Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associated Proffesor, Nizhnevartovsk State University Nizhnevartovsk, Russia [email protected]
Abstract. The article considers the main features of the organization and functioning of Beryozov vicariate of the Tobolsk and Siberian diocese in the first half of the 70s of XIX century. Preconditions for emergence of a vicar bishop were obtained, which included: increasing of the number of Orthodox population in the region, the need to intensify the missionary work among the indigenous people, the coordination of the clergy's efforts for executions of missionary objectives; the process of reforming of local (including the church) administration in general; the position of bishop Varlaam, defended the idea of a creating of vicariate institutions before the Synod. The article shows, that the process of coordination of financial and other questions predating to the emergence of Beryozov vicariate, had been lasted about seven years. A brief biography, separate features of the first Beryozov bishop Efrem (Ryazanov) are considered. It is noted that the bishop had a great management experience and was fully prepared to carry out his duties. Various aspects of Bishop Efrem’s activity are disclosed, among them: his participation in the opening of Tobolsk Committee of Russian Orthodox Missionary Society in March 12, 1872; the ordainment, appointment and movement of clergymen. The article describes the process and results of bishop Efrem’s trip in Beryozovsky okrug in 1873.  The conclusion is in the fact, that attempts to reforming of the church administration in the Tobolsk North by creating of a vicariate in this period cannot be considered fully successful, mainly because of the absence of conditions for staying of the bishop on the territory of the region.
Key words: vicariate, Tobolsk and Siberian diocese, the North of Western Siberia, missionary, clergy, diocesan administration, bishop.