The split of the Mennonite Church community and its relationship with the Russian authorities in the second half of the 19th century

Abstract

The article examines the process of religious conflicts and schisms that arose in Mennonite communities in the second half of the 19th century. An analysis of archival and published sources shows that the social conflicts that arose due to the confrontation between land and landless colonists resulted in religious confrontation. On the one hand, there are conservative church elders, and on the other, there are radical and relatively educated young people. Attention is drawn to the fact that government agencies tried not to interfere in community conflicts, considering them an internal matter of the Mennonites. When asked by the conflicting parties to take action, officials most often recommended that the warring parties reconcile. The policy of non-interference leads to the expulsion of sectarians from communities and the search for new places of residence. Gradually, sectarian Mennonites began to engage in missionary activities, influencing the ethnic and religious groups that surrounded them. Initially, the authorities are trying to stop sectarian splits and propaganda by allowing religious dissidents to move to vacant lands. However, the growing number of peasants who abandoned Orthodoxy in favor of sectarian beliefs is forcing the government to move from a policy of non-interference in the affairs of the Mennonites to restricting their former rights and freedoms. The Mennonite communities began to be subjected to regular inspections by the local and central administration.