Property law enforcement practice by the Russian Orthodox Church in the second half of the 19th century

The article deals with the problem of the law enforcement practice in respect of using church property in Russia by case study of the Diocese of Smolensk in the second half of the 19th century. The author reveals the special status of the religious property based on the archival data of the State Archives of the Smolensk region. The paper addresses the issue of the ownership entity in relation to religious property and the problem of the limited transfer of property rights to this kind of property to the parish.