The closing decades of the 19th century were a period of dramatic transformation within the Russian Empire. Industrialization was rapidly changing the physical and social landscape, while the emancipation of the serfs in 1861 had set in motion new patterns of migration, urbanization, and aspiration. The Orthodox Church, long accustomed to a stable and hierarchical society, suddenly found itself addressing a population whose needs and expectations were in flux. Many clergy and laypeople alike felt both excitement and anxiety as Russia lurched toward modernity.
