On May 29, 1946, the USSR Council of Ministers issued a resolution "On Orthodox Monasteries," outlining the necessity and procedure for securing the property—both religious and household—of monastic communities and legalizing their economic activities. However, after two decades of active suppression and devastation of monasteries, the revival of monasticism proved quite challenging. In Ukraine, which had endured enemy occupation, the annexation of new territories, and terrorism from various nationalist groups, this process was particularly complex, if not outright dramatic.

"No Land and Essentially Like Parish Churches"

Reports from representatives of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church (hereafter "the Council") in Ukraine’s regions during the first half of 1946 provide insight into the state of monastic communities. These documents reveal significant delays in implementing the aforementioned resolution, with local authorities citing numerous obstacles.

For example, how could properties confiscated before the war be returned when Soviet institutions—administrative, social, or cultural—had firmly established themselves there? Where could replacements for lost property be found when many public and residential buildings had been destroyed by the occupiers? And how could the population’s respect for the Church, including for monks and nuns, be restored after a quarter-century of state-imposed hostility?

Only a few Orthodox monasteries and hermitages had survived the horrors of war. This situation was not much better in other regions of the republic. According to a government-commissioned survey of monastic life conducted in 1945, there were 75 functioning monasteries: 42 for women (with 3,125 nuns and novices) and 33 for men (with 855 monks and novices). Two-thirds of the monastic population was over 60 years old. The monasteries were distributed as follows: two in the RSFSR (Kursk and Pskov regions), 42 in Ukraine, 24 in Moldova, three in Belarus, two in Lithuania, one in Latvia, and one in Estonia.

Statistically, Ukraine could still be considered the leader in spiritual life density despite decades of militant atheism and the impact of Nazi occupation. However, archival sources reveal a bleak reality even there.

Returning to the Council’s reports from Ukraine, an official from Kharkiv noted that there were no monasteries in his jurisdiction. In Rivne Oblast, one report detailed the status of various monastic communities: some monasteries owned land, while others did not. For example, the St. George Hermitage in Berestechko had five monks, and the Nativity of the Virgin Hermitage in Bilevsky Hamlets had only one monk, with no land, effectively functioning as parish churches.

Local, but Not Ours

The representative from Stanislav (now Ivano-Frankivsk) Oblast described a more detailed situation in his June 25, 1946 report. His jurisdiction contained seven monasteries and one branch, including Catholic and Greek Catholic communities historically tied to the Union of Brest in the 16th century. These monasteries engaged in socially beneficial activities, such as caring for orphans and working in hospitals, but also resisted efforts to dissolve their union with the Vatican and merge with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Soviet Officials Advocating for Monastic Interests

Despite the challenging circumstances, the Council’s representatives sometimes acted in defense of monasteries. They intervened to resolve disputes over property and land confiscations, often in favor of the monastic communities. However, the monasteries were also seen as potential contributors to rebuilding the war-torn country. They paid taxes on residential areas, war taxes, and income taxes and were expected to meet agricultural quotas like state and cooperative enterprises.

In the event that monasteries failed to meet the government's material expectations, the 1946 resolution contained a convenient clause: "until further notice, do not interfere." Within less than a decade, those "further notices" began to arrive.