In Imperial Russia, "[white" priests](https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/russian-orthodox-clergy) (as opposed to "black" monks) of the non-noble clergy ministered to the Orthodox public. Entering this profession meant entering a new social class; it did not require celibacy.

Since the job involved using written materials, priests had to be literate. The Orthodox liturgical language was Church Slavonic, somewhat different from modern Russian. As French was the prestige language of the time, [it too was widely studied in seminaries](http://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/frantsuzskiy-yazyk-v-russkih-seminariyah-xviii-veka-iz-istorii-kulturnyh-kontaktov). Apart from languages, surely the seminary students focused on mysteries, rituals, commentaries, etc.

I'm interested in things around the year 1800. How much education did local priests have in Imperial Russia? Did all priests attend seminaries, or could those at the frontier skip a formal education? What qualifications were needed to become a priest?