Monasticism of Olonets and Kargopol uyezds in the times of “prohibitive” decrees

The article examines the situation around monastic life in Olonets and Kargopol uyezds after the proclamation of age, class and civil restrictions stipulated by the “Supplements to the Spiritual Regulations” and “prohibitive” decrees of Peter the Great I, confirmed in the reign of Anna Ioannovna. The influence of state legislation on the development of monastic life in monasteries of the region is evaluated. The “age” qualification for tonsure introduced for the first time did not contradict the local practice established in male monasteries, but it had serious consequences for women’s monasteries in the region. The article introduces new materials on conducting large-scale inspections of the composition of the monks in the 1730s. On the basis of little-known written sources, it is discovered how the legislative restrictions, which established strict control over the tonsure, affected the fate of specific people who sought to take the gown. The mass violations of the “prohibitive” decrees revealed in the 1730s clearly demonstrated the negative attitude of the monks to the ongoing reforms. The state’s attempts to improve the internal life of the monks were ineffective. The relevance of the topic is due to the growing interest in Russian historiography in Peter the Great’s transformations aimed at reforming the “monastic order”.