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The Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church of 1917–1918 began to work
Church Council inaugurated on August 15 (28), 1917 is the first Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. It ended the so-called Synod period that began during Peter the Great reign by prohibiting a new patriarch election in 1700 and by introducing officially Spiritual Regulations in 1721.
The preparation for the Council began in 1900 and its sessions opened in the period of antimonarchic mood in the Church. In Council participated the members of the Most Holy Synod and Preliminary Council, all the eparchial bishops – two clergymen and two laymen from every eparchy, protopresbyters of the Assumption Cathedral and the military clergy, deputies of the four lavras, father superior of Solovetskiy and Valaamskiy monastery, of Sarovskaya and Optinaya hermitage, as well as representatives of monks, adherents of Common Faith, military clergy, soldiers of the acting army, spiritual academies, Science Academy, universities, State Council and State Duma. Among 564 members of the Council there were 80 bishops, 129 presbyters, 10 deacons, 26 psalm readers, 20 archimandrites, Fathers Superior and celibate priests and 299 of laymen. In the Council also took part representatives of orthodox Common Faith Churches: the bishop Nikodim (Romania) and archimandrite Mikhail (Serbia).
The Council took place during the changes in political and social system of the country therefore its epochal meaning was partly overshadowed by other events. Moreover that by the Soviet rule decree of January 20 (February 2), 1918 about separation of the church from the state and the school from the church it became quite difficult for the latter to realize the Council decisions.
The most important result of the Council was the abolishment of Synod system of church management and the restoration on October 28 (November 10) of the Patriarch as the head of the church.
On September 20, 1918 under pressure from the rule the Local Council was obliged to stop its work not having enough time to consider a number of issues.
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Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: