Administrative and territorial reform of Russia’s southern dioceses during the Civil war

• Main Authors: Yulia Biryukova, Nikita Kiyashko
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: St. Tikhon's Orthodox University 2018-12-01
• Series: Vestnik Pravoslavnogo Svâto-Tihonovskogo Gumanitarnogo Universiteta: Seriâ II. Istoriâ, Istoriâ Russkoj Pravoslavnoj Cerkvi
• Subjects: Русская Православная Церковь; Гражданская война; Временное высшее церковное управление; Юго-Восточный Русский Церковный собор 1919 г.; епархии Юга России; реформа синодальной системы; административно-территориальная реформа; епархиальное управление; приходская реформа; съезды духовенства и мирян; Всероссийский Поместный Собор 1917–1918 гг.; епископ Иоанн (Левицкий); архиепископ Агафодор (Преображенский)
• Online Access: http://periodical.pstgu.ru/ru/pdf/article/6724

This article analyses the reasons for administrative and territorial changes in dioceses of South Russia during the Civil War. It demonstrates that they continued processes of reforms, which took place rather languidly prior to the revolution, as well as the policy of the All-Russian Local Council. They progressed in two directions, i.e. decentralisation and downsizing. In South Russia during the Civil War, there took place a massive formation of independent diocesan units. They consolidated under the single church administration of the Provisional Higher Church Administration of South Russia, which can be regarded similar to metropolitan authority. Decisions as to issues in church life were associated by the churchgoers and bishops with the administrative and territorial reforms, as well as with the acquisition of independence of vicariates that had been outlined before the revolution. Congresses of the clergy and laymen played a prominent role in the administrative-territorial reform of South Russian dioceses, particularly those that took place after the February revolution. They accelerated church reforms and ruined previous foundations of the Russian Orthodox Church as part of the state. The reform of the synodal system, including church administration, was associated by the clergy and churchgoers primarily with the council spirit and elections on all levels. All organs in church administration were supposed to be collegial and consist of representatives of the clergy and laymen elected on common grounds in the same proportions. Both church and secular authorities were interested in implementing administrative and territorial reforms. Thus, Kuban’ regional cossack government strived after the relative independence of the region and maintainance of the balance of power with A. I. Denikin, Chief Commander of armed forces in South Russia. The course of these reforms was painful, mostly due to the necessity of changes in church economy.