On the beginning of Altai spiritual mission
Abstract
This article describes the history of the foundation of Altai spiritual mission. Its inception is closely connected with the beginning of systematic missionary work in Western Siberia. By the beginning of the 19th century, the Orthodox mission in this region gradually became inactive, but in the fi rst third of this century the Holy Synod resumed active missionary work. The article considers those statutes of the Holy Synod that dealt with the arrangement of missionary activity in this region. It scrutinises the letter exchange between the Ministry of Finances of the Russian Empire and the Holy Synod, which refl ects problems of funding of the newly created mission. The article analyses in detail the circumstances around the appointment of Revd. Makariy (Glukharev) in the mission and personal considerations that urged this saint to embark on the apostolic service. The article also studies the history of the name of the mission. Among other issues, the article answers the question about the date of establishing Altai spiritual mission and makes a conclusion that there was no specifi c statute as to this.
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