Chekhi v Rossii v gody Velikoy voyny : mezhdu pravoslaviyem i katolitsizmom

This paper focuses on the efforts of functionaries of the Russian Orthodox Church to propagate the Orthodox faith among Catholic Czechs who came to the territory of the Russian Empire during the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, with the goal of achieving their conversion from Catholicism to the Orthodox faith. The period of the so-called Great War or First World War is the focus of attention, but only until the autumn of 1917 with regard to the political changes taking place in the Russian Empire. The efforts of Orthodox preachers and other functionaries of the Russian Orthodox Church to influence the spiritual profile of Catholic Czechs, who were joined by defectors from the Austrian-Hungarian armies and prisoners of Czech nationality at the time, culminated during the World War. As sources of Russian and other provenience demonstrate, not even the universal support of the Petrograd Holy Synod assured the success of these efforts. The paper also demonstrates that the entire matter was meticulously monitored by the Papal Curia. This paper, which is of an analytical nature, is valuable due to the newly discovered sources, which correspond with the conclusions of existing literature about the conversion of Czechs in Russia to the Orthodox faith to a specific degree.