METROPOLITAN PETER (KHOLMOGORTSEV) AND HIS INVESTIGATIVE CASE OF 1937

Abstract

The era of persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church in the twentieth century included several waves of repression against the clergy and active laity, followed one after another. The most large-scale and fierce became the one that was triggered by the Great Terror of 1937–1938, which began after the issuance of the Order of the People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs of the USSR N. I. Ezhov No. 00447 of July 30, 1937. According to this docu¬ment, “the most active anti-Soviet elements,” including “church members,” were subject to repression. The order contained plans on the number of those subject to repression for each region. “Anti-Soviet elements” were divided into two categories. The first one included “all the most hostile” who were “to be shot upon consideration of their cases by troika”. The second category implied “less active, but still hostile elements”; they faced imprisonment in camps for a period of 10 years. It should be noted that the figures initially indicated in the order were eventually exceeded several times. This article presents documents (interrogation protocols, indictment, sentence and act of exe¬cution) from the investigative case of 1937, the main accused in which was Metropolitan of Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk Peter (Kholmogortsev), one of the leaders of the Supreme Church Council. The materials of the case are of considerable interest to researchers of the history of the Church in the Urals, although its indictment part was almost completely fabricated by the investigation. This is one of the few sources that describes the state of religious life in the Urals in the mid-1930s. The interrogation protocols list many representatives of the clergy of various orientations who served in parishes in 1936–1937. The names of the clergy are documented here, and the churches in which they served are also mentioned. This information undoubtedly requires deep critical analysis and correlation with other sources. The interlinear passages contain information about the subsequent fate of the persons mentioned, and provide some additions and clarifications. The introductory article sets out bio¬graphical information concerning the interrogated Bishop himself and a description of the archival investigative file.

Keywords

• metropolitan peter (kholmogortsev)
• archbishop peter (savelyev)
• investigation
• repressions of 1937–1938
• nkvd
• sverdlovsk region
• clergy