Improvement of the organization and content of Palestinian readings by the diocesal departments of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society at the beginning of the XX century

The article deals with the issues of improving the organization and content of the Palestinian readings, held by the diocesan departments of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society in the early twentieth century. The directions of the relevant changes are identified, which include: the creation of special commissions that coordinated the activities of conducting readings, attempts to form mobile groups for readings in rural areas, the use of visualization tools (“magic lanterns and “foggy pictures” for them), joint singing or performance musical works by an invited choir, demonstration of objects brought from the Holy Land (icons, stones, palm branches, shells, etc.) and, in some cases, distribution of pieces of earth and water from the Jordan River brought from Palestine. Informing about upcoming readings was carried out by publishing advertisements in newspapers, posting posters, orally in a church or educational institution, as well as striking a church bell. It is concluded that despite a number of successes in improving the content and organization of the Palestinian readings, the gradual accumulation of experience in their conduct, nevertheless, interesting findings, techniques proposed and put into practice by various diocesan departments were not analyzed and generalized, did not become the subject of general attention and replication, which served as a deterrent to the further growth of their popularity.