Memories of Catholic Religious Life in Apostolic Vicarage of Syberia, 1920s - 1930s

The article, based on memories of Catholics, newspaper reports and Polish diplomatic records, depicts the everyday life of Catholics in the Apostolic Vicarage of Syberia. The Vicarage was an administrative unit created by the Holy See on 1st December 1921 to supervise Catholic organizations in Syberia, Far East and Central Asia. Initially, the Vicarage consisted of five Deaneries - Tomsk, Omsk, Irkutsk, Tashkent and Vladivostok. On 2nd March, 1923, the Pope Pius XI elevated the Vladivostok Deanery (which covered Primorsky Krai, Amur Oblast and Sachalin Island) to Diocese, nominating Karol Sliwowski as its first Bishop. The Vladivostok Diocese covered 9,5 million square meters, with, depending on the source, 75,000 - 101,000 - 140,000 worshippers. The Vicarage had 15 priests, who served for 80 parishes and branches of parishes. The article depicts the everyday life of Catholics during the difficult Soviet times, the history of Stalinist repressions and migrations of Catholics from Syberia, the organizational history of the Apostolic Vicarage and its four Apostolic Administrators.