Mutual Fire Insurance of monastic buildings in 1910-1917 (based on materials from the Vologda Province)

In the Russian Empire, mandatory fire insurance for church property was introduced in 1911, organized by the Holy Synod on the principles of reciprocity. The paper reveals the historical experience of insuring the real estate of Orthodox monasteries in the Vologda Province after the enactment of “Regulations on Mutual Fire Insurance of buildings of the Religious Department”. The organization and process of mutual insurance of monastic property were divided into 3 stages: 1904-1909 - approval of regulatory documents; 1910 – implementation of insurance assessments of buildings and approval of insurance premiums; 1911-1917 – implementation of insurance. The analysis of legislative acts and archival sources allows us to reconstruct the specifics of monastic property insurance. Using the materials from the Vologda Diocese, the valuation of monastery buildings, the amount of insurance premiums and insurance payments in case of fires were compared.