"The Skopets-Molokan-Jewish sect" of the Tula province in the context of political relations in the 19th century

Questions of state policy regarding various religious communities in the Russian Empire have been repeatedly raised in academic literature. However, their study remains highly uneven. While the issue of the relationship between the authorities and the Old Believers is considered from both all-Russian and regional perspectives, the problem of the authorities' relationship with "sects" is currently more peripheral. This article examines the policy of the authorities towards the "Skoptsy-Molokans-Jewish sect" that existed in the 19th century in the village of Nizhnye Zalegoschi in the Novosil district of Tula province. The research addresses the following questions: when and in what context did this religious group emerge? What was the reaction of various participants in power relations to its appearance? What difficulties did the authorities face in interacting with this sect? Our research is based on unpublished sources that are being introduced into scholarly discourse for the first time. The methodology includes primarily historical-systemic and historical-genetic methods. In this work, we will use the term "sect," as it was the most commonly used term in relation to the religious movement we are studying. Throughout the research, the author reaches several conclusions. It is noted that this religious movement represented a variant of Skoptsy, syncretically incorporating elements from other religious directions. The participants of this religious movement were characterized by adherence to all external prescriptions of the Orthodox Church, refusal of meat, alcohol, and coitus, special reverence for the Sabbath, the practice of castration, conducting night rituals similar to those of Khlysty or Skoptsy, among others. A particular emphasis is placed on the fact that the representatives of this sect did not separate themselves from the Orthodox Church, which created additional problems for the authorities. It is noted that the "Skoptsy-Molokan-Jewish sect" existed within a Cossack-peasant environment. It is underscored that the authorities, confronted with incomprehensible practices, could not develop a comprehensive strategy for interacting with the newly emerged sect. Against this backdrop, conflicts arose between the church and the secular authorities, as well as within the clergy itself, which could not be resolved through compromises.