Diocesan Congregation in the Name of the Mother of God

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DIOCESAN CONGREGATION IN THE NAME OF THE MOTHER OF GOD was established in St. Petersburg in 1884 on the initiative of Arseny (Bryantsev), Bishop of Vyborg, with the purpose of propagating religious and moral education among the public and of Orthodoxy among non-Christians and members of sects of the St. Petersburg Eparchy. The post of Trustee of the Congregation was held by the current metropolitan, his vicar chaired the Congregation, while the governing body was represented by the council. The offices of the Congregation functioned in various towns and villages of St. Petersburg Province. Its funds came from the Holy Synod, the State Treasury, members of the congregation and donors. The congregation published spiritual talks and brochures for public reading, and set up summer courses of liturgical chants. By 1917, the congregation had founded and financed over 500 parish schools on the territory of the Eparchy, providing them with manuals and textbooks through its own bookstores. The administration of the congregation was quartered in the Consistory, and the Holy Virgin Intercession Church, on 50 Borovaya Street (1890-97, architect N.N. Nikonov), served as its spiritual and missionary center. In the church, students of the Theological Academy talked to people and held debates with Old Believers; some divine services were held in German, English and Latvian; the ceremonies of christening of new converts also took place here. Veniamin, Metropolitan of Petrograd, used to celebrate divine services in this church. In 1908-10 the wooden Holy Virgin Intercession Church (architect V.N. Bobrov, the building has not been preserved) was erected in Polyustrovo at the expense of the congregation. In 1918, the property of the congregation was confiscated by the authorities, The Holy Virgin Intercession Church was closed down in 1936 and converted into workshops. In 1989 the building of the church was handed over to the Baptists' House of the Gospel Society.

References: Десятилетие просветительной деятельности С.-Петербургского Православного епархиального братства во имя Пресвятой Богородицы. СПб., 1894.

V. V. Antonov. Arseny (Alexander Dmitrievich Bryantsev), Archbishop
Bobrov Viktor Nikanorovich
Nikonov Nikolay Nikitich
Veniamin (Vasily Pavlovich Kazansky), Metropolitan
Borovaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 50
Десятилетие просветительной деятельности С.-Петербургского Православного епархиального братства во имя Пресвятой Богородицы. СПб., 1894 St. Petersburg Eparchy
Synod
Theological Academy
Old Believers