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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 236 (2016) 338 – 342

International Conference on Communication in Multicultural Society, CMSC 2015, 6-8 December
2015, Moscow, Russian Federation

Patronage in the system of church-school education as a form of
communication in educational space of Russia in the late 19th-early
20th century
Tatiana Krasnitskajaa,b,*
b

a
Shuya branch of Ivanovo State University, Kooperativnaya Street 24, Shuya 155900, Russian Federation
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Kashirskoe shosse 31, Moscow 115409, Russian
Federation

Abstract
The paper discusses the issue of patronage as a form of communication, both religious and secular elements at the micro level
within the system of church school education in Russia in the late XIX-early XX century. The author reveals the reasons of
occurrence of patronage and analyzes the conditions for establishing linkages with church-school system, forms of support
organization of elementary Orthodox and teacher training institutions and their contribution to schooling at both country and
separate regions. The conclusion about specifics of patronage as a form of communication in the educational sphere in the prerevolutionary period is made.
© 2016
2016Published
The Authors.
Published
Elsevier
Ltd.access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license

©
by Elsevier
Ltd. by
This
is an open
Peer-review under responsibility of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute).
( />Peer-review under responsibility of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute).
Keywords: Trustee; church school; church patronage authorities; church councils; school boards

1. Introduction
The Russian Orthodox Church in the late XIX-early XX century, actively participating in the field of public
education, has created a multi-step system of church school education, which offered the opportunity to receive
elementary education and pedagogical education for the members of different social classes, especially the lower

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +7-905-109-8722.
E-mail address:

1877-0428 © 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
( />Peer-review under responsibility of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute).
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.12.042


Tatiana Krasnitskaja / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 236 (2016) 338 – 342

ones, of different national origin and religion. This phenomenon allows speaking about intercultural communication
in educational space of the country in the pre-revolutionary period. Different composition of primary and teachers
church schools as a specific factor, along with other aspects of their functioning has been the subject of research in
works of scientists (Kwon, 2000; Vvedensky, 2004; Zhitenev, 2004; Krasnitskaja and Bauer, 2012; Krutitskaja,
2004; Petrenko, 2008). Along with this, a scientific interest has the question of communication within a single
system at the micro level, in particular the patronage as a form of interaction and communication of spiritual and

secular element in education.
2. Data and methods
The basis of the source base of the study of this question was a set of documents in the Central and local archives
and libraries of the country. First of all legislative and normative-legal acts in the field of Russian Church-school
education of the late XIX-early XX century ("Regulations about parochial schools" 1884, "Regulations about
schools of grammar" 1891, "Regulations on the management of parochial and grammar office of the Orthodox
Confession" 1896, " Regulations for Trustees of church schools" 1898, "The Regulation of church schools of
Department of Orthodox confession" 1902, "The Regulations of parochial patronage in the parochial schools," 1914,
the Definition of Holy Synod the establishment of relations of parochial councils, parochial sponsors, brotherhood
and similar existing and operating institutions to church schools, 1906). The analysis of these documents allowed
tracing the organization and changes in the system of church-school patronage, as well as conditions of
communication with the church and schooling management. However, they only specify general situation, not
showing real practical experience in this matter.
Secretarial documentation (records of the chief procurators of the Holy Synod of the unpublished records of the
diocesan school councils and their county offices, reports on the activities of the parish wards, of the church schools
of different regions of the country in the late XIX-early XX century), which allowed to identify, compare and
summarize daily activities of the patronage, forms of their work, mechanisms to address pressing problems and the
specificity of the interaction of spiritual and secular elements. Unpublished sources deserve special attention,
because they contain not only positive but also negative sides of the problem, allowing the researcher to give an
objective assessment of events.
Quite informative was the analysis of the materials of periodicals (magazines "Church news", local diocesan
newspaper, the messengers of the country council), and historical sketches of the development of church schools,
containing explanations of official authorities on the subject and information on the activities of the wards. The
latter, created to show the successful development of church-school education, though fully presented information,
needed to be taken critically.
To determine the general position of affairs in the sphere of patronage in quantitative way, church school
management reference materials (collections of statistical information) were involved, details of which were
correlated with other (archival) sources.
In general, groups of sources, complementing each other, created a representative basis of the study.
To study the specificity of patronage as a form of communication in the Russian educational space, the author

used general scientific (analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization) and specific (historical-comparative,
historical-systemic, historical-genetic, historical-statistical) research methods. The second group of methods allowed
tracing the evolution of patronage in case of the context of interaction of religious and secular elements, to
determine the conditions of their interaction, forms of communication both throughout the country and individual
regions.
3. Results
One of the reasons for the emergence of trusteeship in church schools of different types and consequently the
involvement of the secular element was the lack of financial resources in Russian Orthodox Church and in the state
for the maintenance of educational institutions. Due to the widespread distribution of the first Orthodox schools
since the mid 80-ies of the XIX century the church school management relied on local sources (grants from the

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societies, parish wards and congregations, district councils and other public institutions), including private
philanthropists.
A necessary condition for the establishment of the interaction of church and school organizations and Trustees
were regulatory framework, which defined the composition and functions of the latter. Fundamental legislative
document "Regulations about parochial schools" 1884. At national level the position was assigned, according to
which a person established a school at his own expense, could be approved by the diocesan Bishop to the rank of
Trustee of this school. Those who had "a special will in the spread of education in the spirit of the Orthodox
Church” were approved by the Holy Synod to the honorary Trustees of the Church schools of one or more deaneries
[L, p. 386-387]. Further, concerning those who could claim that title, clarifications were made. In "Regulations for
Trustees of church schools"1898, which was used as the main piece of legislation until 1917, the Trustees could
only be persons of Orthodox confession. In special cases, diocesan bishops were permitted to set those who
belonged to non-Orthodox Christians [I]. Such deviation from the rules was due to the fact, that not all church

schools had Trustees.
The right to elect the Trustee of the elementary church schools had the head of the educational institution, society
or institution that provided funds for its maintenance. In teaching schools, such person was appointed by the school
Council and confirmed by the diocesan Bishop. The Church and school management set a moral compass in the
selection of secular element to support their schools. The owners and employees of drinking establishments were not
allowed to be trustees. In some cases, the Trustees had a uniform [K].
Among the Trustees were the representatives of all classes. To certain categories of secular persons, the
patronage gave certain privileges. Peasants were freed from corporal punishment, and natural duties.
The Trustees had the right to receive awards for special material and moral assistance to schools. The most
common according to archival materials was a medal. In 1898, in the Vladimir diocese hereditary honorary citizen
K. A. Zubova, who had donated more than 5 000 roubles for church school was awarded silver medal at Stanislav
ribbon, the merchant's son S. A. Ganshin was awarded a Silver medal at Anninsky ribbon, whose donation was 1575
RUR [F]. Trustee of Iljinskoj school in Kuban, manufacturer Kormilitsyn was awarded in 1915 the Golden neck
medal at the Anninsky ribbon for a donation for the school building [G]. Among other awards were the blessing of
the Holy Synod, Archbishop, Metropolitan, receiving the Bible.
A kind of posthumous reward was permission from the Holy Synod to place the portraits of the Trustees in
church schools [F]. However, there was a rule deprivation of the title of the Trustee for failure to perform their
duties for three years [I]. Some individuals for various reasons (for health reasons) removed from themselves their
powers of Trustees [E].
A number of normative documents of the late XIX-early XX century determined the functions of the Trustees,
and therefore a valid possible line of communication in the sphere of church school education. First, honorary
Trustees decided household problems (arrangement of school building, "bringing classroom supplies", open
accommodation shelters for children living far from school, the establishment of "craft, handicraft and agricultural
practice" [I, p. 66], financial (the timely pay-out of salaries to teachers) and inspection ( student attendance of
school and church) [M]. However, they performed their duties together with the parish priest. Thus, the Trustees did
not have full freedom in making decisions, and were forced to be guided by considerations of lower echelon in the
system of church school governance. Thus, it can be argued that the process of interaction of two elements was not
equal.
Church school management limited communication with the Trustees on academic issues. In accordance with the
"Regulations for the Trustees of church schools," the Trustees were able to attend school and to attend exams.

However, in the first case, they could not do comments, in the second if they had education they have the right to
vote in the assessment of students ' knowledge (except God's Law) [M]. Exclusive rights in this respect had the
Trustee of St. Vladimir's church school for teachers in St. Petersburg E.A. Pobedonostseva. She was exercising
"direct supervision in teaching and education", elected and dismissed "all officials in the school", had the financial
means [M, p. 67]. Such privileges were given not by accident, but because E.A. Pobedonostseva was a wife of the
Procurator of the Holy Synod.
Participants carried out patronage activities in different forms: personal and organizational. The first was
reflected in the fact that one person supported the church school. Assistance could be financial (capital, the interest


Tatiana Krasnitskaja / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 236 (2016) 338 – 342

from which went to school or annual allowance) and in natural form (donation of land, construction material, giving
building for school, school construction, provision of heating, workers, classroom furniture, educational books and
supplies). Financial allocations at the regional level had two directions: diocesan (funds are allocated to all
educational institutions) and targeted (to a specific school). In practice, the most common was help to a specific
school. The Trustees of church schools at their own expense founded a special society for students’ support. In
1908, a Trustee of Khrenovsky church school for teachers in Kostroma diocese I.A. Kokorev organized a "Society
of welfare to students in need of Khrenovsky church school for teachers" [D]. The process of interaction with the
Trustees were organized by incorporating them as honorary members in the management structure of school system.
This allowed them to give petitions to higher authorities about the necessary assistance to schools. The contribution
of Trustees in case of church schools was small. In the country scale it was in 1890-91 [G]. 13 % of the total amount
of local funds [B], and in 1896-97, to 13.7% [C]. Nationwide statistics can be proved with regional indicators. In
Kazan diocese in the XIX-early XX centuries the percentage of financial aid ranged from 4 to 18 % (Zakharyevskij,
1909, p. 62), and in Samara it was from 4.9 % to 17 % (Matyushenskij, 1901). In terms of lack of funds, they were
given an additional opportunity of more or less safe existence of educational institutions.
The second (organizational) form was submitted to the existing parish wards and boards [J], school boards. The
first acted based on the Regulations of 1864 and were designed to take care of the beautification of parish church
and of clergy in the economic relation, as well as about opening of schools, hospitals, orphanages. The parish
patronage was mainly focused on the church events, producing a small amount on educational and charitable needs

of the parish, as evidenced by the statistics. In 1888 for church schools from parish wards was spent 46000 R. (2 %
of all funds of the organization) [A], in 1913 – 242963 R. (over 4 %) [N].
Parish councils also provided minimal aid to the Church in improvement and opening of schools because of weak
distribution, as educational institutions, arranged by churches, was a parish only in name, and they taught in the
majority children not from the parishioners of this church. However, they have contributed to church school
education. For the thirty-year period of operation of church schools financial contribution of the parish patronage,
meetings and councils amounted to 18.8 % of the total amount of local funds [N].
In some areas, there were school boards (patronage) which took care about church schools. Such public
organizations acted in Irkutsk, Yenisei, Vladivostok, Kostroma dioceses. They consisted of members of local clergy,
schoolteachers, parents, churchwardens, Trustees and other persons who sympathized schools activity, under the
leadership of head of the school [H]. However, their activity was not associated with a parish wards and councils,
although local authorities wanted them to be executive organs of the latter.
Common to all forms of wards was the lack of real actuators of influence on the development of church school.
4. Conclusion
The analysis of patronage as a form of communication secular and spiritual elements in church school education
in the late XIX-early XX century in Russia allowed revealing its specific features:
- it arose from the need to attract additional financial resources for the life of teaching and primary schools in the
country;
- condition for establishing interaction and communication of church school organization and Trustees was
created, a regulatory legal framework, established a certain uniformity and order in the work of schools Trustees,
their rights and obligations;
unlike the secular system, for the Trustees (excluding church teachers’ school in St. Petersburg) was assigned
only a business function, indicating the conservative position of spiritual authority;
- in the interaction between two elements, there was no equality in the decision-making;
-patronage activities in church schools had different forms (personal and organizational).
Trustees’ activity was important for the functioning of church school education system.
References
Krasnitskaja, T. A., and Bauer, I. A. (2012). Church schools in Russia in the second half of XIX-early XX centuries. Shuya.
Krutitskaja, E. V. (2004). Parochial schools in Russia in the late XIX-early XX centuries. PhD of Arts (History) thesis research.


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Kwon, B.L. (2000). K. P. Pobedonostsev and spread of parochial schools, 1884-1904. PhD of Arts (History) thesis research. Saint Petersburg.
Matyushenskij, A. (1901). Parochial schools of Samara diocese for 50 years of their existence (1851-1901). Samara.
Vvedensky, E.S. (2004). The activities of Russian Orthodox Church in primary public education in the second half of XIX-beginning of XX
centuries (on materials of Kostroma and Yaroslavl provinces). PhD of Arts (History) thesis research. Yaroslavl.
Zakharyevskij, P. (1909). Church schools of Kazan diocese for 25 years of their existence (1884-1909). Kazan.
Zhitenev, T. E. (2004). A parochial school in Russia: 1884-1918. PhD of Arts (History) thesis research. Moscow.

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