State-church relations in Russia in the middle of XVII century: from symphony to conflict

The article deals with one of the most important aspects of church-state and the middle of the XVII century - a conflict of Patriarch Nikon and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The causes of the conflict, its stages, help the Eastern patriarchs in resolving this conflict. The authors concluded that the removal of Patriarch Nikon from his position and attempts to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich maintain control of state power over spiritual power meant the end of the “symphony of powers” and the beginning of tsezarepizma.