The Place and Role of the Cathedral in the Socio-cultural life of the Provincial town of the late XIX – early XX centuries (on the example of Yeniseisk)

Abstract

In the article on the basis of archival and published sources on a concrete example of the society of the city of Yeniseisk at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. The place and role of local cathedrals are examined, the cathedral aspect of Orthodoxy is analyzed. The authors come to the following conclusions on the example of the local society of Yeniseisk. Yeniseysk, being on the frontier, played a significant role in the imperial strategy of the state. For its implementation, and also as an independent value, the cathedral aspect of Orthodoxy was important, when churches, which were built on the initiative of the population, were the focus of the spiritual and social life of the city. Through the "deceased family" the parishioners communicated with the local community, received hope for help and protection from God. In the daily religious activities of believers and clergy, cultural samples and moral values were preserved. The cathedrals retained their status as the center of the socio-cultural life of Yeniseisk and its environs and in the secularization period. However, the secular component of the activities of the clergy is increasing, and there are beginnings in the field of education and social work.