Representatives of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches from the Belarusian-Lithuanian Provinces in the State Duma of the Russian Empire

Abstract

Representatives of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches from the Belarusian-Lithuanian provinces in the State Duma of the first and fourth convocations took an active part in political and legislative activities, influenced the development of the socio-political and socio-economic situation, both in the territory of the region and the Russian Empire in general. Due to the support of the deputies and the Orthodox clergy, measures were taken to inhance the situation of the Orthodox Church, to develop school affairs, and draft laws were developed to improve the situation of the peasant population. The deputies representing the Catholic Church mostly supported the rights of the church and the Catholics. For the majority of deputies, as well as the Orthodox and Catholic clergy, the period of Duma activity was the peak of their socio-political career.