Auditors of Educational Committee in the Second Half of the 19th Century: Historical and Sociological Essay

The history of the synodal structures of the Russian Orthodox Church causes interest in scholars, including those who study social history of the Russian Empire. The role of the clergy in the social structure of the Russian society determined much of the general course of transformation processes in the life of the Church. It is for the first time that within this study, an attempt is made to make a generalized socio- cultural portrait of the auditors of the Educational Committee under the Holy Synod of the second half of the 19th century. Analysis made it possible to describe the main stages of the auditors’ lives, their service at the Committee, and also to present data on their further fate. Documents of the Educational Committee of the Russian State Historical Archive (RGIA. F. 802), as well as personal materials and periodicals, were used as key sources. So, the study made it possible both to identify some significant details of the biographies of the auditors of the Educational Committee related to their social origin, education, family status, and to identify the main forming trends of the class of synodal officials, using comparative analysis.