With the support of the Ober-Procurator of the Most Holy Synod, Konstantin Pobedonostsev, he was transferred to the position of inspector of the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy.

He sought the approval of Emperor Nicholas II for the abolition of the Most Holy Synod, the full independence of the church from state institutions, and the election of a Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, a position that had been vacant since 1700.

[2] Concurrently, he served as the chief editor of the journal Orthodox Companion[2] and worked on cataloging manuscripts and early printed books from the Solovetsky Monastery collections that had been transferred to the Kazan Theological Academy.

In 1885, Konstantin Pobedonostsev, the Ober-Procurator of the Most Holy Synod, visited Kazan and recognized Archimandrite Anthony as a devout monk, capable organizer, and educated theologian.

[1] Additionally, he supported the creation of a Byzantine studies department at the academy and sought to increase the number of monks educated in theology.

[1] Anthony continued to support the Kazan Theological Academy by donating 287 books in 1891 and contributing 5,000 rubles in 1899 for student scholarships.

[2] In the Grand Duchy of Finland, Anthony focused on developing the missionary activities of the Russian Orthodox Church while striving to avoid associating the faith solely with the Russification efforts in the region.

Additionally, he founded the country’s first female monastery, began translating liturgical texts from Church Slavonic to Finnish, opened more parish schools, and engaged in various charitable activities.

Bishop Anthony, valuing dialogue, advocated for the acceptance of the teachings of the Russian Orthodox Church by Old Catholics, particularly in ecclesiology, where theological differences were most pronounced, and the abandonment of the Filioque clause in the creed.

[1] In 1897, as a leading hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, he made an official visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria's reign.

[1] Upon returning to Russia, on 24 December 1898, he was appointed Metropolitan of Saint Petersburg, the highest-ranking hierarch in the Russian Orthodox Church, succeeding the late Palladius Rayev.

[2] As Metropolitan of Saint Petersburg, Anthony regularly visited prisoners, adhering to the traditional Russian practice of church hierarchs advocating for their welfare to the authorities.

[1] He discontinued the practice of hosting lavish receptions at the metropolitan residence and instead directed his financial support toward city clergy and the construction of churches and monasteries.

[1] Citing the emperor’s previous edict on religious tolerance, Anthony argued that minority faiths had been granted more freedoms than the official church.

[1][8] On March 31, Nicholas II agreed with the main points of the memorandum but, influenced by Konstantin Pobedonostsev, deemed the immediate organization of a council inappropriate due to the country’s internal complexities.

[8] The committee, led by Metropolitans Anthony, Vladimir of Moscow, and Flavian [pl] of Kyiv, advocated for the abolition of the Most Holy Synod and the restoration of the patriarchate.

[e][1] This decision was influenced by voices from the imperial family, interior ministers, and subsequent Ober-Procurators of the Synod, including Alexander Obolensky, Alexei Shiryinsky-Shikhmatov, and Peter Izvolsky [pl].

[8] Unlike many of his contemporaries, Metropolitan Anthony supported grassroots movements among white clergy advocating for structural renewal, internal reforms, and the convening of a local council.

[10] Additionally, he initiated discussions within the church on various aspects of Orthodox monasticism, including the monks' roles in Russian society, their interactions with different social strata (particularly the intelligentsia), and potential operational changes in monasteries.

He believed that direct political engagement by hierarchs, including the formation of a clerical party, would undermine the church's authority, which was already weakened.

[13] Anthony’s respected status among the clergy allowed him to maintain unity among church hierarchs during his lifetime, with no significant conflicts among bishops.

[1] Despite his efforts to mobilize parish clergy and advocate for internal church reforms, his political views did not gain widespread support among most priests, who were elected to the Duma and aligned with various factions.