The Ministry of All Faiths and Religions in the early draft of the establishment of Ministries in 1801

As is known, the preparation and development of reforms in the internal policy of the Russian Empire at the beginning of the XIX century was carried out in an Unspoken Committee (1801–1803) — a special secret body under Emperor Alexander I consisting of V. P. Kochubey, N. N. Novosiltsev, P. A. Stroganov and A. A. Chartorysky, chaired by the monarch. The most important issues discussed by the Secret Committee were: the Senate reform of 1802; the ministerial reform (its beginning in 1802–1803); the transformation of the activities of the Indispensable Council; the peasant question; coronation projects of 1801 and a number of foreign policy issues. 9 meetings of the Secret Committee were devoted to the discussion of the ministerial reform. The Ministry of All Faiths and Religions was not included in the draft of the establishment of ministries discussed in the Secret Committee. But, its mention is contained in the earliest draft compiled by Nikolai Nikolaevich Novosiltsev around the end of 1801. Thus, it is possible to draw a hypothetical conclusion about the possible reorganization of the Holy Synod proposed by N. N. Novosiltsev and other members of the Secret Committee. The Ministry of All Faiths and Religions would be transformed into a branch management body for the entire religious sphere, and the Holy Synod would be reorganized into the supreme ecclesiastical court. Nevertheless, the very mention of this ministry has indirect significance in the context of studying the relationship between church and state during the period of administrative transformations in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the XIX century.