Religious policy towards "shtundobaptism" in the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century

The purpose of the article is to study the process of formation and spread of "stundobaptism" as a trend in "evangelical Christianity" in the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century. Based on a number of sources, the authors analyze the religious policy of the Imperial government towards its followers. The object of the study is the state policy in relation to "stundobaptism". The subject of the research is the normative legal acts regulating the religious policy of the government of the Russian Empire in relation to followers of "Stundobantism", materials of periodicals, archival documents. Within the framework of the research methodology using historical-legal, comparative-legal and comparative-historical methods, an analysis of the activities of the state authorities of the Russian Empire in the persecution of followers of "stundobaptism" in the second half of the XIX century was carried out. The authors point out that until the 60s of the XIX century. "Stundobaptism" was considered by the government as a "tolerant" religious trend in Protestantism along with other Protestant sects. However, from a certain point on, he began to cause concern to the state church in connection with the involvement of the Russian Orthodox population in the Shtundist communities. During the reign of Emperor Alexander III, at the initiative of the Chief Prosecutor of the Synod, K.P. Pobedonostsev, a repressive campaign was launched against the Stundists, the religious activities of the Stundist and Baptist communities were legally restricted, and their leaders were persecuted. The article reveals the methods of carrying out repressive measures by the general and political police against the Stundobaptists, indicating that these measures ultimately failed to achieve the goals pursued by K.P. Pobedonostsev.