«Doing everything possible to strengthen the foundations of the church»: the administrative activities of bishop Ioann (Snychev) in the Kuibyshev diocese in 1965-1972

The author examines one of the key areas of Bishop Ioann (Snychev)’s episcopal activity: his administrative activity in the Kuibyshev Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1965-1972. The analysis of the reports of the plenipotentiary of the Council for Religious Affairs in the Kuibyshev oblast, the diary entries of Bishop Ioann (Snychev) and people close to him, as well as the memoirs of believers made it possible to study the ways in which the bishop could solve the problems that confronted him after the Khrushchev anti-religious campaign of 1958-1964 as well as the relationship of the bishop with state and church authorities. Bishop Ioann (Snychev) managed to strengthen the Kuibyshev diocese during the years of “stagnation” that were difficult for the Russian Orthodox Church. During the period of his leadership of the diocese, the staff of priests increased, parishes were preserved during the constant danger of their closure (especially in the Ulyanovsk deanery), communication was established with the authorities.