Confessional policies of the Russian empire with respect to religious minorities (1721–1905)

Abstract

Russian state had multinational and polyconfessional character almost from the very beginning of its existence. From the 16th till the end of the 19th century it had to solve a problem of increasing religious diversity. The aim of the article is to find and analyze factors, which influenced relations between the state and religious minorities on the territories of the Russian empire. Over the course of research the following factors were found: the expansion of Russian territory and the inclusion of new peoples from the 16th to the 19th centuries, the relationship between the secular authorities and the official Church, the presence of a hierarchy of more or less harmful religious minorities, shifts that emerged when new monarchs and bureaucrats became occupied with questions of confessional management, and specific local conditions that were sharply distinct in the various parts of the empire. The article discusses duality and contradictions in religious policy of the Russian empire when two trends coexisted simultaneously, namely the trend toward unification of religious life of the country to improve stability, on the other hand, the trend toward religious toleration to decrease tensions and increase the loyalty of religious minorities. The paper also discusses factors influencing the formation of religious toleration towards religious minorities in different regions. The article concludes that, despite all contradictions, the religious policy of the Russian empire was successful. The manifesto of 1905 relieved tensions in relations between the state and religious minorities, and the religious question did not play significant role in the revolution of 1917.