Charitable activities of the orthodox clergy during World War I (based on materials from Kievskie eparkhialnye vedomosti)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to examine and highlight the charitable activities of the Orthodox clergy during World War I based on a systematic review of materials published in the periodical Kievskie Eparkhialnye Vedomosti (Kyiv Diocesan Gazette). Methodology. The methodological framework of the study relies on the principles of scientific objectivity, historicism, and impartiality. The work employs a combination of general scientific and specialized historical methods, enabling a systematic classification of an extensive body of publications from the diocesan periodical to identify the most significant forms of the clergy's social service under wartime conditions. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty lies in the comprehensive study and systematization of materials from Kievskie Eparkhialnye Vedomosti, which allowed for a detailed reconstruction of the charitable activities conducted by the Orthodox clergy of the Kyiv region during the First World War. Conclusions. With the outbreak of the Great War, the Orthodox Church emerged as a pivotal element of humanitarian relief, establishing a large-scale system of organized charity. The primary vectors of charitable activity were aimed at supporting the army, assisting the families of mobilized soldiers, refugees, and orphans, establishing medical facilities, and collecting donations. From the first days of the war, parish guardianship councils were established to provide material support to military families left without working hands due to mobilization. Parish priests served as key figures in gathering donations for the needs of the army, wounded servicemen, and refugees. During the first year of the war, the Kyiv Diocese maintained nine hospitals with 448 beds at its own expense and provided free accommodation in its properties—which prior to the war had generated significant income—for over 8,000 people. Furthermore, nuns and novices from local monasteries volunteered as Sisters of Mercy in military infirmaries. Supporting refugees—primarily displaced clergy, church-parish schoolteachers, and their families—represented another crucial dimension of ecclesiastical charity. The Church also paid close attention to the children of soldiers who were killed or disabled. Shelters were set up across the diocese, and the concept of "family guardianship" for fallen soldiers' orphans was actively developed. The Kyiv Brotherhood of St. Vladimir was particularly prominent in these charitable endeavors.