ASTRAKHAN BROTHERHOOD OF SAINTS CYRIL AND METHODIUS: TO THE HISTORY OF CREATION
Authors: Mikhailova Elizaveta M. 
Published: October 2023

This article examines the process of organizing the Cyril and Methodius society of devotees of faith, enlightenment and morality in the spirit of the Holy Orthodox Church in the Astrakhan governorate at the end of the XIX century. The border regions of the country, to which the Astrakhan governorate belonged, were distinguished by confessional heterogeneity. In the region beginning from the XVII century, a significant percentage of the population was made by Old Believers, schismatics, sectarians of various kinds appeared here. Such a state in the region persisted in the XIX century, which was overlaid by new trends in the secularization of society, the spread of atheistic ideas. The intensification of schismatic and sectarian movements in the second half of the XIX century required expanding and deepening the missionary activity on the part of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Astrakhan governorate. For this purpose, the Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius was established in the region, officially called the “Astrakhan Cyril and Methodius society of devotees of faith, enlightenment and morality in the spirit of the Holy Orthodox Church”.

The main purpose of the presented research is a retrospective and problem-chronological analysis of the main stages in the formation of the Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Astrakhan governorate at the end of the XIX century.

Materials and methods. Based on the analysis of the reports of Cyril and Methodius society of devotees of faith, enlightenment and morality in the spirit of the Holy Orthodox Church and the diocesan papers using historical-genetic, retrospective, problem-chronological methods, the main institutionalisation stages of Cyril and Methodius Society, created to help the diocese for missionary work in the region, are considered.

Study results. Based on the analysis of the source materials in the periodical press and accounting documents, the main milestones in institutionalisation of Cyril and Methodius society of devotees of faith, enlightenment and morality in the spirit of the Holy Orthodox Church at the end of the XIX century in the Astrakhan governorate are investigated. The main reasons and factors that predetermined the need to create the Orthodox Brotherhood are considered, among which the prevalence of Molokanism teachings, schismatics and various religious sects in the Astrakhan Region was predominant. The need to activate the missionary activity of the Russian Orthodox Church in the region for the Orthodox-Christian education of local residents is emphasized. The first steps in the formation of Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood are considered, starting with the opening of a Brotherhood for conducting missionary conversations with Molokans in the town of Tsarev in Astrakhan governorate, the center of concentration of Molokans. The activity of Astrakhan Holy Trinity Brotherhood at the cathedral as an intermediate link in the formation of Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood is studied. The factors of the growth of the Trinity Brotherhood into an organized structure of Cyril and Methodius society of devotees of faith, enlightenment and morality in the spirit of the Holy Orthodox Church are analyzed.

Conclusion. Having passed through several stages of its evolvement, Astrakhan Cyril and Methodius Society became an organized socio-Orthodox structure to help the diocese in missionary activities.