Social, cultural and educational monastery activities of the Tambov Eparchy in the second half of 18th – 19th century

The relevance of this study is due to the increased interest in the problems of the cultural and material heritage of the monasteries in Russia. At the moment, when there are numerous discussions about the fate of the monastic shrines between the state and the Russian Orthodox Church, an appeal to the history of this issue is very important. Monasteries in various regions were a peculiar center of spiritual and material culture, around which various sections of the population united and formed a single historical understanding of the past, present and future of their region. Over the centuries, in the minds of each person the feeling of tremulous and sacred attitude to the history of their ancestors has developed, which made it possible to realize the significance of each local holy place for the entire Russian people as a whole. The main sacred and valuable relics in the Russian Orthodox monasteries, of course, were: the relics of saints, icons (many of which were considered miraculous), collections of books. As a result, whole system of cultural, educational and social activities was gradually built around the monasteries. It was implemented in various directions. In the monasteries of the Tambov Eparchy there are several main directions: public education, charity, social guardianship in various fields, education. The main objective of this study is the most detailed disclosure of these aspects of monastic activity on the territory of the Tambov Region, as well as identifying the main patterns and development trends of the designated areas in their interdependence.

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