THE DEVELOPMENT AND ACTIVITY OF THE INSTITUTE OF RURAL DEANS IN THE YAROSLAVL DIOCESE DURING THE MINISTRY OF ARCHBISHOP JONATHAN (RUDNEV) (1877–1903)

Yaroslav Evgenievich Gorbunov

Sretensky Theological Academy, Yaroslavl Theological Seminary, Yaroslavl, Russia,

Email: yarataka@yandex.ru

ORCID: 0009-0005-7978-7030

Issue: № 2 (34), 2026

Pages: 72

Annotation

The article is devoted to the development and functioning of the institute of rural deans in the Yaroslavl Diocese during the administration of Archbishop Jonathan (Rudnev) (1877–1903). The empirical basis of the study is the reports of the archpastor to the Holy Synod contained in the Russian state historical archive. Micro-historical, historical system and historical comparative approaches are the methodological basis of the research. It is shown that the development of the institute of rural deans was nonlinear: the initial quantitative growth was replaced by the reform of 1901, which reduced the number of deanery districts and marked the transition from extensive expansion to rationalization of the diocesan structure. A qualitative transformation of the supervision system is noted — from formal control to systematic and in-depth monitoring of parish life, in which rural deans turn into active subjects of church administration. It is proved that the institute of deans occupied a central place in the practical life of the diocese, coordinating liturgical, economic, financial, anti-schismatic and educational activities and acting as a key link between the diocesan center, parishes and monasteries.

Keywords

Yaroslavl Diocese, Archbishop Jonathan (Rudnev), Institute of Rural Deans, diocesan administration, synodal period, anti-schismatic activities

For citation

Gorbunov Ya. E., priest. The development and activity of the Institute of Rural Deans in the Yaroslavl Diocese during the ministry of Archbishop Jonathan (Rudnev) (1877–1903) // Ipatievsky vestnik. 2026. № 2. Р. 72–87 (In Russian). https://doi. org/10.24412/2309–5164–2026–2–72–87