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A review of the book by S. A. Mezin and the publication of an interesting historical source written in 1757 by Chevalier d’Eon, a diplomat and adventurer is presented. The manuscript “Secret Anecdotes about the Court of the All-Russian Empress” is published for the first time both in French and in Russian. In the peer-reviewed book the source characteristic and the analysis of the manuscript, scientific comments, the detailed essay on French studies of Russia in 1725–1762 were qualitatively made.

Introduction. The article concentrates on the religious policy of the Russian Empire in the Early Modern Time. For the first time in historiography, a study was carried out concerning the activities of Catholic missionaries in relation to the Kalmyk Khanate, the attempts of the Capuchin Order to establish contacts with the Kalmyk Khan Donduk-Dashi. Materials and methods. The study is based on mostly unpublished materials from the political and diplomatic correspondence of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs and the legislation of the first half of the 1760s, characterizing the methods and territorial scope of the missionaries activity, in particular, their penetration into the Kalmyk steppe. The methodology of the study has been determined by the structural and functional approach to the system of state bodies of Russia. In combination with this approach, a historical-genetic method was used, which is optimal for the study of changes in the power system of the Russian Empire from the beginning of the 18th century through the first half of the 1760s. Results. The section demonstrates the reasons for the aspiration of the Capuchin Order to the North Caucasus and the place of the Kalmyk Khanate in missionary plans, describes the standard epoch-specific missionary techniques for influencing the non-Catholic population. It has been determined that the Capuchins, relying on the support of Austrian diplomacy, bypassed the formal restrictions on missionary activity in the studied region, which could not but cause religious friction. The activity of Russian institutions to resolve differences of this kind is traced, the difficulties encountered by the authorities in the capital and especially at the local level in connection with the need for an appropriate settlement are shown. At the same time, it is emphasized that the specific interests of secular and spiritual bodies in such cases did not coincide, which had a long-standing and stable character in the south. The dynamics of the attitude of the Russian authorities towards missionaries in the Russian south is outlined. If under the conditions of the “Austrian system” — orientation towards the Austrian court, which had been in Russian diplomacy since the times of Peter the Great and under Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, their position was favorable, then after the accession of Catherine II and the crisis in Russian-Austrian relations, the possibilities of missionaries in the North Caucasus and the Kalmyk steppes were significantly limited. The author states that in the process of settling religious tensions, the Russian authorities in the early 1760s faced a weak legal framework both in relation to non-Orthodox religions and in general. The solution to the problem was outlined with the accession of Catherine II and in connection with the empress’s policy in the spheres of religion and law.

Introduction. The article concentrates on the religious policy of the Russian Empire in the Early Modern Time. For the first time in historiography, a study was carried out concerning the place of Catholic missionaries who settled on the southern outskirts of Russia, in the religious policy of Russian secular and spiritual authorities. Materials and methods. The base of the study was the correspondence of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs with the Holy Synod, as well as other institutions and officials, characterizing the scale of the presence and direction of activity of Catholic orders on the territory of Russia. The methodology of the study has been determined by the structural and functional approach to the system of state bodies of Russia. In combination with this approach, a historical-genetic method was used, which is optimal for understanding the evolution of the structure of power in the Russian Empire from the time of Peter the Greatto the middle of the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. The results of the research are presented in the section “Catholic missionaries in the south of Russia by the middle of the 18th century: political and diplomatic aspects”. In it, the Capuchin Order is designated as the most active force of Catholic missionary work in the Russian south, which managed to prevail over others Catholic orders in dispute for influencing on the ethno-confessional groups of the studied region. It has been determined that the Capuchins in Russia gained constant diplomatic support from the Austrian monarchy. The activity of missionaries in Astrakhan and Nizhyn was traced, the place of the Armenian communities in the missionary plans of the Capuchins on the territory of Russia is shown. The influence on the position of the Capuchins of Russian-Austrian relations is emphasized, in particular of the “Austrian system” — the orientation of Russian diplomacy towards the Austrian court. The idea is carried out that the attitude of the Russian authorities in the capital and in the localities towards the Capuchins in such conditions was indifferent or patronizing, while in fact the Russian secular authorities did not take into account the violation of the prerogatives of the ruling Orthodox (Greek-Russian) church. In order of discussion (part “Missionaries in the Russian Borderlands: source study andhistoriographical observations” of the abovementioned section of the article), the main interpretations of Catholic missionaryism, found in the literature on Catholicism in Russia, have been identified. Conclusion. The author states that the reasons for the interest of Catholic missionaries to the southern Russian outskirts and their population were objective. The reaction of the Russian secular authorities to such an interest was little, and their awareness of the legal necessity of appropriate regulatory measures developed slowly.

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Copyright of Bylye Gody is the property of Cherkas Global University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bylye Gody is the property of Cherkas Global University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)