. The activity of missionaries in Kazakhstan in the second half of the XIX — early XX century was associated not only with attracting foreigners to the bosom of Orthodoxy. The missionaries fought against the sectarian movement and the increasing devise (Old Believers), which became widespread among the Russian peasant settlers. Finding themselves in a new environment, the new settlers did not always feel the support
of the church and the government, which often served as a reason for rejecting Orthodoxy. The dissenters who lived next door to the Kazakhs created the image of an unkind Russian man, which caused great harm to the preaching of Orthodoxy. The missionaries conducted explanatory work among the Kazakh population about the non-godly lifestyle of the schismatics, who also influenced their decision-making on the issue of conversion to the new faith by their aggressive attitude towards the nomads. The article, based on documentary materials and printed publications of the XIX — early XX century, gives a brief description of the dissenters, highlights their position in the Kazakh steppe, and provides examples of their relationship with the Kazakhs. The directions of missionary activity among schismatics are considered. The work of Orthodox
preachers among schismatics did not always lead to the desired results. Successes in this matter alternated with failures, when the dissenters, after lengthy conversations and exhortations from missionaries, refused to return to Orthodoxy and remained true to their views. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the number of schismatics, who joined Orthodoxy at the beginning of the XX century exceeded the number of those who fell away from the church.
For citation:
Sadvokasova Z.T. Missionary activity among dissenters in Kazakhstan (the second half of the XIX — early XX century), Ivanovo State University Bulletin. Series: Humanities, 2022, iss. 1, pp. 113—122.