Charitable activity of the orthodox church in Western Belarus (1921-1939)

This article discusses the philanthropic activities of the Orthodox Church in Western Belarus, when it was politically a part of the Second Polish Republic. The article focuses on the Charitable Society of the Orthodox Metropolia, which played a leading role in the resurgence and development of charitable activity in the Orthodox Church. The Church’s charitable activities were directed at alleviating the various social problems within the country and at caring for the vulnerable classes of the population. A further direction was geared towards financial support of Orthodox Churches abroad, and the Russian Orthodox Church in particular. The construction and maintenance or repair of Orthodox churches was funded by charitable giving. Furthermore, special charitable organizations - parish trusteeships - operated in various parishes.