Documents of monasteries of the Kyiv Metropolis synodal period in Ukrainian archives

Abstract

The investigation of this topic is relevant as the documents of the monasteries of the Kyiv Metropolis Synodal period contain important evidence of religious life, social customs, and economic relations in the historical context of Ukraine, which allows for a better understanding of the dynamics of the development of church institutions and their influence on society. The purpose of the study was to analyse the documentary base of the monasteries of the Kyiv Metropolis Synodal period in Ukrainian archives, its scope, and main content. The methodological basis of the research was the principles of logic and objectivity, as well as methods of classification, generalisation, structural and functional analysis, statistical and historical-comparative methods. The archival funds of Ukraine were examined for the presence of documents from the monasteries of the Kyiv Metropolis Synodal period. It was established that the documents of the monasteries of the Kyiv Metropolis during the Synod period constitute an important archival fund in Ukraine, containing valuable information about the activities of church institutions, as well as about the economic, social, cultural, and political aspects of that time. The main places of their preservation were identified – in the Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Kyiv, the State Archives of Cherkasy Region, and the Manuscript Institute of the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine. It was determined that the peculiarity of monastery funds should be considered in accordance with the peculiarities of the existence of the monasteries themselves within the Kyiv Metropolis, which is due to the heterogeneity of the historical process of the formation of monasteries, as a result of which two groups can be distinguished within the metropolis – Kyivan and southern groups. The available archival collections were analysed, and it was found that the largest complex of archival documents that has survived belongs to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra; at the same time, it was noted that archival documents in Ukrainian institutions are unevenly distributed. The practical value of the work lies in the possibility of further in-depth study of issues related to the study of archival funds of Ukraine, as well as in improving their organisation