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London Metropolitan Archives

ENGLISH CHURCH, MOSCOW


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0074 CLC/358

Held at: London Metropolitan Archives

Title: ENGLISH CHURCH, MOSCOW

Date(s): 1825-1962

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 10 production units.

Name of creator(s): English Church | Moscow, Russia

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Bishop of London was held to exercise responsibility for Anglican churches overseas where no other bishop had been appointed. He retained responsibility for churches in northern and central Europe until 1980, but his jurisdiction in southern Europe ceased in 1842 on the creation of the diocese of Gibraltar. In 1980, the Bishop of London divested himself of all overseas jurisdiction and a new diocese of 'Gibraltar in Europe' was established.

The Russia Company was the patron of Anglican churches in Moscow, St Petersburg, Cronstadt and Archangel. The first chapel in Moscow was established in 1706 but was closed down when the British Factory left Moscow in 1717, initially for Archangel; its headquarters moved to St Petersburg in 1723.

In 1825 a chapel was opened in Princess Prozorowski's House at 259 Twerskoy, known as the British Chapel, Moscow, and a chaplain appointed. Land for a permanent church was purchased in 1828 and building was completed at the end of 1829/beginning of 1830.

A new church was consecrated in January 1885 when its official designation became the British Church of St Andrew, Moscow. The title deeds were drawn up in the name of the Russia Company who held the land, buildings and furniture in trust for the British residents. The chaplain was appointed by the Russia Company subject to the approval of a meeting of subscribers of annual contributions to the chaplaincy. The Russia Company also paid part of the chaplain's stipend.

The church was seized by the Bolsheviks in 1920, the chaplaincy terminated and the chaplain withdrawn. A new chaplaincy was established in Helsinki and the chaplain paid visits to Russia. Services in Moscow are held in the British Embassy.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the English Church, Moscow, Russia, including registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, accounts and correspondence. They were catalogued by members of Guildhall Library staff in 1964 and 1982.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Records arranged by MS number, assigned during cataloguing at the Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section.

Conditions governing access:

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information may be subject to access restrictions.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

The records were deposited in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library in 1964 and 1982. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Related material:

The records of the Russia Company itself are described in CLC/B/195. See CLC/331 for the British Chapel, Moscow, and CLC/332 for the Church of St Andrew, Moscow.

See also DL/E/A to DL/E/E for papers relating to the Diocese of London Overseas Jurisdiction; CLC/318 for the Diocese in Europe and CLC/319 for the Diocese of Gibraltar.

DESCRIPTION NOTES Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: August to October 2010.


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Anglicanism | Protestantism | Christianity | Ancient religions | Religions
Baptism registers | Parish records | Documents | Information sources
Burial registers | Parish records | Documents | Information sources
Church records and registers | Primary documents | Documents | Information sources
Dioceses | Ecclesiastical districts | Church administration | Administration | Organisation and management
Marriage registers | Parish records | Documents | Information sources
Burial records
Catholicism
Legal documents
Religion

Personal names

Corporate names
British Chapel | Moscow | Russia
British Church of St Andrew | Moscow | Russia
English Church | Moscow | Russia

Places
Moscow | Russian Federation | Eastern Europe