The emergence and spread of Orthodoxy on the territory of Kazakhstan in the process of its incorporation into the Russian Empire (1731–1871)

Abstract

This first article discusses the spread of Orthodoxy in the territory of Kazakhstan during the period of 1731–1871. Orthodoxy appeared and spread here strictly in the context of the resettlement of Russian people from the depths of the country, who were initially the bearers of the Orthodox faith and Russian traditions. The lower chronological framework of the study is justified by the first official act of state significance – the entry of the Small Zhuz into the Russian Empire in October 1731, although expeditions and the development of fortresses in the territories inhabited by Kazakh tribes were known somewhat earlier. The upper boundary is the appearance of the first episcopal see in the region. During this time, the first defensive lines were formed, which stood on the borders of the Small and Middle Zhuz, and the Russian Empire. The garrison of the fortresses and the local population in the beginning were represented by Cossacks, exiled peasants, and convicted criminals. In some areas, the Cossacks were Old Believers, since there was no sense of oppression of the authorities for such deviations in worldview. The strengthening of the positions of the Orthodox Church in this region began in the 19th century, before that one can only speak of the existence of prayer houses and small churches as part of expeditions and military garrisons.