Keeping the faith Russian orthodox monasticism in the Soviet Union, 1917 1939

254 Pages·2004·8.979 MB·English

by  Wynot, Jennifer Jean

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eeping the aith
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Hugh M. and Eugenia Stewart Series on Eastern Europe
Stjepan Mesˇtrovic´, General Editor
Series Editorial Board
Norman Cigar
Bronislaw Misztal
Sabrina P. Ramet
Vladimir Shlapentokh
Keith Tester
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eeping the aith
  
   , ‒
Jennifer Jean Wynot
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   
 
©    
Manufactured in the United States of America
All rights reserved
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All photographs by Jennifer J. Wynot
The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements
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Binding materials have been chosen for durability.
o
   -- 
Wynot, Jennifer Jean, –
Keeping the faith : Russian orthodox monasticism in the Soviet Union,
‒/ Jennifer Jean Wynot.—st ed.
p. cm.—(Hugh M. and Eugenia Stewart Series on Eastern Europe)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
 --- (cloth : alk. paper)
.Monasticism and religious orders, Orthodox Eastern—Soviet
Union—History. . Soviet Union—Church history. I. Title. II. Hugh M. and
Eugenia Stewart Series on Eastern Europe (College Station, Tex.).
BX.W 
(cid:1).(cid:1)—dc

Contents
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 
vii

ix

xvii
. The Church on the Eve of the Revolution 
. Revolution, Civil War, and Famine, ‒ 
. The New Economic Policy Years, ‒ 
. The Good Friday of Russian Monasticism,‒ 
. The Descent into Hell,‒ 
 
 . Decree on Land Nationalization, November ,  
 . Decree of the Soviet Commissars Concerning the Separation of Church
and State and of Schools and Church, January ,  
 . Sample of Agreement between Believers and Soviet of Workmen-Peasant
Deputies 
 
 
 
 

Illustrations
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Mother Nektaria, Optina Pustyn Monastery 
Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, Sergeev Posad 
Making candles at Optina Pustyn Monastery 
Relics of Elder Ambrose, Optina Pustyn Monastery 
Library of St. John’s skete, Optina Pustyn Monastery 
St. John’s skete entrance, Optina Pustyn Monastery 
Bells, Optina Pustyn Monastery 
Danilov Monastery, Moscow 
Don Monastery, Moscow 
Novodevichy Monastery, Moscow 
All Saints Church and Monastery, Moscow 
Placing cross on restored church, Optina Pustyn 
Grave of Elder Makarii, Optina Pustyn 
Patriarch Alexei II at canonization of Optina Elders 
Procession at canonization of Optina Elders 
Author with three Russian nuns 
Tables
. Number of Functioning Prayer Buildings, 
. Religious Believers according to the Census 
. Monasteries of the Orthodox Church Abroad before World War II 
. Monasteries in the Soviet Union by Republic as of  

Preface
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,
monasteries and convents have had im-
portant functions in Russian culture, in both the spiritual and the politi-
cal realm. As centers of spiritual wisdom, they attracted pilgrims from all
walks of life. One of the most famous monasteries in Central Russia,
Optina Pustyn, became the site of a religious revival in the nineteenth cen-
tury. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, among them the famous writ-
ers Nikolai Gogol and Fyodor Dostoevsky, journeyed to this monastery
to receive advice from the elders. Politically, the monasteries played a vi-
tal role in the church hierarchy. Two types of priests serve in the Ortho-
dox Church, the “white” clergy and the “black” clergy. The former were
married priests who served a parish. The latter were monks. According to
Orthodox canon law, bishops, archbishops, metropolitans, and patriarchs
cannot marry. Therefore, all of the church hierarchy necessarily came
from the monasteries. This fact combined with the conservative charac-
ter of monasticism made the monasteries potential political rivals in the
minds of the Bolsheviks. Additionally, most monasteries owned land and
employed peasants. As part of the Bolsheviks’ promise to give land to the
peasants, they necessarily targeted monasteries.1
ff
For women, monasticism o ered one of the few opportunities to hold
prominent positions in society. Although female monasteries have usually
been portrayed as places of exile for former wives of the nobility, women
of all classes were drawn to monasticism. Although women could not be
ordained as priests, as nuns they could assist in some of the sacraments
such as communion. The abbess of a women’s monastery also occupied a
prominent position in the community. Many laypeople sought out nuns
and eldresses for advice and spiritual guidance.
Orthodox monasteries continued to provide spiritual strength