Mutual Insurance of Church Real Estate, 1910–1917: Evidence from Kadnikov District, Vologda Diocese

This article investigates the historical practice of fire insurance for immovable property organised by the Russian Orthodox Church on principles of reciprocity during the pre-revolutionary period. This subject remains underexplored in Russian historiography and merits closer examination. Focusing on the Kadnikov district of the Vologda diocese between 1910 and 1917, the study draws on archival insurance documents and materials from the Vologda Diocesan Gazette . It considers the organisation of mutual insurance at the district level, methods for valuing church property, the calculation of insurance premiums, recorded fire incidents, and the relationship between contributions and compensation for losses. The author also analyses cases where compensatory funds were used to finance rebuilding efforts. The data enables a comparative assessment of insurance outcomes for parishes and monasteries in Kadnikov relative to other districts within the Vologda diocese and the wider Russian Empire. The study concludes that mutual insurance was less advantageous for Kadnikov’s ecclesiastical institutions, as premiums significantly exceeded fire damage compensations during the period under review.