The Church Reform of Peter 1 - the assertion of absolutism

In the affirmation of absolutism, an important role was played by the church reform of Peter 1. The position of the Russian Orthodox Church in the second half of the 17th century was quite strong. At that time, she was able to maintain administrative, judicial and financial autonomy in relation to the tsarist government. The policy pursued by the last patriarchs of the church was aimed at strengthening these positions. It's about Joachim and Adrian.

The Church Reform of Peter 1: briefly about the main

From this reform maximally squeezed funds for the conduct of state programs of various types. During the reign of Peter, first of all, funds were needed for the construction of the fleet (the so-called "kumpanstvo"). After the Russian Tsar travels with the Grand Embassy, his new problem is the complete subordination of the Russian Church to the tsarist power.

Peter's church reform started after Adrian's death. Then the king issued a decree on carrying out an audit in the Patriarch's House, where it was necessary to rewrite all the property. According to the results of the audit, the tsar cancels the holding of the next election of the patriarch. On the post of "locum tenens of the patriarchal throne", the Russian tsar is appointed Metropolitan of Ryazan Stefan Yavorsky. In 1701, the Monastic Order was formed, under which the church affairs were administered during this period. Thus, the church loses its independence from the royal power, as well as the right to dispose of church property.

The enlightening idea of the welfare of society, which requires the productive work of the whole society as a whole, unfolds an offensive against monasteries and monks. The church reform of Peter 1 is, among other things, a restriction on the number of monks, as noted in the royal decree issued in 1701. In order to obtain permission for tonsure, it was necessary to apply to the Monastic Order. Over time, Peter has an idea in the monastery to create shelters for beggars and retired soldiers. Peter the Great in 1724 issued a decree according to which, in a monastery, the number of monks directly depends on the number of people they need to look after.

Those relations that developed between the church and the tsarist power, the result of which was the Church reform of Peter 1, required a new design from a legal point of view. Prominent figure of Peter the Great Feofan Prokopovich composed in 1721 the Spiritual Regulations, which provided for the destruction of the patriarchal institution and the creation of a new body called the Spiritual Collegium. After some time, the official administration of rights by the Senate changed the name to "The Holy Governmental Synod." It was the creation of the Synod that became the start of the absolutist period in the history of Russia. In this period, all power, including the church, was in the hands of the sovereign - Peter the Great.

Church reform of Peter 1 clergymen turned into government officials. After all, during this period, even behind the Synod, a secular person, the so-called Chief Procurator, supervised.