The Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Hakodate in the context of the diplomatic activity of the russian consulate (1856–1865)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the missionary significance of the first Orthodox church in Japan, built at the Russian consulate in Hakodate in 1859. On the basis of archival documents, the functions of the consular priest (1856) are given: fulfilling the religious needs of Mission members, caring for members of the commands of military and commercial ships, studying Japanese religions and observing the missionary activities of Catholics and Protestants for the further spread of Orthodoxy. The answer to the question is revealed how the idea of a consular and at the same time a missionary temple originated and what actions were taken to implement it by the Russian emperors (Nicholas I and Alexander II), state bodies (Amur Committee, Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maritime Ministry, Chief Prosecutor, members of the Holy Synod). The place of the consular temple in the system of other embassy churches and the continuity in the missionary service of its first priests are shown. The continuity between the diplomatic activity of E. V. Putyatin and the missionary activity of the Russian consul I. A. Goshkevich and the activities of the young hieromonk Nikolai (Kasatkin) is substantiated.