Izmail Old Believer Diocese in the first post-war years (1945-1947)

Abstract

The article, based on the poorly studied documents of the Archives from the Chisinau Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Old Believers Church, analyzes the situation of the Izmail Old Believer Diocese in the first post-war years, when it passed from the subordination of the Belokrinitsa Metropolitanate to the Moscow Archdiocese. During this period, the activities of religious communities were under the watchful eye of both the Moscow Archdiocese and the Soviet government. Commissioners for religious affairs supervised and coordinated all movements of the bishop, priests, deacons, etc., gave permits for the community actions, etc.

The work highlights the issues that troubled the diocese in 1945-1947. - the position of monasteries, an increase in the spiritual and moral state of the diocese through attempts to create Church Slavonic schools, the creation of a diocesan council and the election of Kipriyan Leonov to be a deputy of bishop Arseny, material support for the bishop and newly elected secretary of the diocese I. Sychov, etc. The article presents data of the number of parishes are submitted and monasteries, their abbots, the number of parishioners, etc.

Excessive bureaucracy, exorbitant taxes, hunger, lack of money led to the illness of the Izmail Bishop Arseny (Lysov). This led to the situation there was no one to solve diocesan affairs. On April 17, 1947, the diocese was transferred to the management of the Chisinau Bishop Joseph (Morzhakov). Bishop Arseny repeatedly tried to regain control of the diocese, but st was to no avail. Since 1947, the Izmail Old Believer diocese has lost the position of a separate diocese forever.