Review on the book: Beglov A. L. The Orthodox Parish at the Sunset of the Russian Empire: Situation, Discussions, Reform. M.: Indrik, 2021. 1048 pp.

Abstract

The review examines a monograph devoted to the history of the Orthodox parish in Russia in the late 19th — early 20th centuries. In fact, the author includes in his work an overview of a much broader time period: from the publication of the Spiritual Regulations of Theophan Prokopovich, to the present, which allows him to show how the synodal parish system was formed, what caused its crisis, how this crisis was overcome, and also briefly describe the history of the parish organization in the 20th — early 21st centuries. At the same time, the central part of the monograph is devoted to the period from the Great Reforms to the revolution of 1917. The book analyzes in detail the main components of the parish system crisis: the gap between the parish and the peasant community, deprivation of the parish’s independence with the constant increase in fiscal and administrative pressure on it, and growing social distance between parishioners and clergy. The main focus is on the attempts to resolve the parish crisis. The book examines both discussions on the parish issue and practical attempts to implement local transformations, as well as examples that supporters of parish reform could focus on. The discussion around the parish issue (as it is covered in the monograph) focuses on many social problems of the Russian Empire: it is not accidental that it was transferred to the official level during the revolution of 1905–1907. The monograph examines the positions of various actors involved in the struggle for the reform of the parish: parishioners (primarily peasants), parish clergy, episcopate, professors of the theological school, chief prosecutors of the Synod, zemstvo figures, deputies of the Duma, and representatives of the government. Various drafts of the parish charter are analyzed in detail, starting from the one proposed by the Pre-Council Convention and ending with that adopted by the Local Council of 1917–1918. The monograph contains vivid characteristics of various figures of the second half of 19th — early 20th centuries, given through the disclosure of a person’s position on the parish issue. The final part traces the fate of the Orthodox parish in the 20th — early 21st centuries.

Keywords

• orthodox parish
• synod
• russian empire
• local council of 1917–1918