The Struggle for the Transition to the “Royal Faith”. From the History of Orthodoxy in the Baltic States

Abstract

The study relevance lies in the fact that in the public consciousness in our time, the Baltic States are defined as a border region, which is associated with the clash of different religions, languages and cultures. It is also connected with the problems of self-identification of peoples, especially after the collapse of the USSR. The cultural-historical and comparative methods are the main methods of research. The Baltic States are the territory of the former Livonia, which later makes up three Russian provinces ― Estonia, Courland, and Livonia. These provinces formed a separate general government of the Russian Empire ― the Baltic Region. According to the German name of the Baltic Sea ― Ostsee, this region was even called Ostsee in the Russian press (now it is the area of Estonia and Latvia). Orthodoxy was the first Christian confession that came to the present-day Latvia, and Estonia territory in the 11th century from neighbouring Russian regions. Russian Orthodoxy has been subjected to various oppressions in various periods. The study purpose is to analyze the struggle for the transition to the “royal faith” in the Baltic States. To achieve the study purpose, archival materials and materials from the works of leading Russian, Estonian, Latvian, and Polish historians in the topic were used. The study authors conclude that the indigenous inhabitants of the Baltic States were not only loyal subjects of the Russian emperors but also loyal citizens of the USSR. And the issues of religion play a decisive role in the identification and fate of peoples, being the main issue in the border and developed territories.