Russian Monks-missionaries of the Urmian Spiritual Mission in Persia

The article examines the biographical data of nine members of the Urmian spiritual mission, which operated for 20 years, from 1898 to 1917: archimandrites Theophilact (Klementyev) and Kirill (Smirnov), hieromonks Sergiy (Lavrov), Juvenaliy (Maslovsky), Sergiy (Shemelin), Corneliy (Sobolev), Pimen (Belolikov), Alexy (Kuznetsov) and Antony (Martsenko). The author analyzes their class origin, education, period and nature of service in the mission, scientific works and their future fate after the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia. It is noted that only three of the nine named members really successfully and fruitfully worked in the Urmian mission (archimandrite Kirill, hieromonks Sergiy and Pimen). Their zeal and labors brought great results and opened up foreseeable prospects for the further reunification of Nestorians with Orthodoxy. The article is a revised version of the report presented at the III Scientific and Theological Monastic Conference organized by the Historical Society of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and held on April 4, 2019 in the “Book lounge” of the Academy.