RESTORATION AND NORMALIZATION OF THE ACTIVITY OF THE ORTHODOX BROTHERHOODS OF RIGHT-BANK UKRAINE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH – THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURIES

Abstract

The purpose of the scientific article is to reveal the process of restoration and normalization of the activities of orthodox fraternities on the territory of the Right-Bank of Ukraine in the second half of the XIX – early XX ­centuries. Scientific novelty – for the first time the article analyzes the process of restoration and regulation of the orthodox fraternities on the basis of little-known archival documents, published materials and periodicals. It was found that the Russian government, in the legislative document «Basic rules for the establishment of orthodox church fraternities», defined the principles of establishment, functioning and all further activities of orthodox fraternities in the controlled territories. The difficult financial situation affected the church fraternity, due to lack of funds, were not able to fully implement the planned tasks. This led to the fact that in the late nineteenth century some fraternities ceased their activities. It is established that in connection with such circumstances, the church authorities made significant efforts to intensify and restore the activities of these organizations in the early XX century. The church leadership developed new models of statutes governing the activities of church fraternities. As a result, a number of decisions were made to intensify the multi-vector activities, to promote the establishment of new fraternities. The issues of the activity of the fraternities were repeatedly discussed at the congresses of the clergy of the western provinces of the Russian Empire, at which the priority directions of educational work were proposed.