The Polotsk Unification Council of 1839: Context, Proceedings, and Significance

This article explores the background leading to the Polotsk Unification Council (also known as the Synod of Polotsk) convened in 1839. It delves into the proceedings of the council and evaluates its importance within the context of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Belarusian Exarchate. The conclusion drawn is that the abolition of the Uniate church association within the Russian Empire during the second quarter of the 19th century stemmed from a distinctive convergence of historical factors. These included shifts in Russian governmental policy, apprehensions regarding the Uniates within the Catholic Church leadership, and internal conflicts among the Greek Catholic clergy. The significance of the Polotsk Unification Council of 1839 encompasses several dimensions. Firstly, this event expanded the sphere of influence of Orthodoxy in the western provinces of the Russian Empire in the 19th century, fostering the state, religious, and cultural integration of the western and eastern segments of the Russian people up to the present day. Secondly, the Polotsk Council marked the conclusion of an era in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church known as the era of division. It commenced in the mid-15th century with the canonical division of the Kiev Metropolia, which remained under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, from the autocephalous Moscow Metropolia. This resulted in the decline of church activity in the Belarusian-Ukrainian territories and culminated in the establishment of the Brest Church Union at the end of the 16th century. The Brest Church Union aimed to supplant Orthodoxy and permanently eliminate it from the lives of the Western Russian populace. In reality, it further fragmented the population along religious lines, while also serving as a tool for the denationalization of the ancestors of modern Belarusians and Ukrainians. Formally, the canonical division of the Russian Church was resolved by the end of the 17th century when, in 1686, the Orthodox Christians of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth joined the Moscow Patriarchate. But the outcome of the canonical division, the division of the Belarusian-Ukrainian population into Orthodox and Uniates, was only finally reconciled at the Polotsk Council of the Uniate clergy in 1839. Thirdly, the significance of the Polotsk Council lies in its profound impact on the modern Belarusian sector of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as its role in shaping the spiritual, cultural, and national identity of the Belarusian people. At the beginning of the 21st century, in the Republic of Belarus, approximately 85% of believers identify themselves as Orthodox Christians, a trend largely attributed to the events surrounding the preparation and execution of the Polotsk Council, and subsequently, the integration of former Uniates into the Russian Orthodox Church. The strength of the Orthodox Church's position in Belarus has endured the test of time and significant trials in the mid-19th and 20th centuries, affirming the religious and popular validity of the abolition of the union in Russia in 1839.