Zemsky Sobors of the Russian State in the 16th - 17th centuries.

Stoglav

Question 1

In the Holy Trinity they write the crosshair ovi at the middle one, while others write all three. And in old letters and in Greek they sign the Holy Trinity, but not a single one has crosshairs written on them. And now the middle one signs Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity. And judge about that from the divine rules, how to write now. And that's the answer. A painter should paint icons from ancient images, as the Greek painters painted and as Andrei Rublev and other notorious painters wrote, and sign the Holy Trinity, but do nothing of their own plans.

Question 2

Something else is happening in simple children in the world: children are born in shirts, and those shirts are brought to the priests and they are ordered to be placed on the throne for three weeks. And that's the answer. From now on, do not bring such uncleanness and abominations into the holy churches and do not place them on the throne for up to three weeks, since the woman who gave birth will be cleansed until the Dondezh forty days and will not enter the holy church. If any priest dares to do such a thing, he will be under the prohibition of the sacred rules.

Question 3

Yes, for the consecration of the church, the laity bring soap and order the priest to keep it on the throne for up to three weeks. And that's the answer. From now on, the priest will not accept soap from the laity for the consecration of the church and will not keep it on the altar for up to three weeks. If any priest dares to do such a thing, he will be excommunicated according to the sacred rule.

Question 4

The rulers would have to pay exactly the same about the duties about the proteges, from the blessed ones, from the vacation pay, from the desktop certificates and from the patrahels and from the ular ones, about the duties about everything at the cathedral, a decree would be issued, everywhere and for everyone. And that's the answer. The metropolitan and the archbishop and the bishop should receive from the proteges for the entire council for all fees: to ordain deacons and make priests - a Moscow ruble, and a blessed hryvnia, and water deacons - half a ruble, and a blessed hryvnia, and to make a ready-made deacon a priest - half a ruble, and the blessed hryvnia; and from desktop

charters of the archimarics and abbots for the ruble; and from the blessed and from the certificates of release, half a ruble; but don’t get anything from the patrahel and ular letters, just the weight of the writing altyn and the printed altyn. Yes, the metropolitan and the archbishop and the bishop should not keep their children and nephews in their monasteries, and also, in all honest monasteries, the general and individual archimarites and abbots should not keep their children and nephews in their monasteries.

Question 5

Yes, about the Pskov miracle worker Euphrosyne, and about the Smolensk miracle worker Avramie at the cathedral: how should they celebrate. And that's the answer. Celebrate them, like other holy reverend fathers: sing “Blessed is the man” at Vespers and other services according to the divine charter, all in full.

Question 6

Holy water to baptize according to the rule of the holy fathers with a single cross in three immersions. Some people, out of ignorance or foolishness, combine many crosses and icons with relics and baptize them. And judge and approve this according to the divine rule. And that's the answer. Baptize with water with a single holy cross in three immersions, and the archdeacon or deacon holds the other holy crosses and holy icons with holy relics right there on a platter, and the saint or priest immerses the holy cross and holds it over the bowl three times and then sprinkles holy water from all the crosses. And everything else is done according to the divine charter.

Question 7

On the icons they write: come, people, let us worship the three-part deity. And in the lower row write kings and princes and saints and people who live. And judge about that. They also write the image of the Most Pure Mother of God in the act that is on Tikhfin. And kings and princes and people stand praying, who live, and the holy fathers of Scripture judge about this whether it is worthy to write the living and the dead on the holy icons of those praying. And that's the answer. Tradition from the ancient saints and fathers and from the notorious Greek and Russian painters testify and on the holy icons they are imagined and written, just as for the erection of the honorable and life-giving cross, not only kings and saints and princes and other peoples, many and many different ranks. Likewise, on the cover of the Most Holy Theotokos, when Saint Andrew sees the Mother of God, I pray with all the saints for the whole world, countless multitudes of people are written. Likewise, the origin of the honorable cross is not only kings and princes, but also the multitude of countless people who are born. At the Last Judgment, on the icons they imagine and write not only saints, but also infidels, many and different faces from all over the world.

Question 8

Crosses are placed on holy churches according to ancient law. Nowadays the life-giving cross has been erected on the cathedral church of the Most Pure Mother of God of her honorable and glorious Dormition on the newly gilded vere, just as there is a life-giving cross in churches, and they bless it all. And it is worthy to judge and discuss at the holy council how to henceforth put a cross on churches and those crosses that stand on churches. And that's the answer. As from time immemorial, holy crosses have been erected and erected on holy churches, and to this day, let them remain unmoved. Likewise, now the holy cross was erected and placed by the pious Tsar Ivan on the cathedral church of the Most Holy

The Mother of God on the newly gilded vera, as if there is an erected visual cross, is blessed with it. And this is worthy for the glory of God and for the multiplication of the years of the pious Tsar Ivan and for the preservation of his entire Russian kingdom, and such holy crosses will continue to be placed on churches. And that on many churches there are holy crosses, and on those crosses blacksmiths attach other smaller crosses at all ends, two and three together, and those smaller crosses are often broken by storms and strong winds. And from now on, the blacksmiths would make crosses according to the order and cruciformly according to the ancient model, just as the apostles and holy fathers laid down and handed over to the saints, and at the end they would make fortresses for a single cross with every affirmation, and from their own plans they would not implement anything except church tradition.

Question 9

The charter says: on Saturday evening there is also a special chanting of liteya for the feast of Christ and the Mother of God and the holy saints, and on all days for the repose there is a chanting of liteya after Matins and Vespers. And on the day on which the great doxology is sung, then the funeral litany is abandoned and here in the cathedral churches they do not sing it. And that's the answer. According to the divine charter, in all the holy cathedral churches, festive liteyas and everyday liteyas are sung urgently: for health and for the repose of the repose, as the charter commands.

Question 10

Yes, in the charter it is written to sing week by week from the days of the erection of the venerable cross to cheese weeks: “Praise the name of the Lord” and “Confess the Lord”; and the third psalm, “On the river of Babylon,” is sung three times a year: on the week of the prodigal, the week of the meat-eating, and the cheese-eating week. Why don't they sing here for the sake of guilt? And that's the answer. In all holy cathedral churches, sing all three psalms urgently according to the divine charter.

Question 11

The forerunner part is taken out, like from the offered bread, and placed together with the offering. According to the statute, it is worthy to take out the forerunner part, as well as the most pure part, and place it on the left side of the lamb opposite the most pure part, and the offering is placed on the middle at the foot of the lamb. And that's the answer. Therefore, according to the statute, it is worthy to take out the forerunner’s part, as well as the most pure parts, a little smaller, and place the most pure parts on the left side of the lamb opposite, and the remaining parts of the offerings are placed in the middle at the foot of the holy lamb.

Question 12

In the great Novgorod, in St. Sophia, in the cathedral church and inside the city and in the suburbs, in all the churches and in the monasteries, after proskomisa and hours, the priest says dismissal at the royal doors with a loud voice. But here in the cathedral church and in all the churches before mass at the royal doors they do not say dismissal. How it deserves to be 1 And that’s the answer. In all holy churches, after the hours of dismissal, they perform at the royal doors, and having received forgiveness, they then begin mass and perform everything else according to the divine charter.

Question 13

In maiden monasteries, is it worthy for the nuns to receive holy mysteries from worldly priests? What if it soon happens on the night or day that I exist far away from the spiritual father abbot, as he deserves to be? And that's the answer. Worthy of every sacred and monastic service

the rite of receiving communion from a lay priest, except for repentance. And the sacred rules testify to this. If any priest or monk or nun does not accept communion from a lay priest who has a wife, let him be cursed.

Question 14

In Novgorod the Great, priests and deacons and sextons and sextons and marshmallows and pretenders from the streets are accepted into the church and great money is spent on them. On the butt there are fifteen rubles, and on another twenty, and on another thirty. Yes, with that they go to the ruler along the whole street. But only the lord will send a priest to the church, although he is very literate and sensitive, but he will not give a lot of money to the criminals, and they will not accept him. And that's the answer. In all the holy churches in the metropolis and in the archbishoprics and in the bishoprics, the parishioners elect priests and deacons and clerks who are skilled and literate and have immaculate lives, and they have money from the church and do not accept any bribes for themselves, and they bring them and come with them to the saint. And the saint, having taught and punished them, blesses them and does not eat anything from them, weighing out the blessed hryvnia. And from the marshmallows and from the sextons and watchmen, the priest and the streets and the parishioners should not make any promises. But for God’s sake, elect suitable priests, so that they will be skillful and blameless from any disgrace.

Question 15

Likewise, butlers and clerks and in Pskov the viceroy of the lordship themselves appoint priests to local churches and receive great money from them and from all the church clergy. But they don’t torture him, who is literate and sensitive and worthy of the priestly rank. They only torture the one who gives them the most money. And oh the answer. Elect priests and deacons for the local churches who are skilled in reading and writing as butlers and governors and deacons, and therefore they will not receive money or bribes.

Question 16

At worldly weddings, laugh-makers and argans play, and laugh-makers, and caterpillars, and sing demonic songs. And as they drive to the church to get married, the priest rides with a cross, and in front of him they prowl around with all those demonic games, and the priests do not stop them from doing so. And the priest deserves to forbid about this. And that's the answer. Do not go to the wedding of the holy churches as a buffoon and a mocker before the wedding, and the priest forbids such a priest with a great prohibition, so that such outrage will never be called.

Question 17

Yes, in our Orthodoxy there are people who litigate and indirectly, they litigate and slander the cross, they kiss or the images of saints and they fight on the field and shed blood, and at that time the magicians and sorcerers from demonic teachings help them: the kudes beat both on the Aristotelian gates and on the raffles they look at the stars and at the planets and look at the days and hours. And with those devilish actions they seduce the world and excommunicate them from God, and relying on those enchantments, the slanderer and snitch does not put up with them and kisses the cross, and they fight on the field and, slandering, kill. And that's the answer. To the pious Tsar in the reigning city of Moscow and throughout the city, make his own royal commandment, so that such wise men and sorcerers, and sorcerers, and those who look through Raphli, and into Aristotle's gates, and by the stars and by the planets, look at the days and hours, and with those devilish actions the world they deceive and excommunicate from God and create other Hellenic demons, and such all God-destroying delusions were quickly renounced by the holy fathers. And from now on, that heresy would be completely trampled upon in your Christ-loving kingdom. If in the future someone from Orthodox Christians teaches such sorcery among the people or in the house or place to deceive, and then there will be accusations, and such from the Tsar will be in great disgrace, and those Orthodox Christians who will learn from them that Hellenic and demonic charm will receive in every possible way to be rejected from the church according to the sacred rule.

Question 18

Yes, in Pskov Grad, men and wives, and monks and monks, wash in the baths in one place without a gap. It is worthy to prohibit this so that they stop from this outrage, and according to the rule of the saints, it is not appropriate for a father to wash himself with his wife in a bathhouse in the same place. And that's the answer. According to the sacred rule, it is not proper for husbands and wives to wash in the same place in baths; Monks and nuns are also prohibited from going to the bathhouse. If they enter, they will be under the prohibition of the sacred rules.

Question 19

Yes, buffoons roam through distant countries, copulating in gangs of many up to sixty, up to seventy, and up to a hundred people, and in the villages of the peasants they eat and drink heavily and rob their bellies from their cages, and break them up along the roads. And that's the answer. The pious king should carry out his own royal commandment, as he himself has told, so that such violence and lawlessness will never happen anywhere from them in the future.

Question 20

Yes, boyar children and boyar people and all sorts of hawk moths play with grain and get drunk. They neither serve nor work, and from them all kinds of evil are committed: they steal and break and destroy souls. And then evil would be eradicated. And that's the answer. To the pious Tsar, in the reigning city of Moscow and throughout the city, establish your royal commandment, so that the boyar children and the boyar people and all sorts of hawkmoths do not play with grain and drink in taverns, and do not do other evil, and live like peasants, and are satisfied with their dues .

Question 21

Yes, through the churchyard and through the village and through the volost, lying prophets - men and wives, and girls, and old women, naked and barefoot, and their hair has grown and flown, shaking and killing themselves. And they say that Holy Friday and Saint Anastasia appear to them and tell them to command the canons of the Christians. They command the peasants not to do manual work on Wednesday and Friday, and not to spin their wives, and not to wash clothes, and not to light stones, and others command them to do ungodly things other than the divine scriptures. What is the way for those naked and barefoot and lying prophets, so that the world will not be offended. And that's the answer. Command the pious Tsar here in the reigning city of Moscow and throughout the city and volosts and churchyards and villages to carry out his royal commandment. And where such charmers, the reviled lying prophets, will appear and teach to confuse the Orthodox peasants with all sorts of godless seductions, confused by dreams and seduced by demons, they teach and command on Wednesday and Friday not to do handicrafts and for wives not to weave or spin, and not to do dresses wash, and do not light stones, and others command to do ungodly deeds from demons who are seduced by demons, and the Orthodox peasants would not listen to such deceivers and would drive them out of their homes and move away from them, since the holy apostles and holy fathers had given and commanded and instructed all the Orthodox peasants Do it every five days, and practice and celebrate prayer on Saturday and every week. She also commanded all Orthodox peasants throughout the year on Wednesday and Friday not only to fast, but also to work in all kinds of labors and to do with their own hands, and the commandment was carried out according to the sacred rule, whether the list is either a presbyter, or a deacon, or any clerk, or a naval officer. If a person does not fast on Pentecost and a year later on Wednesday and Friday, let him be excommunicated. And for this sake, Orthodox Christians would not listen to such deceivers in person, but on Wednesday and Friday they would not only fast and live purely, but also work in all sorts of ways for the glory of the greater part of their strength.

Question 22

Evil heresies who know them and hold on to them: rafli, six-winged, raven-grass, sharp, zodey, almanac, astrologers, Aristotle, Aristotle's gates and other compositions and heretical and demonic wisdom, which separate charms from God - and many people believe in those charms from God is excommunicated and perished. And that's the answer. Not only to the pious Tsar in the reigning city of Moscow, but throughout the entire city, the Tsar’s formidable commandment should be instituted, and to all the saints who awaited in his borders throughout the entire city to forbid and command with great spiritual prohibition, so that the Orthodox Christians of such God-denying and holy fathers of the Seventh Councils the outcasts did not keep or read all the eretic books; and if people in this place kept those heretical and renounced books and read them or taught and deceived others and were deceived by them from demons, and they would repent of this to their spiritual father and henceforth would not keep or read such heretical books ; and those people from now on will learn to keep such heretical books and honor them, or will begin to deceive and teach others and then be exposed, and thus will be in great disgrace from the pious king, and from the saints, according to the sacred rule, in the end in excommunication.

Question 23

On Trinity Saturday, husbands and wives gather around the village and churchyard to mourn and mourn their graves with great cries. And when the buffoons and bad girls begin to play, they, having stopped crying, will begin to jump and dance and beat in the valley and sing Sotonin songs, on the same pitiful deceivers and swindlers. And that's the answer. All the priests throughout the city and village, so that their spiritual children are punished and taught: at some time they remember their parents, and they would give water and food to the poor according to their strength, and forbid and forbid the buffoons and the fool and all kinds of fools, so that in those times , if parents are remembered, Orthodox Christians were not embarrassed or seduced by their demonic games.

Question 24

Rusal about Midsummer and on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and baptism, men and wives and maidens gather for nightly praising, and for disorderly talking, and for demonic songs, and for dancing, and for jumping, and for ungodly deeds. And there is defilement of youths and corruption of virgins. And whenever he walks past the night, then they go to the river with a great cry, like demons, and wash themselves with water. And when they begin to ring for matins, then they go to their homes and fall as if dead, from the great fuss. And that's the answer. According to the royal commandment, all the saints in their territory throughout the city and village should send out their letters to the priests with instructions and with a great prohibition, so that one-on-one about Ivan the days and on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and the baptism of Christ, men and wives and maidens for the nightly spitting and disorderly talk and demonic songs and dancing and jumping and many godless deeds did not agree, and such ancient Hellenic demons would not have been created and in the end they would have ceased, even before the holy fathers those all Hellenic delights were renounced by the sacred rule, and the Orthodox Christians did not it is appropriate to create something like this. But divine holidays and saints should be honored and celebrated for the glory of God.

Question 25

And about the greatness of the days, the calls of the naradunits, the asshole and all the demons in them. And that's the answer. So that the days of the greatness do not call out the rainbows and do not reproach them with bad speeches. And the priest should forbid his spiritual children from doing this, so that they don’t do this in the future.

Question 26

And on Maundy Thursday they burn straw and call out the dead; Some non-veglas priests put salt under the altar on Maundy Thursday and keep it there until the Seventh Thursday, and give that salt for healing of people and livestock. And that's the answer. The commandment was that on Maundy Thursday they would not burn straw and not call the dead, and the priests would not put salt under the throne on Maundy Thursday and would not keep the days until the Seventh Thursday, since such is Hellenic charm and heretical blasphemy. And whoever does such a priest will be subject to excommunication and final eruption according to the sacred rule.

Question 27

On the first Monday of Peter's Lent, demonic fun is played in the groves and in liqueurs. And that's the answer. So that Orthodox peasants on the Monday of Peter's Lent do not go to the groves and do not create demonic fun in liqueurs, and therefore they would finally stop, since all the Hellenic demonization and demonic delusion, and for this reason it is not appropriate for Orthodox peasants to do such things.

Question 28

It is also worth considering this, that in the statute it is prescribed to abstain from meat and fish on that day for the beheading of an honorable head, and commands one to fast for the entire week, unknown to anyone. In the same charter it is written in Savin’s chapters, chapter 24, on the feast of the Forerunner and the saints the Apostles Peter and Paul and the beloved Theologian, if it happens on Wednesday and Friday, fish pits, and in the chapter on the great feasts, that is, the Mother of God and Christ and the Nativity of the Forerunner , and the beheading, and the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and on whatever day it happens - on Monday, Wednesday and Friday it is appropriate to do the work, as on a day of the week. And in response to beheadings in the calendar, he writes consolation for the brethren at the end of the meal. And about that holy forerunner feast of the beheading of the honest heads of the cathedral, the answer. Sing about everything and celebrate according to the divine charter, just as you celebrated before us, transforming into nothing. And that on that holy holiday of the beheading of the private head of the holy and glorious forerunner of the Baptist of the Lord Ivan, the laity do not eat meat, and the foreigners do not eat fish, and this is not new, but for many years the fathers have looked upon the saints as prudent, and for this reason it is written in many statutes be.

Question 29

Yes, at matins, when the great doxology is sung according to the rules, after the doxology and during the octenia, “Bow our heads to the Lord,” and after the exclamation the priest says: “Blessed is our God and most glorified,” and they sing: “Confirm, O God, the Christian Orthodox faith,” and According to custom, everyone remembers the king, including the most honorable cherub and the dismissal. And that's the answer. In all cathedral churches on all Sundays and on all the feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God and other saints, when they sing the doxology, and after the exclamation, when the priest says: “Blessed is our God and most glorified,” and then they sing: “Confirm, O God, the Christian faith "And they remember the king and so on, and then the most honest cherub and dismissal.

Question 30

Is it appropriate to place blueberries in the Chernetsky monastery for both laymen and husbands and wives? Is it also the case with the Chernitsy people in the Chernitsa monasteries? And is it written about this in the divine rules? And that's the answer. Divine rules do not command that wives be buried in men's monasteries, but from custom the earth is not only buried here in the Russian kingdom, but also in the local countries in Jerusalem and in Egypt, and in Constantinople, and in other countries, the divine scriptures testify from the lives of saints of many saints Fathers are buried in nunneries. Bysha was also buried in the men's wives and maidens. Just as he writes in the life of the merciful Philaret: “He was buried in a maiden monastery,” so also the venerable Euphrosyne, that is, Izmaragda, was buried in a monastery, and was buried in many other holy places.

Question 31

For the sake of guilt, archimarites and abbots netsy, and priests, and deacons in their monasteries, in the holy places of God. rkvah, divine litorgies are not served either for health or for repose at five and six weeks, and sometimes even at six months. And in the holy rules he writes to the priestly rank, do not serve until eight days, except for some need and spiritual damage, otherwise there is a commandment about that, whoever does not serve until eight days. And about this the saint deserves to judge according to the rule of the holy fathers, and the punishment is known by its limit to every priestly rank, how to perform a prayer service for every petition and to serve divine litorgies on holidays and on Sundays for the health and for the departed souls of those who presented themselves for requiem. And about this the great man deserves to punish the ignorant and careless, so that in the future there will be no such disorder and the prayer service will be performed according to the rule of the holy fathers, and according to the commandments of God and according to their warm faith, with all zeal and decorum, without any contradiction or negligence. Even if this great work of God is neglected by any priestly rank, what kind of mercy can we expect from God for this negligence and great lawlessness, especially for pride and laziness. And that's the answer. For all the saints of the honorable monastery, in general and individually existing, the spiritual abbot is the archimarite and abbot with priests and deacons, each in his own monastery, on all days there are prayer services, and the divine litorgy is served on all Sundays and on the lord's holiday and on the Mother of God for the health of the pious king and about of all Orthodox Christians, and for the departed souls of those who have passed away, to serve for the repose of the repose according to conciliar ecumenical prayers, and to serve other prayers as a cathedral, according to which estates are given and annual sterns are set up. And the spiritual shepherd speaks firmly about this and corrects everything according to the sacred rule and according to the divine charter, transforming nothing.

Question 32

And the saint is worthy of advice about this. Why are honorable great monasteries and city cathedral churches, whose churches have archpriests and priests and deacons, called, and sometimes even without archpriests churches have great cathedrals of priests and deacons, and many honorable monasteries and city cathedrals are called great cathedrals for the lord’s feasts and for the repose of according to the ecumenical monasteries of the cathedral, they do not at all know to serve the divine litorgy for health and repose. And about this it is worthy henceforth to establish the order and the law and the commandment to be given according to the rule of the saints of the Apostle and according to the rules, how and when prayers are sung at the conciliar in honorable monasteries and in conciliar churches and in newly elected cathedrals, and the divine litorgy when serving conciliarly and walking with honorable crosses near the monastery, and in the world I will intersect myself in the holy churches of God and perform a prayer service for all forgiveness for the present time of all sorrows. And for this I pray that your holiness, throughout all its borders, will establish and establish a great deanery in honorable monasteries and cathedral churches, so that every deanery for God, according to the order and according to the rules, would be performed, and God seeing your good deeds and great care for your flock about what has been entrusted to you by God, to shepherd the holy churches of God and to teach in them the praise of God and with your holy prayers and those honorable monasteries and great cathedrals, thanksgiving and conciliar prayer, God will soon hear and give mercy to his servant. Yes, we too will be enlightened by their spiritual benefits for all piety. And that's the answer. In all the cities and in all the holy cathedral churches, which have archpriests and cathedral priests and deacons, and even without archpriests, churches have large cathedrals, priests and deacons, who, according to their cathedral, sing prayers all days and serve divine litorgies as a cathedral all Sundays from week to week; also on the lord's holiday and on the Mother of God about the health of the pious Tsar and all Orthodox peasants; Likewise, according to the newly elected cathedral, divine litorgies are served in cathedral services and with honorable crosses walking around monasteries, and in the world among oneself in the holy churches of God and praying for every petition for the present time from all sorrows; and for the departed souls of those who have passed away, to serve as a cathedral for the repose of all cathedral ponakhidas, and also to serve other ponakhidas as a cathedral, according to which estates are given and annual feeds are set up, and about this throughout the cathedral, all archpriests and priests and deacons recited firmly according to the divine charter and according to the sacred rule, nothing is creative.

Why was the cathedral named Stoglavy

The Council of the Stoglavy is the very unification of the authorities and the clergy to resolve pressing issues. The book in which all the decisions of the meeting were reflected is usually called Stoglav. Thus, Stoglav is a collection of resolutions of the Church and Zemsky Council of 1551.

The Stoglavy Council was convened on the initiative of Ivan the Terrible

The book got its name from the number of parts it contains. During editing, the document was divided into 100 chapters. The editors of the document were afraid that careless scribes, when rewriting the resolutions of the council for distribution, might miss what they considered to be insignificant parts of Stoglav. Therefore, the document had to be structured so that the loss of even a small part of information would not go unnoticed.

Participants of the cathedral

The Council of the Hundred Heads was held in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin in 1551 and lasted almost 3 months. The initiator of the meeting was Ivan the Terrible. In addition to the monarch, the participants of the cathedral were princes, representatives of the highest clergy and the Boyar Duma.

The chairman of the council was Metropolitan Macarius. Also present at the cathedral were Archimandrites Tryphon of Suzdal, Akaki of Tver, Gury of Smolensk, Theodosius of Novgorod and other church ministers.

Financial problems and land ownership issues considered at the council

The conflict between the clergy and government lasted for many years. The clergy had claims against the state, since it encroached on monastic land ownership. The government wanted to use part of the church funds for state needs. Financial issues are included in the fifth chapter of Stoglav. After much discussion, the following decisions were made:

• Usury among priests was condemned;
• A uniform fee was established for all dioceses;
• Bribery among the laity and clergy was exposed;
• It was forbidden to refuse tonsure if the person wishing to become a monk did not have money;
• Control was established over the monastery treasury;
• A fee has been established for marriage.

  
  According to Stoglav, clergy could not be brought to state court

Important! One of the most important decisions was to secure the inviolability of church property. The issue of church estates was considered separately; a separate, one hundred and first chapter of Stoglav was even dedicated to it.

Results of the Council

• The main result of the Council was the systematization of the norms of current church law;
• The Council condemned the remnants of paganism, especially such as drunkenness and addiction to gambling;
• The meeting made a decision regarding monasteries in which both women and men could live;
• The Institute of Elders of the Clergy was formed;
• The two-finger folding of the fingers during the sign of the cross was legalized;

  
  Stoglav officially approves the two-fingered sign of the cross

• The question of the depiction of the Holy Trinity on icons has been raised. The traditional depiction of three angels on icons was discussed. A final decision on this issue has not been made.
• The relationship between secular and spiritual power was determined. For example, civil courts were deprived of the right to judge clergy. For these purposes, an ecclesiastical court was established, about charters;
• The question of church land ownership was discussed;
• Coherence in worship, unification of rituals and services was achieved;
• The rules for the census of church books and the principles of iconography were established;
• New Saints have been canonized.

Family and marriage law

The decisions made at the meeting of 1551 also regulated family relations.

• According to the resolution of the cathedral, only a married marriage was considered legal;
• Young people could marry with the consent of their parents or guardians;
• The age for marriage for the groom is 15 years, for the girl - 12 years;
• You could only legally marry 3 times;
• Divorce was allowed in cases of adultery or infertility of one of the spouses. Divorce was allowed if the spouses did not live together for a long time, or if one of the spouses decided to enter a monastery.

Interesting to know!
The main principle of the family according to Stoglav is the undivided power of a man over his wife, and parents over their children. If the husband was convicted of a crime, the wife suffered all the hardships with him. Parents controlled the destinies of their children; they could force them into marriage, send them to a monastery, or transfer them into slavery. The husband could pawn his wife and punish her, including physically. Assault could be limited only if it caused serious harm to health.