Integration of the Pochaiv Lavra into the Structure of the Russian Orthodox Church between 1830s and 1860s

A series of imperial decrees during the 1820s contributed to the spread of the autocratic and synodal system of government, and the installation of control over the Greek Uniate Church institutions in the territories of Right Bank Ukraine.1 The Greek Uniate Church was moved in “standby mode” for favorable conditions for the government to rapidly localize its activities. The accusation of the Basilian monks in support of the November Uprising of 1830-1831 in Poland contributed to the liquidation of this order and most of their monasteries. The transfer of the Pochaiv Lavra to the ownership of the Orthodox clergy in 1831 was a milestone in the liquidation of the Greek Uniate Church and the establishment of the Orthodox mono-confessional of a Russian standard. Based on archival documents, the political motivation of the emperor’s decree to confiscate the Pochaiv Lavra with all its property and capital from the Basilians was confirmed. The transfer to the category of monasteries of the First class and the granting of the status of a Lavra indicated its special role in the western region of the Russian Empire. To ensure the viability of the Lavra as an Orthodox religious center, the orders of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church outlined the following key tasks: the introduction of continuous worship, strengthening the personnel of the monastery, the delimitation of spiritual responsibilities, and clarifying the affiliation of the printing house. However, maintaining the rhythm of liturgical, financial, and economic activities installed by the Basilians proved to be a difficult task, the solution of which required ten years of hard work. To carry out rapid changes in the monastery, the emperor and senior government officials as well as government agencies at the local level made certain decisions, which required the coordination of actions of all parties to the process