Dialogue of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Society of Western Siberia in the Discourse of the Employees of Ecclesiastical Missions of the Late 19th – Early 20th Century

The article reveals the models and content of the dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the society of Western Siberia in the discourse of church’s missions to the region in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. Throughout this study we established and characterized the “platforms” of the discourse of the Russian Orthodox Church, which mainly included church periodicals and personal writings by clergy engaged in the missions. The church played a vital role in fostering dialogue with the indigenous population of Western Siberia, as well as with schismatics and sectarians, compensating for the state’s lack of involvement in colonization and cultural policies in the eastern fringes of the empire. The clergy, particularly those from the missionary community, maintained close contact with the local population in remote areas that were minimally integrated into the imperial administrative system. They recognized that the imperial strategy of “cultural leveling”, which relied on active Russification of indigenous peoples and harsh persecution of religious dissidents, had limited effectiveness. In the publications of the Orthodox Missionary Society, diocesan journals, and the notes and diaries of missionaries, a vision emerged for a project to foster dialogue between the church and the regional society. This project aimed to facilitate a relatively smooth integration of indigenous peoples into Russian society and promote peaceful coexistence with dissenting Christians. From the missionaries’ perspective, as expressed in their writings and press contributions, a critical condition for achieving this goal was the creation of a positive image of the missionary as a proactive figure and a clear articulation of the moral rights of church officials as facilitators of interaction with various societal groups in Western Siberia.