The crisis of traditional religiosity in Russia in 1917 (based on published archival documents, periodicals, and diaries)

The article analyzes the processes of the crisis of religiosity and traditional monarchical consciousness in Russia after the abdication of Nicholas II as a result of the February Revolution of 1917. The reaction of clergy and laity to the abdication of the tsar, judgments regarding the allegiance to the oath given to the emperor, and the whole process of desacralization of the tsar are examined. The opinions of officials concerning events that occurred in various dioceses are given. Particular attention is paid to the mood of individual clerics based on sources of a personal origin, for example, the diaries of Archbishop Nikon (Rozhdestvensky). The religious policy of the Provisional Government and the situation in the provinces and the army are also examined.