Government Policy towards Sectarians and Its Implementation in Tobolsk Province in 19th Century

Abstract

This article examines the process of establishing the legal framework for the state’s relations with representatives of religious sectarianism, focusing on the peculiarities of the Russian Orthodox Church’s policy towards sectarianism in Tobolsk Province. A comprehensive analysis of published and unpublished archival materials is conducted, highlighting the efforts of central and local governing bodies to prevent and suppress the activities of sects that had spread in Tobolsk Province during the second half of the 19th century. By examining judicial records and periodical publications, the effectiveness of government measures in Tobolsk Province during this period is evaluated. It is demonstrated that improving the legislative basis was closely linked to gathering information about the beliefs and ritual practices of sectarians and refining the typology of religious sectarianism. The conclusion is drawn that measures to curb the spread of sectarian doctrines involved imposing penalties such as deprivation of all rights and exile of sectarians to remote regions of the country (Caucasus, Western and Eastern Siberia). The implementation of a comprehensive set of antisectarian measures by secular and ecclesiastical provincial governing bodies resulted in changes to the ritual practices of sectarians, making it difficult for authorities to identify sect affiliations, indicating a low level of effectiveness of the government’s actions.