THE significance of communion cannot be overemphasized - it is the central sacrament of the Orthodox Church. But communion as a practice in its historical manifestations can be very diverse and undergo significant changes in a relatively short time. From this point of view, the frequency of regular communion of lay people accepted by a certain community is most significant.1 In this respect, the practice in question has experienced two revolutions in the twentieth century, or, so to speak, two Eucharistic transitions: from the synodal period to the Soviet period (during the entire Soviet period, the frequency of communion by an Orthodox parishioner increased approximately 5-10 times) and then to the post-Soviet period (another 4-5 times In this article, we will try to understand what factors led to the first Eucharistic transition and highlight some methodological points that seem to be important for studying the practice of communion and religious practices in general. The study of the practice of communion presents us with an unexpected source study problem. Despite its significance for the Orthodox believer, communion is a silent practice that is rarely spoken about, and even less often The research was supported by the Program of Fundamental Research of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Traditions and Innovations in History and Culture". 1. The practice of communion is accompanied by a whole range of related practices. All of them together can be called Eucharistic practices : the presence or absence of pre-communion confession; Eucharistic fasting and the practice of marital abstinence in connection with communion; pre - and post-communion prayers and services that should be attended in connection with communion; lay prayers during the Liturgy, etc. page 34it is recorded in writing. The regularity of communion is learned by the faithful from the context, from the custom, which is not always justified, and even less often understood. The good thi ... Читать далее