EN
With the revival of the Polish state the situation of the Orthodox Church changed considerably. This dominant and privileged denomination in the Russian Empire became a Church of national minorities. Its dignitaries came up against a number of problems, which determined the position of the Church. Polonisation, control of the work of the clergy by the state, growing national awareness among the Belarusians, who were a majority of the believers in the north-eastern provinces and demanded Belarusification of religious life — all this fuelled the conflict with the dominant Russian-monarchist worldview of most of the hierarchy and the clergy. They were reluctant to accept Poland’s rebirth and did not understand the processes taking place in Belarusian society. The author of the article analyses the relations between the Polish state, the Russified Orthodox Church and Belarusian society.