for the publication of Holy Scripture, liturgical and other books. The Publishing Council of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate are headed by Archpriest Vladimir Siloviev.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Study Committee runs a network of religious educational institutions that train future clergy and clergy. Within the framework of the Study Committee, educational programs for theological educational institutions are being coordinated, and a unified educational standard for theological schools is being developed. The chairman of the educational committee is Archbishop Eugene of Vereya.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Department of Religious Education and Catechesis coordinates work on the dissemination of religious education among the laity, including in secular educational institutions. The forms of religious education and catechesis of the laity are very diverse: Sunday schools at churches, circles for adults, groups for preparing adults for baptism, Orthodox kindergartens, Orthodox groups in state kindergartens, Orthodox gymnasiums, schools and lyceums, courses for catechists. Sunday schools are the most common form of catechesis. The department is headed by Archimandrite John (Economists).
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp About department of Charity and Social Service carries out a number of socially significant church programs and coordinates social work at the church-wide level. A number of medical programs are operating successfully. Among them, the work of the Central Clinical Hospital of the Moscow Patriarchate in the name of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow (5th City Hospital) deserves special attention. In the context of the transition of medical services to a commercial basis, this medical institution is one of the few Moscow clinics where examination and treatment is carried out free of charge. In addition, the Division has repeatedly delivered humanitarian aid to areas of natural disasters and conflicts. The head of the Department is Metropolitan Sergius of Voronezh and Borisoglebsk.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Missionary department coordinates the missionary activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. Today, this activity includes mainly an internal mission, that is, the work of returning to the bosom of the Church people who, as a result of persecution of the Church in the 20th century, were cut off from the paternal faith. Another important area of \u200b\u200bmissionary activity is the opposition to destructive cults. The head of the Missionary Department is Archbishop Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies carries out pastoral work with military personnel, law enforcement officers. In addition, the Department is responsible for the pastoral care of prisoners. The Department is chaired by Archpriest Dimitri Smirnov.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Youth Affairs Department at the general church level, it coordinates pastoral work with youth, organizes interaction between church, public and state organizations in the spiritual and moral education of children and youth. The department is headed by Archbishop Alexander of Kostroma and Galich.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Russian Orthodox Church divided into Dioceses - local churchesheaded by the bishop and uniting diocesan institutions, deaneries, parishes, monasteries, metochions, spiritual educational institutions, brotherhoods, sisterhoods and missions.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp The arrival called a community of Orthodox Christians, consisting of clergy and laity, united at the temple. The parish is a canonical division of the Russian Orthodox Church, is under the commanding supervision of his diocesan bishop and under the leadership of the priest-rector appointed by him. The parish is formed by the free consent of believers of citizens of the Orthodox faith who have reached adulthood, with the blessing of the diocesan bishop.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp The highest governing body of the parish is the Parish Assembly, headed by the rector of the parish, who is the chairman of the Parish Assembly. The executive and administrative body of the Parish Assembly is the Parish Council; he is accountable to the abbot and the parish assembly.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Brotherhoods and sisterhoods can be created by parishioners with the consent of the prior and with the blessing of the diocesan bishop. Brotherhoods and sisterhoods aim to attract parishioners to participate in the cares and works of maintaining churches in proper condition, to charity, mercy, religious and moral education and upbringing. Fraternities and sisterhoods in parishes are under the supervision of the superior. They begin their activities after the blessing of the diocesan bishop.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp Monastery is a church institution in which a male or female community, consisting of Orthodox Christians who voluntarily chose the monastic way of life for spiritual and moral improvement and joint confession of the Orthodox faith, lives and operates. The decision on the opening of monasteries belongs to His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod on the proposal of the diocesan bishop. Diocesan monasteries are under the supervision and canonical administration of diocesan bishops. Stavropegic monasteries are under the canonical administration of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia or those Synodal institutions to which the Patriarch will bless such administration.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp The dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church can be united into Exarchates... This association is based on the national-regional principle. Decisions on the creation or dissolution of Exarchates, as well as on their name and territorial boundaries, are taken by the Council of Bishops. At present, the Russian Orthodox Church has a Belarusian Exarchate located on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. The head of the Belarusian Exarchate is Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk Filaret, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp The Moscow Patriarchate includes autonomous and self-governing Churches... Their creation and determination of their boundaries is within the competence of the Local or Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. Self-governing Churches carry out their activities on the basis and within the limits provided by the Patriarchal Tomos, issued in accordance with the decisions of the Local or Bishops' Council. Currently self-governing are: the Latvian Orthodox Church (Primate - Metropolitan of Riga and All Latvia Alexander), Orthodox Church of Moldova (Primate - Metropolitan of Chisinau and All Moldova Vladimir), Estonian Orthodox Church (Primate - Metropolitan of Tallinn and All Estonia Korniliy). The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is self-governing with the rights of broad autonomy. Its Primate is His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kiev and All Ukraine.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbspThe Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church and the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church are independent and free in the affairs of their internal government and are connected with the Fullness of Ecumenical Orthodoxy through the Russian Orthodox Church.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbspThe Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church is His Eminence Daniel, Archbishop of Tokyo, Metropolitan of All Japan. The election of the Primate is carried out by the Local Council of the Autonomous Orthodox Church of Japan, consisting of all its bishops and representatives of the clergy and laity elected to this Council. The candidacy of the Primate is approved by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church commemorates His Holiness the Patriarch during divine services.
& nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbspChina's Autonomous Orthodox Church currently consists of several communities of Orthodox believers who do not have constant pastoral care. Prior to the holding of the Council of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church, archpastoral care for its parishes is carried out by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church in accordance with the existing canons.

The Russian Orthodox Church is the largest autocephalous church in the world. Its history dates back to apostolic times. The Russian Church has experienced schism, the fall of the monarchy, the years of theomachism, war and persecution, the fall of the USSR and the formation of a new canonical territory. We have collected theses that will help you to better know the history of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Russian Orthodox Church: history

• The history of the Russian Orthodox Church dates back to apostolic times. When the disciples of Christ left to carry the Word of God to people, the territory of the future Rus turned out to be the path of the Apostle Andrew. There is a legend that the Apostle Andrew came to the Crimean land. The people who lived there were pagans and worshiped idols. The Apostle Andrew preached Christ to them.
• Nevertheless, from the time the apostle walked through the territory of the future Rus to the Baptism of Rus, nine centuries passed. Many believe that the history of the Russian Church began in apostolic times, for others the Baptism of Rus in 988 becomes the "starting point", and still others believe that the Russian Orthodox Church was born in the IV century. In 1448 the first Autocephalous church organization appeared, its center was located in Moscow. Then the Russian bishops for the first time elected Metropolitan Jonah as the Primate of the Church without the participation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
• In 1589-1593, Autocephaly was formally recognized and the Church gained independence. Initially, the Patriarch did not have a functioning Council of Bishops - the Holy Synod, which distinguished the Russian Orthodox Church from other Churches.
• The Russian Orthodox Church has also gone through the difficult pages of its own history. Namely, church reform, when the term "Old Believers" appeared.

• During the time of Peter the Great, the Holy Synod became the state body that performed the function of general church administration. Due to the innovations of the tsar, the clergy became a rather closed society, and the Church lost financial independence.
• But the most difficult times for the Russian Orthodox Church came during the years of the fight against God after the fall of the monarchy. By 1939, the Church was practically destroyed. Many clerics have been convicted or killed. Persecution did not allow believers to openly pray and visit temples, and the temples themselves were desecrated or destroyed.
• After the collapse of the USSR, when the repressions against the Church and the clergy ceased, the “canonical territory” of the Russian Orthodox Church became a problem, since many former republics seceded. Thanks to the act of canonical communion, the local Churches remained "an integral, self-governing part of the Local Russian Orthodox Church."
• In October 2011, the Holy Synod approved a reform of the diocesan structure with a three-tier system of government - Patriarchate - Metropolitanate - Diocese.

Russian Orthodox Church: structure and management

The order of the Church hierarchy in the modern Russian Orthodox Church looks like this:

1. Patriarch
2. Metropolitan
3. Bishop
4. a priest
5. Deacon

Patriarch

Since 2009, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church is Patriarch Kirill.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was elected to Primate service at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on January 27-28, 2009.

The structure of the Russian Orthodox Church (metropolitanate, diocese)

The Russian Orthodox Church has more than three hundred dioceses, which are united in metropolises. Initially, in the Russian Orthodox Church, the title of Metropolitan was conferred only on the Primate. The metropolitans are still solving the most important issues in the Russian Orthodox Church, but its head is still the Patriarch.

List of Metropolises of the Russian Orthodox Church:

Altai Metropolis
Archangel Metropolitanate
Astrakhan Metropolitanate
Bashkortostan Metropolia
Belgorod Metropolis
Bryansk metropolitanate
Buryat Metropolitanate
Vladimir Metropolis
Volgograd Metropolitanate
Vologda Metropolitanate
Voronezh Metropolitanate
Vyatka Metropolis
Don Metropolis
Ekaterinburg Metropolitanate
Transbaikal Metropolia
Ivanovo Metropolitanate
Irkutsk Metropolitanate
Kaliningrad Metropolitanate
Kaluga Metropolitanate
Karelian Metropolitanate
Metropolitanate of Kostroma
Krasnoyarsk Metropolitanate
Kuban Metropolitanate
Kuzbass Metropolitanate
Kurgan Metropolis
Kursk Metropolis
Lipetsk Metropolis
Metropolitanate of Mari
Minsk Metropolis (Belarusian Exarchate)
Mordovian Metropolitanate
Murmansk Metropolis
Metropolitanate of Nizhny Novgorod
Novgorod Metropolis
Novosibirsk Metropolis
Omsk Metropolitanate
Orenburg Metropolis
Oryol Metropolitanate
Penza Metropolitanate
Perm Metropolitanate
Amur Metropolitanate
Primorsk Metropolis
Pskov Metropolitanate
Ryazan Metropolia
Samara Metropolitanate
St. Petersburg Metropolitanate
Saratov Metropolitanate
Simbirsk Metropolis
Smolensk Metropolitanate
Stavropol Metropolia
Tambov Metropolitanate
Tatarstan Metropolia
Metropolitanate of Tver
Tobolsk Metropolitanate
Tomsk Metropolitanate
Tula Metropolis
Udmurt Metropolitanate
Khanty-Mansi metropolitanate
Chelyabinsk Metropolitanate
Chuvash Metropolia
Yaroslavl Metropolitanate