Socio-Economic and Religious Issues in the Appeals of Russian Emigrants to the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in the 1930s (Based on the Materials of the State Archive of the Russian Federation)

This article examines the correspondence of representatives of the Russian Orthodox emigration with the Synod of Bishops and personally with Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) during the 1930s, preserved in the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF). The range of issues reflected in the materials is quite diverse. Primarily, this includes a complex of socio-economic difficulties related to obtaining refugee status or new citizenship, employment, and social assistance. The second most important topic of appeals concerns family issues, particularly the high incidence of divorces, new marriages, and cohabitation deemed unacceptable from a Christian point of view. The actual religious issues are represented by questions about the calendar reform, which gave rise to difficulties in synchronizing the secular and ecclesiastical rhythm of life. In this situation, the Russian Church Abroad represented a unifying center in the lives of emigrants, helping to maintain ties with the motherland, striving to ensure ideological stability, maintaining cultural traditions, giving hope for the future, as well as providing all possible financial assistance.