The problems of studying the biographies of the Orthodox clergy in the second half of the twentieth century on the example of the fate of the Latvian clergy

The article is an analysis of the study of the biographies of the Latvian Orthodox clergy in the second half of the twentieth century. Both archival materials and works published in the Soviet and post- Soviet times on the topic are used as the basis for writing the article. The task facing the author was to identify the main trends in this study and identify difficulties in the research process. Using the example of the most revealing biographies, it is shown how the attitude of the authorities towards pastors has been transformed, as well as which aspects of the life path of a particular priest were considered inconvenient. The article also highlights the issue of the different perception of the nationality of the Orthodox clergy, and the possible different attitudes towards the Latvian and Russian clergy. The biographies are considered separately and the problem of studying clerics who, due to resettlement processes or release from the system of correctional labor camps, ended up on the territory of the RSFSR is determined. At the end of the materials, the main problems are identified.