Bishop Innocent (Smirnov) and the Russian Bible Society: opposition or cooperation?

The article focuses on the activities of Bishop Innocent (Smirnov) of Penza and Saratov, one of the prominent figures in the religious and political life of Russia in the 1810s, within the framework of the Russian Bible Society. Despite his numerous responsibilities, Bishop Innocent regularly participated in the society’s meetings, made donations, and engaged in correspondence with provincial branches. The most significant project of the society in which he was directly involved was the stereotyped edition of the Slavic Bible. Many hierarchs and laypeople from Bishop Innocent’s circle were members and collaborators of the Bible Society. The information is based on documents from the Russian State Historical Archive, the Manuscript Department of the Russian National Library, and the State Archives of Penza and Saratov regions. The arguments prove that Bishop Innocent (Smirnov) was not an opponent of the Bible Society, as is often indicated in historiography; on the contrary, he actively collaborated with it.