Archbishop Tikhon (Nikanorov) in the Revolutionary years: ministry and circumstances of death

Abstract

This article investigates the ministry and circumstances of the death of Archbishop Tikhon (Nikanorov) of Voronezh during the revolutionary events of 1917–1920. The primary aim of the study is to reconstruct his activities in the Voronezh diocese and to conduct a critical analysis of the conflicting historiographical versions concerning his demise. The research methodology is based on a comparative historical analysis of a wide range of sources (including periodicals and documents from the period) and existing scholarly literature, while also taking into account the historical context of the persecution of the Church. The study finds that, despite the extremely challenging conditions, Archbishop Tikhon pursued an active and constructive church policy aimed at preserving diocesan unity. The most significant result is the conclusion that the version of his violent martyrdom in December 1919 is highly probable, as it is supported by a body of testimonies from contemporaries and by the critique of the alternative version of natural death, which is shown to have been shaped by the ideological constraints of the Soviet era. The significance of the research lies in clarifying key circumstances in the biography of one of the New Martyrs of Russia and in demonstrating the necessity of a critical approach to sources on 20th-century Church history.