To the Question of the Attempt to Create an Old Believer Metropolis in Moscow in 1955

Abstract

The article considers one of the important episodes of the history of Old Believers of the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy: the attempt to create in the USSR in 1955 the Moscow metropolis. The work is based on archival documents of the Council for religious affairs under the Council of Ministers, the correspondence of the Archbishop of Moscow and Metropolitan Belokrinitskiy, materials prepared for the enthronement of the Moscow Archbishop , as well as published documentary materials. The question about creation of the Moscow metropolis instead of the Archbishopric was raised by Russian old believers repeatedly from 1861. At 1948 this question was brought up to discussion by Metropolitan Tikhon Belokrinitskiy (Romania), but because of personal hostility to him by Moscow Archbishops Irinarkh and then Theophylact and their ambitions discussion and a decision had been delaying. The Soviet state tried to attract and use religious organizations during the Great Patriotic war and immediately after its end, but to 1955 the state have largely lost interest in cooperation and gradually changed its policy...