Secularization of church lands

About such a reform, as the secularization of lands belonging to the church, it was still at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. But it was only in the 18th century that the decision of this question was finalized. It was in this century that the state managed to solve the task set during the reign of Ivan III.

Secularization is the abolition of large ecclesiastical landed estates. And it was this process that ended the long struggle of Russian rulers and the church for the lands. And the fact that it happened in the 18th century is not accidental.

By that time, great success had been made in trading capitalism, and the form of rights that existed in relation to the ecclesiastical lands hindered this. The main trend was that land is a commodity from which to profit. This was fully satisfied with the reform of the first half of the 18th century, which freed landed property from sovereign dependence. Meanwhile, the church lands, because of the special nature of their use, were not alienated. The clergy could only acquire them, but they have no right to alienate it in any way.

This was only the general cause of the phenomenon called "secularization of ecclesiastical lands." There were other reasons, for example, of a more private nature. The fact is that the whole policy with respect to Russian lands was very much dependent on noble interests. This stronghold of the monarchy did its utmost to expand its holdings, while the free land resources of the central part of the state were already virtually exhausted. Well, the land on the outskirts few people were interested. The nobility reasoned that secularization of ecclesiastical patrimonies and peasants would create a good fund that would allow them to expand further.

Ruling people for a long time could not decide on the violation of the union, which was formed from the friendship of the state and the church. Only in the second half of the 18th century did objective efforts prevail. After a number of hesitations, Peter III in 1762 issued a document, which was the reason for the creation of a special Economic Board, which would manage all the church patrimony. At the same time, it was prescribed to remove all persons who had spiritual ranks from ruling them. Peasants who worked at church estates, instead of paying the old obligations, they were obliged to pay a ruble loan on top of the salary per capita. So, in the peasant use, there remained land that they plowed for church votchinnikov, but the land that had never before been in their use (mills, etc.), should be given to those who wished for a quitrent. And all the received sums came at the disposal of the created College. So, the workforce was not unnecessarily burdened, but all the charges taken by the stewards would immediately return to the peasants.

However, this decree acted for a short time. Already Catherine the Great, because of the exceptional nature of the situation in the state, had to go to "cunning." The secularization of ecclesiastical lands was recognized by her as a reckless measure, the decree was abolished, and the lands returned to the church, incl. And peasants. The Empress reopened the home churches sealed during Peter III and began to promote in every possible way the revival of the influence of clergymen on issues of censorship, etc.

The abolished secularization of church lands provoked unrest among the monastic peasants. And the nobility was, to put it mildly, displeased. As a result, Catherine the Great made a new decision: temporarily suspend the abolition of secularization and create a commission for a comprehensive study of the issue. By that time, the Empress had already made sure that the clergy as a political force was very weak. After all, her orders even provoked indignation among the hierarchs and a strong murmur, but no one dared openly speak. Thus, according to the decree of 1764, all bishops, synodal, ecclesiastical and monastic patrimonies were finally transferred to the collegium. Instead of the selected lands, the clergy was now relegated to the state maintenance, and later, during the general land survey, it received small land plots.

It is impossible to answer unambiguously what was the greater secularization of church lands, good or bad, but that this measure was really outstanding in its century, that's for sure.