Law and Religion in Russia in the 15th–17th Centuries, and the Problem of “Early Modern(ity)” in Russian History

This introduction aims to provide general background for the subsequent studies, placing them within a narrative that focuses on the most important phenomena vital to understanding the manifold interconnections between law and religion in early modern Russia. At the same time, it will discuss the application of the label “early modern” to Russia’s history by making a cursory comparison with the history of Western Christendom, which was identical with the notion of Europe in the 15th-17th centuries. This comparison makes it more plausible to link the beginning of the early modern period of Russian history to the mid-17th century than to any earlier date, a claim which the author feels is justified, among other considerations, by the changes that took place in the fields of law and religion. At the same time, it underlines the importance of the Petrine era, which was much more than a mere continuation of some 17th-century trends in the fields mentioned above.