Cloisterers’ Relations with Their Relatives: The 17th – Early 18th Century (Based on Clerical Records)
| 24 October 2024
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Anniversaries
Kustova E.V., Kirov, Russian Federation
Cloisterers’ Relations with Their Relatives: The 17th – Early 18th Century (Based on Clerical Records)
Abstract
Researchers nowadays show great interest in monastic record keeping. However, study of these sources encounter two serious problems. Firstly, the researchers mostly turn to the history of major monasteries. Secondly, clerical documentation is mainly used to study economic issues. The article, based on a case-study of Vyatka and Perm region cloisterers and their relations with relatives in the 17th - first quarter of the 18th century, aims to demonstrate the informational value of record keeping documents for studying social relations and mentality of cloisterers. Difficulties in studying the issue are due to scarceness of data on the degree of kinship between the monks and rare mentioning of their secular names and patronymics in the monastery of documentation. Thus, it is not always possible to identify the kinship. Therefore, monastic documentation should be cross-referenced by other sources, such as scrivener records. The article draws on documents collections from the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (RGADA), the State Archive of the Perm Krai (GAPK) and the State Archive of the Kirov Region (GAKO). Primarily, these are monastery inventories, cloisterer census, account books, scrivener records, census books of the Vyatka and Perm provinces, supplemented by some acts materials. Despite monastic vows and canon law the monks maintained relationships with their relatives. Analysis of sources allows identify such relations. Firstly, relatives often provided assistance in ordination of monks and their burial. Secondly, there are instances of so-called "family vows" when inspired by those retired to the cloister, their relatives followed suit. These were not widespread in the Vyatka and Perm monasteries, and yet not exceptional. Under Peter I severe restrictions were introduced on relations of monks with their relatives. However, strict implementation of these restrictions did not begin until after the death of the tsar-reformer.
Keywords
Archive, source, monasticism, monasteries of the Cisurals, family relations, clerical records, pre-synodal period.
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About the authors
Kustova Elena Vitalevna, Ph.D. in History, associate professor, doctoral candidate at the Vyatka State Humanitarian University, Kirov, Russian Federation, 8-961-565-75-49, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it