State Confessional Relations in Crimea in the First Half of the XIX Century

Abstract

Due to the annexation of the Crimea to Russia in 1783, the peninsula saw a problem of the peaceful integration of the population in the legal field of the Empire. Considering that the peninsula of the end of XVIII - first half of the XIX centuries can be characterized by the dominance of the communities of the so-called religions of "foreign confessions", the peace and prosperity on the peninsula largely depended on good legislative solutions in the field of government/religious relationship. Among the first acts of 1783, which laid the foundation of interethnic and interfaith peace, there was a Manifesto of Catherine II "On the Adoption of the Crimean Peninsula, Taman' Island and whole Kuban' to the Russian State" and the Decree for the name of the Novorossiysk General-Governor Prince Potemkin "On the Adoption of the Crimean Residents and other Tatar Peoples to the Russian Citizenship". In fact, all further acts were aimed at the implementation of these safeguards, improvement of state-confessional relations on the peninsula. An important document systematizing various acts concerning the activities of non-orthodox religious organizations in Russia became "Charters of Spiritual Affairs of Foreign Confessions" by Nicholas I. As a result, through religious and communal authorities, acting in contact and under the supervision of the Provincial governance structures, through the preservation of traditions and customs, a number of measures aimed at economic and cultural development of the peninsula, the authorities of the Empire were able to achieve in the Crimea not only peace and harmony, but the devotional service of the throne subjects. The proposed article is devoted to the study of government/religious relationship in Taurida Province.