Pension Provision for the Clergy of the Russian Church in the Context of Church and State Legislation of the XIX – XXI Centuries

The thesis research analyzes pension security for clerical and church employees` service in the Russian Orthodox Church. The author focuses on the canonical foundations of the retirement institution in the Church. He also describes the first pension appointments to clergy, based on the historical and canonical documents of the I-V centuries. The work traces the process of legislative formalization and evolution of the clergy institute of retirement in the Russian Empire according to state canonical acts of XIX-early XX centuries. The research continues with the study of the Church retirement system in the Soviet State and the pension security for clerical and church employees` service in the Russian Orthodox Church at the present time. In addition to this the author describes establishment of the Pension Fund and the Pension Committee under the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in the post-war period. Work mentions modern legislation and church regulations concerning the pension security of supernumerary clergy. The study has wide source base and is of interest for the church structures responsible for financial, economic, social and charitable activities of the Russian Orthodox Church.