The Quarterly Journal of St. Philaret’s Institute

The article deals with the issue of the service of the Orthodox clergy in the territory of the North of Russia in 1918–1920. The main focus is on the period of presence in the region of the Entente troops and the government of the Northern Region. An assessment is given of the degree of participation of the Orthodox clergy in supporting of the White movement, both on the front of the Civil war and in the sphere of ideology. It tells about the anti-church policy of the Bolsheviks, repressions and lynchings against clergy. The material defines the specifics of the activities of the Orthodox clergy in the North of Russia in comparison with other regions covered by the struggle of the Bolsheviks and their opponents. In the course of writing the article, it was established that the Diocesan Council, formed by the local bishop Pavel instead of the spiritual consistory, played a key role in the life of the Arkhangelsk diocese. During the period of anti-Bolshevik rule in the North of Russia, the Diocesan Council was an active body that successfully coped both with purely church duties and with the array of tasks that belonged to the civil authorities, such as registering marriages. Such actions were contrary to Soviet legislation. Because of this, after the restoration of Soviet power, the Diocesan Council was abolished, and its members were arrested. The article is based on the rich archival material of the Arkhangelsk region, as well as on the latest scientific literature.