Franciscan Monasteries in Herzegovina Through the Eyes of Russian Diplomats in the 1850s–1870s

The readers are invited to another story from the life of the Bosnian Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire, which does not contain bright conclusions, but is interesting information for reflection. It is about two Franciscan monasteries in Herzegovina – Humac and Shirok Breg in the 1850s-1870s. The source for the preparation of the study were materials from the reports of Russian diplomatic agents in Mostar N.A. Ilarionov and Ia.P. Slavliubov, as well as their other colleagues in the service in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These sources are kept in the funds of the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire. The Orthodox population of the region was the main object of Russian attention and assistance. In diplomatic documents there are very rare references to and characterizations of Catholic monasteries and educational institutions. In the archival heritage of the consulate in Mostar we managed to find references to the escape of Catholic novices from the monastery Shiroki Breg, information about the structure and organization of educational institutions, brief descriptions of the monasteries, compiled by Ia.P. Slavliubov after a personal visit to each of them in the 1870s. The facts presented in this article probably might be useful for the researchers engaged in reconstructing the history of the monasteries Humac and Shiroki Breg, as well as for the researchers of Russian policy in the Balkans.

Bosnian Vilayet, Russian Vice Consulate in Mostar, Franciscans, Humac, Shirokij Breg, N.A. Ilarionov, Ia.P. Slavliubov