Marta Sergeevna Markova,
postgraduate student, Institute of History of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Review of Publications of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate on the History of the Renovationist and Lubensky Schisms in the Russian Orthodox Church (1943−1946)
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2025-3-11
The Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, the official printed organ of the Church, serves as a crucial primary source for studying the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 20th century. The renewal of the Journal in September 1943 was a direct consequence of the “New Deal” policy aimed at restoring the relationship between the state and the patriarchal Church and eliminating the Renovationist Church. A thorough examination of the publications concerning church schisms reveals considerable degree of diversity and extensive thematic scope. The Journal featured printed official records from the Russian Orthodox Church that detailed its procedures for interacting with Renovationist and Lubensky schismatics. Eyewitness testimonies published in the Journal corroborate the decline of Renovationism. Furthermore, the provision of informative notes and analytical articles facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the religious policies of this era. The regular publications of the acts of reunion of the Renovationists with the Russian Orthodox Church make it possible to trace the dynamics of the liquidation of the schism and the toughening of the position of the Moscow Patriarchate on membership. In contrast, several publications depict the structured transition from schism to the Church. A correlation between these materials and other historical data reveals the active participation of state authorities in clerical appointments and transfers. Renovationism is found to be a more prevalent topic in the Journal than the issues surrounding the Lubensky schism. However, the position of the Moscow Patriarchate on this issue was clearly formulated and characterized by an uncompromising attitude. The materials under study provide valuable information about church life and state-church relations in the period from 1943 to 1946, which makes them an important resource for studying the elimination of the Renovationist and Lubensky schisms. A comparative analysis of the present source with other historical sources corroborates the reliability of these materials. The findings substantiate the significance of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate as a historical source for studying the Russian Orthodox Church during the war and post-war periods.
Publishing: 28/06/2025
The article has been received by the editor on 15/03/2025
How to cite: Markova M.S. Review of Publications of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate on the History of the Renovationist and Lubensky Schisms in the Russian Orthodox Church (1943−1946) // Historical Courier, 2025, No. 3 (41), pp. 171−182. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2025/ISTKURIER-2025-3-11.pdf]
The article was made on the topic of the state assignment “The Past in the Manuscript Sources of the 16th−20th Centuries: Preservation and Development of Traditions” (FWZM-2024-0006).
Links: Issue 3 2025
Keywords: the Russian Orthodox Church; Renovationism; the Lubensky schism; Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate; historical source