Kostroma diocese at the beginning of the First World War (based on the status report of the diocese for 1914)

The article is based on a previously unpublished source on the history of the Kostroma diocese (a report on its status for 1914, sent by the head of the diocese to the Holy Synod), the church life of the Kostroma province is described in the year of the beginning of World War I. It provides information on personnel changes in the authority of the diocese, on the work of spiritual consistory, diocesan guardianship of the poor clergy, about the activities of the monasteries, including charitable and directly related to the needs of wartime; about the churches and clergy of the diocese; about spiritual and moral condition of the population of the province, Old Believers and sectarianism. Particular attention is paid to the influence of wartime on the events of church and public life. It is recognized that prohibition of trade in alcoholic beverages made a positive impact on people’s morality. But it is stated that religious and moral level of the population in cities and industrial areas is low compared to rural residents. Provided is statistical information about church schools of the Kostroma diocese. Other sources about events in Kostroma province of the first years of war, dynamics of moods of various layers of the population allow to allocate a position of the Kostroma diocese in so difficult period, as well as to estimate, both objectivity of the Report, and a role of the diocese in life of province.