Sectarianism was a specific social response to the political and economic changes in the empire at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was actively spreading even in remote areas. The authors identified strategies for the spread of sectarianism for the first time that ensured religious diversity despite the dominant position of Orthodoxy and administrative obstacles and strict legal restrictions. This was largely due to: a) lack of systematic regulation of the religious sphere within the current legislative framework; b) increase in migration movement; c) difficulties in internal missionary work of the Orthodox Church. Empirical basis of the study includes archival materials, legislative acts, publications, governors’ reports and statistical surveys of the Yenisei province. They allowed us to analyze regional features and dynamics of sectarian spread in detail. The historical-systematic approach provides consideration of the activities of sectarians in connection with the actions of state and church institutions. The source study method allows for a critical assessment of local sources, and content analysis confirms the growth of sectarianism and public attitudes towards it. Sectarian strategies consider the prevailing Orthodox worldview among the population. First, they position themselves as representatives of Orthodoxy, imitate adherence to traditional values, but include doctrinal and ritual specifics. Second, they criticize official Orthodoxy and return to “pure” original Christianity (Old Believers). Third, they oppose the religious tradition to its modernized version of Christianity focused on the internal and external transformation of Church followers. All strategies show similar advantages relative to the Orthodox Church: (a) independence from cult infrastructure.; (b) practice-oriented preaching and (c) an individual approach to proselytizing.
Key words: sectarianism, religious legislation, resettlement, missionary activity, Joanites, Old Believers, Baptists, Yenisei province
DOI: 10.22250/20728662-2026-1-24-34
About the authors
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Tatyana V. Izluchenko – PhD (Philosophy), Assistant Professor at the Department of Philosophy, Siberian Federal University; 79 Svobodny ave., Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia; Senior researcher at the Laboratory for Historical and Socio-Economic Research in Siberia and Central Asia, Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences”; 50 Akademgorodok St., Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia; izluchenko@mail.ru |
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Denis N. Gergilev – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Leading researcher at the Laboratory for Historical and Socio-Economic Research in Siberia and Central Asia, Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences”; 50 Akademgorodok St., Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia; Professor at the Department of History of Russia, World and Regional Civilizations, Siberian Federal University; 79 Svobodny ave., Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia; turilak@yandex.ru |