Orthodox Pilgrimage in the Middle East Operations of the Russian Steam Navigation and Trading Company (1894–1914)

Abstract

The role of Russian transport companies in pilgrimage movement, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean, has received relatively little attention of researchers. Meanwhile, the study of Russian shipping business is rewarding for two major reasons. In the first place, anything that will help explain the development of transport operations throws light on one of the most important socio-cultural phenomena: the growth of Orthodox pilgrimage to the Middle East under Alexander II and Alexander III to the position it holds at the beginning of the 20th century. Secondly, the history of shipping companies is significant precisely because of sea transportation of pilgrims to the Holy Land. This paper exploits the history of Russian steam navigation and trading company to estimate the effect of private business on orthodox pilgrimage at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Contrary to common assumptions in the literature, the author shows that private business played an important role in in strengthening socio-cultural and economic ties between Russia and the Middle East. Using archive data for shipping corporation spanning 1894–1914, the article analyzes the changes in the ratio of private (joint-stock company), public (pilgrimage) and state (government officials) interests as the cross-border maritime operations developed. The article's findings demonstrate the existence of a link between socio-cultural priorities, political upheavals and economic hard times as captured by growth or contraction of the pilgrimage movement. Moreover, the author finds evidence that transport operations affected by increasing number of Orthodox pilgrims, leading to a diversification of shipping services. Dataset shows that shipping effectiveness consistently varied between port cities, and that company owners considered these differences when accounting for the number of passengers. These data also indicate that interconnectedness of sea lines, diversification of transport operations and differences in ticket prices and favored the development of pilgrimage movement to the Holy Land.