Russian Orthodox Pilgrimage to Palestine as an Element of Russia's "Soft Power" Politics in the Context of Geopolitical Competition in the Mid-19th to Early 20th Centuries

The article addresses the issue of pilgrimage from Russia to Palestine as an element of Russian "soft power" in the context of geopolitical competition in the mid-19th to early 20th centuries. The relevance of the study is explained by the fact that today the Black Sea region and the Middle East find themselves once again at the epicenter of conflicting interests among global and regional actors, necessitating a return to historical analogies. During the period under consideration—amid the "ripening" circumstances leading to World War I—Russia functionally employed methods of "soft power" to strengthen its positions in the strategically significant Middle Eastern region. It is shown that Russian Orthodox pilgrimage to the Holy Land was characterized by a rich history and a special significance that encompassed both civilizational and geopolitical components. The methodology of the study is based on the principle of methodological pluralism, prioritizing geopolitical and systemic approaches. This led to the use of historical-genetic, historical-comparative, and historical-systemic methods, as well as document analysis and discourse analysis. An analysis of the source base and existing research revealed that the negative outcomes of the Crimean War prompted Russian leadership to develop a new foreign policy strategy, the Middle Eastern vector of which included elements of "soft power": the imperative to protect Orthodox subjects in the Ottoman Empire; the activation of Russian Orthodox pilgrimage to holy sites; the acquisition of land plots, the establishment and support of appropriate Russian socio-cultural institutions in Palestine; and the formation of Russia's image as the patron and defender of Orthodoxy. This contributed to the strengthening of the Russian Empire's positions in the Middle East amid resistance from Great Britain, France, Germany, and Austria-Hungary. After the victory in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, the policy of "soft power" in St. Petersburg transformed from the goal of "protection over Slavic peoples" to the imperative of patronage for all Orthodox Christians. With the establishment of the Russian Palestine Society and up until the beginning of World War I, the implementation of "soft power" components in Russia's policy in the Middle East took on a systematic character, manifested in the activities of the Society to support the pilgrimage movement, scientific, missionary, and educational efforts, and the formation of necessary infrastructure, which strengthened the political and spiritual presence of the Russian Empire in the Middle Eastern region.