«He Confessed Christ…»: Reflecting on biography of priest Vasily Infantiev

Abstract

This article is an analytical review of the monograph by the historian A. V. Sushko «Life, ministry and feat of the priest Vasily Feofanovich Infantiev». The book was published in Omsk in 2021. The monograph presents the results of a research work devoted to the reconstruction of the biography of an Orthodox pastor who fell for the faith. The review emphasizes the relevance of the book and its scientific significance. The main scientific method used to write this publication is the problematic method. The analysis of historical sources, methodology and research methods of the author of the monograph is carried out. The article gives a high assessment of the monograph by A. V. Sushko, notes the significance of the study for church history, deepening our understanding the relationship between authority, the Church and society during the first decades of Soviet power. In conclusion, the author of the review expresses the hope that the study by A. V. Sushko will also contribute to resolving the issue of the canonization of the priest Vasily Infantiev (this issue is now being dealt with by the Omsk Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church).