Religious Migration to the Eastern Outskirts as a Factor of Tightening of Empire in the 19th – early 20th Century

Abstract

The article is devoted to religious migration to the eastern outskirts as a factor in the tightening of Empire in the 19th — early 20th centuries and based on the materials of the Orenburg diocesan lists for the years 1897—1899 and materials of the Orenburg Spiritual Consistory fund of the Orenburg regional archive. We were involved in the analysis of the sources associated with the residence of sectarian communities in the Orenburg governance — subbotniks and shtundo-baptists, who were migrants from the Saratov and Kherson provinces. The main attention was paid to the relationship of sectarian migrants with the local Orthodox population and the attitude of the authorities towards them. In particular, there were analyzed economic and religious contacts of immigrants and local residents, measures taken by church authorities in order to combat the spread of sectarianism among the Orthodox population. Conclusions were drawn about the mutual peaceful relations of the participants of religious migrations with the indigenous people of the region and the tolerant policies of local authorities, which contributed to the establishment of civil peace and the strengthening of the state, the process of forming an integral multi-confessional civil society.