The article explores the failed attempt of the all-Orthodox (Ecumenical) Council in the 1920-1930s through the prism of relations between the Constantinople Patriarchate, the Russian Church, and the Soviet government. In the situation of a strong Church discord in Russia, provoked by anti-religious policy of the Bolsheviks, the Patriarchate of Constantinople claimed the role of mediator between the Russian Church ("Tikhonovskaia") and the Pro-Soviet Renovationist schism. The Ecumenical Patriarchate tried to collaborate with Soviet authorities in attempts to unify "Tikhonites" and renovators so that they could participate at the prospected Ecumenical Council. However, the transition of Russian Western European parishes to Constantinople in 1931 caused strong negative reaction from both the Russian Church and Soviet authorities. Finally, the Soviet leadership did not authorize a united delegation to take part at the Inter-Orthodox PreCouncil meeting (Prosynod). The absence of the Russian Church made both Prosynod and the Ecumenical Council impossible. Keywords: Pan-Orthodox (Ecumenical) Council, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, renovationist schism, Russian Western parishes, Commission on Cults in the Central Executive Committee, Stalin. The theme of the Pan-Orthodox Council has repeatedly gained increased relevance over the past hundred years, attracting the interest of religious scholars and historians. In Russian historiography, the greatest attention is paid to the period of revival of inter-Orthodox contacts in the 1960s, when the preparation of the Russian Orthodox Church was completed. page 333Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov)led the Russian Orthodox Church's preparations for the Pan-Orthodox Council1. Meanwhile, inter-Orthodox pre-conciliar activity was no less significant in the 1920s and 1930s, but the Russian Church could not take part in it properly at that time. For this reason, if Russian authors have mentioned the preparation ... Read more