St. Tikhon’s University Review . Series II: History. Russian Church History

The article deals with the question that is the important for the understanding both the current state of science and education and the history. The author explains the problem of the theology’s place in the system of a scientific knowledge by giving the materials of the discussion at the Office preceding the All-Russia Church Local Council in 1906. He investigates the discussion and detects the systematic point of view.

the Russian Orthodox Church, orthodox theological academy, theology, theology in the system of a scientific knowledge

Emel'ianov Nikolai, archpriest

The article covers the events related with the attempt of the secret elections of the Patriarch in 1926 and specifies some details of the historiography’s picture by supplementing it. The author considers, at that time the elections of the Patriarch not only have not taken place, but, strictly speaking, even did not begin. Only the precanvas of bishops took place, though the initiators of elections considered the election of the Patriarch went through, because all of bishops were a unit during the precanvas.

patriarchate, the Holy Council of bishops, elections, metropolitan Sergy (Stragorodsky), metropolitan Cyril (Smirnov), bishop Pavlin (Kroshechkin)

Mazyrin Aleksandr, priest

The author studies the positions of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Orenburg (Chkalovsky) diocese since 1943 till 1958.The article coversthe revival and the stages of a diocese’s establishment, the problems of new parishes and the lack of personnel potential for the professional preparation of clergy. The author explains the economic situation in orthodox congregations, the sources of incomes, the items of expenditure, religious initiatives and the life of orthodox laymen of the diocese. The reasons of the contradictory relationsbetweenthe soviet government and the Russian Orthodox Church were expressed in changinga favorable religious policy andits cooling that caused «Khruschev’s» large-scale persecutions in 1945-1948. The article bases on anunpublished archival materials, periodical press and on the works of the historians, concerning the given problem.

persecutions against the church, the Chkalovsk (Orenburg) diocese in 1943-1958, patriarch Alexey I, bishop Manuil (Lemeshevsky), bishop Boris (Vick), bishop Varsonofy (Grinevich), bishop Michael (Voskresensky)

Shubkin Valerii

The article deals with the policy of Soviet authorities concerning the church establishments in the attached West Ukrainian areas in 1939-1941. The author attempts to clarify the features, reasons and consequences of the Soviet religious policy in this region. The using of the wide materials’ spectrum of the Ukrainian and Russian historiography and also documents from some Soviet departments assists reconstructing the picture of the authorities’ influence on the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Greco-catholic Church.

the Western Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church, People’s commissariat of internal affairs, NKGB, the Union of militant atheists (SVB), metropolitan Nikolay (Jarushevich), metropolitan Andrey (Sheptitsky)

Vishivaniuk Anna

The publication offers the unknown letter offamous Moscow archpriest John Vostorgovto HolyPatriarchTikhon (theMoscow metropolitanin that time) in August -December, 1917. In letters the actual questions of the church life under revolution were raised.

the missionary society, the all-Russia Church, local Council of 1917-1918, metropolitan Makariy (Nevskiy), metropolitan Platon (Rozdestvensky), the cathedral of the Virgin Protectresson the Red area, the society of the religion’s distribution in armies

Smoliakova Inna

The open letters of Smolensk priest Feodor Vasilevsky to the All-Russia Church Local Council werefound out in the Fund № 834 of the Holy Synod’s manuscripts atthe Russian state historical archive (RGIA). The letters not only display of intra-church discussions during the revolutionary time, but also represent the various typicalreflections which werecharacteristic for thefaith of provincial priests.

provincial orthodoxy, revolution, the sacrament of baptism, priest Feodor Vasilevsky

Kail' Maksim

This is the first publication of the fragment of the biblical-theological work «Thoughts about shame» by st. martyr archimandrite Neophyt (Osipov). It deals with the ecclesiological position of the author during the period of church divisions in the end of 1920s till 1930s and covers the circle of theological questions touching on him at that time. The author formulates his basic positions concerning the orthodox biblical doctrine of the moral category of «the shame».

the secretary of Patriarch Tikhon, right church opposition, the new martyries and confessors of Russia, bible study, ecclesiology, moral divinity, soteriology, the orthodox doctrine about the shame

Khailova Ol'ga