The article deals with the so‑called Renovationist schism in the Russian Orthodox Church in the 1920–1940s. The nature of Renovation‑ ism is not obvious, which led to the emergence of different historiographical concepts. This phenomenon is explored here on the basis of a wide range of sources, both open (as the press of the 1920s) and previously classified documents (primarily from secret services and the highest Soviet authorities). The real nature of the interaction between the “Living Church” and the GPU in the 1920s and in subsequent years is analyzed.