“TEACHER BY VOCATION”: ARCHIMANDRITE SOPHONY (SOKOLSKY), SUBSEQUENTLY THE FIRST ARCHBISHOP OF TURKESTAN: HIS RECTORSHIP OF THE KAMIANETS-P ODOLSK, YAROSLAVL, TVER, AND MOGILEV THEOLOGICAL SEMINARIES (1839–1847)

Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan Alexander (Mogilev)

Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan, mitropolia-s

Email: mitropolia-science@internet.ru

Issue: № 1 (33), 2026

Pages: 87

Annotation

This article offers an analytical examination of the administrative and teaching activity of Archimandrite Sophony (Sokolsky), who would later become the first Archbishop of Turkestan, during his period of service as rector of four theological seminaries — Kamianets-P odolsk, Yaroslavl, Tver, and Mogilev — between 1839 and 1847. The study identifies his contribution to the institutional development of theological seminaries situated in the western borderlands of the Russian Empire and analyses the distinctive characteristics of his interaction, as rector, with diocesan bishops.

Keywords

Sophony (Sokolsky); rectorship; theological education; Kamianets-P odolsk Theological Seminary; Yaroslavl Theological Seminary; Tver Theological Seminary; Mogilev Theological Seminary

For citation

Alexander (Mogilev), Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan. “Teacher by vocation”: Archimandrite Sophony (Sokolsky), Subsequently the First Archbishop of Turkestan: His Rectorship of the Kamianets-P odolsk, Yaroslavl, Tver, and Mogilev Theological Seminaries (1839–1847) // Ipatievsky vestnik. 2026. № . 1. Р. 87–103 (In Russian). https://doi.org/ 10.24412/2309–5164–2026–1–87–103