The Travels of the Renovationist Metropolitan Alexander Vvedensky in the Soviet Union: Establishing Personal Contacts and Propaganda Activities

Abstract

This article attempts to trace the travel routes of Alexander Ivanovich Vvedensky across the Soviet Union — starting in 1924, for four years this Renovationist hierarch made considerable efforts to increase the influence of the schism. The main reason for these events was the rapid decline in public interest in the breakaway pro-government hierarchy of the Renovationists due to the release of Patriarch Tikhon from prison and the establishment of church-state relations at the level of the Moscow Patriarchate. While the state authorities continued to indulge the schism for some time, hoping to weaken both religious groups at once, the masses for the most part immediately recognized the insincerity and spiritual emptiness of the Renovationists. Visiting many cities on his travels, «Metropolitan» Alexander conducted services, gave sermons and lectures, participated in debates, trying in every way to emphasize the weakness of the Russian Orthodox Church and to present his own ideology favorably. At the same time, despite the talent of the orator, the analysis of numerous speeches and debates shows that, in addition to loud words and pretentious turns of phrase, replete with the names of scientists unknown to most of his contemporaries, there was very little spiritual content and active striving for churchliness. Having traced the main directions of A. I. Vvedensky's travels, one can say with confidence that his tours did not have a significant impact on the general situation of the Renovationists — where their societies were strong (primarily in the South of the country), there was no significant development, and in other regions, circumstances sometimes developed in such a way that both the supporters of Patriarch Tikhon and the secular authorities defeated the preaching of the «Metropolitan-evangelist».