All-Russian Church Council of 1917-1918

On August 15, 1917 the All-Russian Church Council (Sobor), the first in over two hundred years, began work on achieving complete administrative independence of the Church and the Stare. That is to undo the reforms of Peter the Great.

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Timing of the council

In February 1917, the Russian Tsar Nicholas II of the Romanoff Dynasty abdicated his throne and state power was assumed by the Provisional Government. The Russian Orthodox Church seized the opportunity to initiate internal reforms it had sought since 1905. Before this, the Tsar denied many requests to hold a "local," that is, a national, council of bishops, clergy, and laymen.

Unfortunately, as the Church Council continued to meet in Moscow, the Bolsheviks seized power in the capital, Petrograd (St. Petersburg), on October 25, 1917. But this time “between governments