The role of the orthodox clergy of the Right Bank Ukraine in the protection of the rights and freedoms of the peasantry (second half of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th century)

In the middle of the 19th century among the Orthodox clergy of the Ukrainian dioceses of the ROC, there was a clear division between the Orthodox, who served the interests of the autocracy and opposed the reforms of the church and its ukrainization, and the liberal clergy. Liberal, patriotic clergy were openly opposed to the religious and imperial authorities, defended the Ukrainian language and culture, social rights of the congregation, especially the peasantry. The representatives of the clergy were persecuted by the church authority for their active participation in the defence and protests of the peasantry. This is evidenced by the decrees of the Synod and its secret correspondence with the Metropolitan of Kyiv in 1848-1850 on the strengthening of supervision over the clergy in connection with the participation of some priests in peasant riots. The patriotic part of Ukrainian clergy also actively defended the interests of the peasantry during conflicts with tenants, landlords, officials, helped to write collective complaints to state and clergy officials, defended them in court, and developed rural education. Such activities of the clergy contributed to the reform of the church, the development of the Ukrainian national revival and the struggle for the autocephaly of the Ukrainian church. In the late 19th – early 20th century the representatives of the Orthodox clergy also played a significant role in the development of rural consumer, credit and industrial cooperation. The cooperative movement not only improved the material and cultural standard of living of the Ukrainian peasantry, but also significantly intensified the social life of the peasants and contributed to the development of their self-organization.