FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF IMSTYCHIV MONASTERY IN THE 18TH CENTURY IN THE LIGHT OF THE NEW DOCUMENTS OF THE STATE ARCHIVES OF TRANSCARPATHIAN REGION

Abstract

On the basis of the source material of the State Archive of Transcarpathian region, as well as thematic works, the author examines the activities of one of the ancient monastic centers of Mukachevo Diocese – Imstychiv Monastery of the Holy Archangel Michael. The article highlights the main stages of the structural development, growth and formation of the monastery in the 18th century. Owing to new documents of the State Archives of Transcarpathian region, the author expands the historical information about the monastery and fills in the “white spots” in the current annals of the monastery. The article substantiates the fact that the founders of the monastery were the Orthodox clergy of Mukachevo Diocese. At the same time, dating problems regarding the transfer of the monastery from Máramaros Orthodox Eparchy to Mukachevo Greek Catholic Eparchy in the first half of the 18th century are revealed. The publication presents for the first time a complete history of the monastery in one century. The researcher makes an attempt to organize the list of the abbots of the monastery and the monasticism of the monastery in the specified period, separately examines the socio-economic and spiritual-educational activities of the monastery, generally analyses documents, some of which are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The analysis of the research material allows us to state that the monastery was not only the centre of monastic life, but at the same time it was the centre of spiritual, cultural, socio-economic development of the Bereg County. The purpose of the article is to study the organization and development of the monastic centre, to reproduce its activities in the specified period, as well as to describe the key institutional processes that influenced the formation, development, and preservation of the monastery during the era of secularization reforms of the Habsburg Empire. Discovered and processed documents state the fact that the monastic system was in the process of active self-development during the 18th century. Due to the activities of the abbots, document circulation, jurisprudence, legal and economic factors developed dynamically. In parallel with this, the hegumen took care of improving the external structure of the monastery, its economic development, and at the same time did not abandon the development of the inner life of monasticism.