The Bulletin represents the single most important primary source in analyzing the history and practices of the Russian Mormons. Published beginning in 1866 and discontinued with the onset of Bolshevik power after the 1918 issue, the Bulletin contains articles, news, and advertisements written by Orthodox priests from many parts of the Samara Eparchy (geographically equivalent to Samara Province). The publication was issued twice monthly.
Collections of some of the issues of the Bulletin can be found in the following locations: (information updated 2006)
Samara Regional Archives. 25 Molodogvardeyskaya St., Samara, Russia, 443099. Tel. 7 (8462) 33-62-72.
Samara Theological Seminary, library. 2 Radonezhskaya St., Samara, Russia, 433110. Tel. 7 (8462) 36-35-11.
Between these two sources, not all issues were found. The earliest known mention of Mormonism was in 1869 with Rozhdestvenskiy’s article calling Ivan Grigorev Kanygin a “Molokan-Mormon”. There is also a likely mention of the Mormons in 1879 by a certain Professer Asher. However, I have been unable to locate either of these Bulletin issues. The earliest information regarding Mormonism that I have personally found in the Bulletin is dated 1891; the last was in 1915.
One of the fundamental considerations in using the Bulletin as a source is that its principle authors were Orthodox priests and missionaries. Orthodox clergy were often either unsympathetic or openly violent in their opposition to sectarianism, and Mormons fell under heavy persecution by both religious and secular authorities. The village priest often worked in close tandem with the military and police in order to contain anti-Orthodox elements. Other priests, like Nikola Stroev, the author of a lengthy 1907 article on Mormonism, were friends with prominent Mormons and sought to dissuade them peacefully from their faith without resorting to official persecution. However, reports and interpretation of historical events by Orthodox writers must be taken into consideration when evaluating the Bulletin.
