Bishop Alexander (Tolstopyatov) and his struggle against “vlasovshchina”. Attempts to liquidate the renovationist schism in the Molotov diocese in 1943-1945

This article describes the overcome of renovationist schism in the Ural during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The authors studied Bishop of Molotov and Solikamsk Alexander (Tolstopyatov)’s activity in closing the remaining Renovationist parishes in the Kama region. The work focuses on renovationists’ resistance features as ability to use legislation, favor of the local civil authorities and indifferentism of the believers who did not fully understand the difference between the “renovationists» and the «patriarchists”. The article shows the religious and moral aspect of archpriest Ioann Vlasov - one of the last Ural “renovationist”, who rudely violated the Orthodox Church canons and repeatedly changed his church jurisdiction. The authors concluded that Bishop Alexander`s actions against the parishes persisted in renovationism were hasty and careless. As a result of such “drastic measures”, like interdict in Dobryanka village of the Molotov region, the liquidation of the renovationist schism in the Kama region during the Great Patriotic War was not successful.