Mystical Sects on Territory of Tobolsk Province of 18th — Early 20th Centuries: Distribution and Number of Followers

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the history of the mystical sectarianism spread on the territory of the Tobolsk province in the 18^th — early 20^th centuries. The main groups of mystical sects in the Tobolsk province are revealed. The features of the sects’ doctrine are characterized. The socially dangerous nature of the activities of Eunuchs, causing physical and moral harm to persons involved in the sect, is characterized on specific historical material. The authors come to the conclusion about the relativity of government statistics on the number of sectarians in the region. The nature of the interaction of sectarian communities with the state, as well as the implementation of confessional policy on the territory of the province is presented in the work. Analysis of forensic sources allows us to conclude that the use of severe punishment, including imprisonment, deprivation of all rights of the state and exile to remote areas of the country, largely contributed to the departure of Eunuchs from the practice of castrating their followers, the use of less cruel methods of achieving “bodily purity”. The dynamics of the degree of distribution and the nature of the settlement of sectarians are considered.  The research was carried out on the basis of the analysis of the complex of legislative, statistical and record keeping sources of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (Moscow) and the State Archive in Tobolsk.