Tver Monasteries in the New Economic Conditions (second half of the 19th – early 20th century)
Keywords:
Russian Orthodox Church, post-reform period, Tver diocese, monasteries, monastic land ownership, monastic trade, capital turnover, rent, financial situation, Russian monasticismAbstract
The article examines the sources of income and economic activities of the monasteries of the Tver Diocese from 1861 to 1904. It notes the diversity of income sources for the Tver monasteries, along with a pronounced differentiation in property between them. The article pays considerable attention to the development of monastic land ownership, including commercial agriculture and leasehold relations, trade in household and religious items, and the circulation of financial capital as ways for the Tver monasteries to adapt to the new economic realities of capitalist society. It concludes that the monasteries of the Tver Diocese during the period under study undertook significant work to adapt their monastic economies and increase profits. However, the changes in the economic system further exacerbated the unevenness in the material support of the monastic community, thereby revealing previous contradictions within the church itself.
