FROM THE HISTORY OF THE SPAS TRANSFIGURATION CHURCH IN THE FIRST THIRD OF THE 19TH CENTURY: REPORT OF ARCHIMANDRITE OF THE EPIPHANY MONASTERY MAKARIUS TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF MOGILEV AND VITEBSK DANIIL (NATTOCK-MIKHAILOVSKII)

Abstract

A little-known document from the collection of bishop Pavel (Dobrokhotov), kept in the Scientific Historical Archives of St Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, is announced for publication: it is the report by Makarii, who was an archimandrite of Polotsk Epiphany monastery, sent to the archbishop of Mogilev and Vitebsk Daniil (Nattock-Mikhaylovskii) 23rd of August 1817. The creator of the report with reference to the opinion of the Orthodox Polotsk citizens, raised the issue of the transfer of the Spas Transfiguration, that time controlled by the Jesuits, to the Orthodox. The publication is followed by the commentary: the arguments of the report’s composer is analyzed, the influence of the intention of 1817 on the later history of the church and its perception by the Belarusian Orthodox writers of the 19th century is examined, the value of the document as a source on the history of the church and the Polotsk citizens’ historical views in the 1st third of the 19th century is reasoned.