Ambartsumov Ivan
Abstract
In the article state of Anglican religion in the Russian Empire of the late XIX — early XX century is observed, information about the number of parishes and their location, number of church members and proportion of Russian and British subjects among them is given. The specific status of Russian Anglican parishes (not included into the common imperial system of non-Orthodox church management but using the extraterritorial status under the auspices of the British embassy) is shown. Legal problems, which faced Anglicans residing in Russia due to extraordinary status of their church are described (such as difficulties with testifying of parish registers and solution of divorce cases, indefinity of the procedure of conversion from Anglican Church to other Protestant denominations, impossibility for Anglican parishes to obtain property in their own favour). The attempts of the problems’ regulation by Russian authorities by making the specific law for Anglican religion are written down; the law was to subordinate Anglican church to the Ministry of Internal Affairs on equal terms with other non-Orthodox Christian denominations in Russia. The ecumenical contacts between Anglican and Orthodox church and their possible influence over Russian government’s policy towards Anglican religion are touched upon. The article is based on the materials of Russian State Historical Archive, it includes references to the essay “Anglican Episcopal Church” by S.D. Bondar, published in 1911 and articles in modern scientific and encyclopedic editions, concerned with the Protestant denominations in Russia.
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