Organization and activities of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society in the context of the church brotherhood movement

Abstract

The article analyzes the activities of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society (IOPS) in the context of the church-social movement of the 1880s — early 1900s. The undertakings of the initiator of the establishment of the Society, V. N. Khitrovo, and the relations of the IOPS with the bureaucracy of the Russian Empire are considered. The author demonstrates that the activities of Khitrovo and his associates revealed the most important feature of the activities of a public organization: reliance on independent initiative, ideologically colored motivation of its members. From the viewpoint of a number of high-ranking statesmen, such as K. P. Pobedonostsev, the IOPS effectively carried out the important task of strengthening Russia’s position in the Holy Land, being free from the deadening influence of bureaucracy. The patronage of influential government figures allowed the organization to launch large-scale enterprises, such as supporting the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem, assisting Russian pilgrims, and creating cultural, educational and charitable institutions for the Orthodox population of Syria and Palestine. Despite the gradually increasing rapprochement of the IOPS with government structures, it remained an independent public organization until 1917. The real autonomy of the Society allowed it to make a significant contribution to solving the ideological, cultural and educational problems facing Russia in the Holy Land.

Keywords

• history of the russian church
• holy land
• church brotherhoods
• k. p. pobedonostsev
• v. n. khitrovo