Настоятельницы древнерусских монастырей: положение и полномочия

Information about the article 
Author:
 
Gaydenko Pavel Ivanovich – Doctor of Historical Sciences, the as-
sociate professor, professor of department of humanitarian disciplines of the Ka-
zan national research technological university (Karl Marx St., 72, Kazan, 420015, 
Russia). [e-mail] 
Title: Prioresses of Old Russian monasteries: state and authority. 
Summary: Monasteries acted as the most important social and political in-
stitute of the Old Russian state and its society. Identities of the prior and the dona-
tor are considered as key figures of any monastery. In the submitted article an 

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 ROSSICA ANTIQUA. 2015 (2)
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attempt of the preliminary analysis of the rights and the social status of prioresses 
in female monastic orders of Kievan Rus. Unfortunately, institute of abbesses is 
one of the least studied elements of the church organization of the 11-13th centu-
ries. The supervision and conclusions offered in this work are based on messages 
of Old Russian sources.
Despite brevity of the annalistic and hagiographical messages which have 
reflected life of an Old Russian female monkhood it is possible to conclude that 
the social status of abbesses of the 11-13th centuries depended on a set of factors 
and, first of all, depended of prioress’ highborn. The initial status of female nuns 
considerably was inferior to hierarchical position of Old Russian abbots. Never-
theless, convents used prince’s and city’s protection, and also got essential sup-
port from donators who’s influence on life of nuns significantly surpassed the 
power of prioresses. 
Key words: Old Russian monkhood, prioresses of premongolian Russia, 
Old Russian canon law, covenant of Kievan Rus, donators of Old Russian con-
vents.