Kartashev Anton (1875–1960) – social-political and ecclesiastical activist, theologian, specialist in Biblical studies, historian of Russian Church, publicist.
He graduated from the Perm’ Spiritual Seminary (1894), and St. Petersburg Spiritual Academy (1899). He worked at the Chair of the History of Russian Church of the St. Petersburg Spiritual Academy (1899-1905). In 1905, the Synod demanded him to stop his participation in political and social activity or to quit the Academy. In 1905-1917, K. worked at the Public Library; in 1906-1917, he also made lectures at the High Female Courses. He was Chairman of the St. Petersburg Religious and Philosophical Society (1909), worked for the Novyi Put’ Publishing House; he was a member of the Masonic group ‘The Great East of the Peoples of Russia’ and a member of its High Council (1905-1917). After the February Revolution 1917, he enrolled to the CD Party (Constitutional Democrats) and became one of the leaders of its right wing. He served as Deputy Ober Procurator of the Synod (1917), Ober Procurator (25.07.1917 – 5.08.1917), the first Minister of Religious Confessions of the Temporary Government (5.08.1917 – October 1917). He was under the arrest (25.10.1917 – 26.01.1918). In the January of 1919, he left Russia; he lived in Finland (1919), was Minister of Foreign Affairs at the “Political Council’ of N. N. Yudenich (1919). Since May 1920, he has lived in Paris.
Professor of the Orthodox St Sergius Theological institute in Paris (1925-1960). Among the disciples of K. there were such ecclesiastic historians as I. Т. Meyendorf, P. Е. Kovalevsky, А. D. Shmemanн. He was Co-Editor of the ‘Bor’ba za Rossiyu’ (Struggle for Russia) Magazine (1926–1931), Chairman of the Russian Academic Group in France. Doctor in Theology (1944).
His main works were on the history of Orthodox Church.