The Geopolitical Dimension of the Activities of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society in the Second Half of the 19th and Early 20th Centuries

The article considers the problem of the activities of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society in the geopolitical context in the second half of the 19th — early 20th centuries. It has been established that, under the influence of the results of the Crimean War, the Russian leadership decided to increase the systematicity and functionality of work in the direction of strengthening the geopolitical and civilizational presence of the empire in the Middle East, which was to be facilitated by the Orthodox Palestine Society. Against the backdrop of growing international tensions and the formation of two opposing military-political blocs in the second half of the 19th — early 20th centuries, Russia is trying to strengthen its position in the Middle East. It is shown that the ideological foundations of the activities of the Palestine Society were determined by the influence of the concept of “Moscow — the Third Rome”, which became the ideological basis of the foreign policy of the Russian Empire. Examples of this implementation were evident in the circumstances of the intensifying struggle of Orthodox peoples for independence from the weakening Ottoman Empire in the 19th — early 20th centuries. The influence of this concept can be seen in the text of the Charter of this Society. The methods of work outlined in the Charter are essentially consistent with the modern understanding of the tools of “soft power”. Thus, Russian interests and values associated with the geopolitical and civilizational presence of the Russian Empire in the Middle East region were to be promoted in the form of pilgrimage and missionary activity, that is, through non-forceful influence. Based on the analysis of a broad source base and numerous studies, it is revealed that the actions of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society in the second half of the 19th — early 20th centuries led to the emergence of the phenomenon of Russian Palestine — a significant complex of land holdings and infrastructure that became a cluster of Russia’s geopolitical and civilizational presence in the Middle East. The pilgrimage, scientific, educational and enlightenment activities of the Society have been played key roles in this process.