Vestnik of Samara University. History, pedagogics, philologyVestnik of Samara University. History, pedagogics, philology2542-04452712-8946Samara National Research University333910.18287/2542-0445-2013-19-2-71-76Unknown«CLOSING» OF ULYANOVSK AND MELEKESSKY DIOCESES IN 1959PodmaritsynA. G.morenov.sv@ssau.ruhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1825-0097the Dept. of Russian History, Samara State University, Samara, 443011, Russian Federation.0102201319271761002201710022017Copyright © 2013, Podmaritsyn A.G.2013<p>The article overviews practice of closing and reduction of a number of dioceses of Russian Orthodox Church at the end of the fifties - in the beginning of the sixties years of the XXth century, as a result of external Soviet pressure. Case studies are given to analyze tactics of the Soviet officials from Council for Russian Orthodox Church affairs at Council of Ministers of the USSR, as well as to show the leading role of a local authorized person of the Council in the termination of activities of Ulyanovsk Melekess diocese in 1959.</p>Russian Orthodox Churchdioceses of Russian Orthodox ChurchCouncil for Affairs of Russian Orthodox Church at Council of Ministers of the USSRauthorized person across the Ulyanovsk regiondirections of the Soviet anti-church policyРусская православная церковьепархии РПЦСовет по делам РПЦ при СМ СССРуполномоченный по Ульяновской областинаправления советской антицерковной политики