Kinship and patronage in the career of the spiritual consistory secretary P. A. Protopopov - grandfather of the composer Sergei Taneev

The highest official in the system of the diocesan administration of the Synodal period was the Bishop, and the main governing body was the spiritual consistory. Special status in the consistory belonged to the Secretary of its Office, who since the early 19th century began to be appointed by the Synod without considering the opinion of the diocesan bishop. The main controversial issue of the diocesan history of the Synodal period remains the relationship of the diocesan bishop as the Head of the diocese and secretary of the theological consistory as a direct representative of the Holy Synod. Their relationship, the degree of influence of each of them on the diocesan life has evolved and changed during the Synodal period. Conflict relationship of the heads of dioceses and of the consistory secretaries, representatives of the Synod, has become a characteristic feature of the system of the diocesan administration of the Synodal period. One exception was the Vladimir-Suzdal diocese, which since the early 19th century had no conflicts of the bishop and secretary of the consistory. Analyzing the career of one of the secretaries of the consistory P. A. Protopopov, the author comes to the conclusion that one of the factors of stability in operation of the diocesan power structures were influential family ties at the local level of the secretary of the consistory, determining his position in provincial society and patronage by the ruling bishop.