Heretics and Colonizers

B. Breyfogle Nicholas

Description

In Heretics and Colonizers, Nicholas B. Breyfogle explores the dynamic intersection of Russian borderland colonization and popular religious culture. He reconstructs the story of the religious sectarians (Dukhobors, Molokans, and Subbotniks) who settled, either voluntarily or by force, in the newly conquered lands of Transcaucasia in the nineteenth century. By ordering this migration in 1830, Nicholas I attempted at once to cleanse Russian Orthodoxy of heresies and to populate the newly annexed lands with ethnic Slavs who would shoulder the burden of imperial construction.Breyfogle focuses throughout on the lives of the peasant settlers, their interactions with the peoples and environment of the South Caucasus, and their evolving relations with Russian state power. He draws on a wide variety of archival sources, including a large collection of previously unexamined letters, memoirs, and other documents produced by the sectarians that allow him unprecedented insight into the experiences of colonization and religious life. Although the settlers suffered greatly in their early years in hostile surroundings, they in time proved to be not only model Russian colonists but also among the most prosperous of the Empire's peasants. Banished to the empire's periphery, the sectarians ironically came to play indispensable roles in the tsarist imperial agenda.The book culminates with the dramatic events of the Dukhobor pacifist rebellion, a movement that shocked the tsarist government and received international attention. In the early twentieth century, as the Russian state sought to replace the sectarians with Orthodox settlers, thousands of Molokans and Dukhobors immigrated to North America, where their descendants remain to this day.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Russia
• Nationalism
• History of Europe
• Russie

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 11 août 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801463563
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 15 Mo

Extrait

HERETICS AND COLONIZERS

HERETICS AND COLONIZERS

FORGING RUSSIA’S EMPIRE IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS

NICHOLAS B. BREYFOGLE

CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS Ithaca and London

Copyright ©2005by Cornell University

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without per- mission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House,512East State Street, Ithaca, New York14850.

First published2005by Cornell University Press

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Breyfogle, Nicholas B.,1968– Heretics and colonizers : forging Russia’s empire in the south Cau- casus / Nicholas B. Breyfogle. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN0-8014-4242-7(cloth : alk. paper) 1. Transcaucasia—History—19th century.2. Land settlement— Transcaucasia.3. Transcaucasia—Ethnic relations.4. Dissenters, Religious—Transcaucasia. I. Title. DK509.B6866 2005 947.507—dc22 2004019431

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgmentsix Note on Translation and Transliteration Abbreviationsxv Mapsxviii

INTRODUCTION 1

xiii

PART I. THE ROAD TO TRANSCAUCASIA

1. TOLERATION THROUGH ISOLATION The Edict of 1830 and the Origins of Russian Colonization in Transcaucasia 17

2. TO A LAND OF PROMISE Sectarians and the Resettlement Experience 49

PART II. LIFE ON THE SOUTH CAUCASIAN FRONTIER

3. “IN THE BOSOM OF AN ALIEN CLIMATE” Ecology, Economy, and Colonization 87

4. HERETICS INTO COLONIZERS Changing Roles and Transforming Identities on the Imperial Periphery 128

5. FRONTIER ENCOUNTERS Conflict and Coexistence between Colonists and South Caucasians 173

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contents viii

PART III. THE DUKHOBOR MOVEMENT

6. FROM COLONIAL SETTLERS TO PACIFIST INSURGENTS The Origins of the Dukhobor Movement, 1887–1895 217

7. PEASANT PACIFISM AND IMPERIAL INSECURITIES The Burning of Weapons, 1895–1899 260

THE END OF AN ERA AND ITS MEANINGS 299

Selected Bibliography Index339

319

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It is with great pleasure that I express my deep thanks to the many peo- ple and organizations that have provided help and support during the long germination of this book. The list is long, and I only wish there were more space to honor publicly their immense assistance and encourage- ment—but that would require another book altogether. The project be- gan at the University of Pennsylvania, where I had the extremely good fortune to work with Alfred Rieber, an exemplary scholar and teacher. He set me on the path of this study, and his insight, intellectual breadth, and unfailing humanity continue to inspire me. At Penn, my thanks also go to Moshe Lewin, Ann Matter, Jack Reece, and everyone at the De- partment of History for their many contributions in the early stages. At Brown University, my undergraduate advisors Abbott Gleason and Patri- cia Herlihy nourished my nascent interest in Russian history with fasci- nating courses, generous time, and stimulating conversations. A number of colleagues read the manuscript in its entirety at different stages, and I am extremely grateful to them for their indispensable sug- gestions, critiques, and encouragement—their collective efforts made this book far better. They include Andy Conovaloff, Laura Engelstein, Daniel Field, David Hoffmann, Eve Levin, Carla Pestana, Roy Robson, Ron Suny, and the two anonymous readers from Cornell University Press. Particular thanks go to Josh Sanborn and Paul Werth, who critiqued the complete manuscript in the crucial final stages, which helped me refine my argu- ments and prose. Others read parts of the project and provided helpful and heartening feedback: Leslie Alexander, Mansel Blackford, John Brooke, Elizabeth Clement, Michael David-Fox, Sheila Fitzpatrick, Peter Holquist, Austin Jersild, Robin Judd, David Moon, Lucy Murphy, Alison Pion, Gabriella Safran, Abby Schrader, and Judy Wu. I also greatly ap- preciate the sage contributions of John Ackerman, Karen Laun, Martin Schneider, and the wonderful staff at Cornell University Press. The book has also profited tremendously from numerous conversa- tions and cups of coffee with friends and colleagues whose ideas, sugges- tions, and energy have found their way onto these pages. They include Jörg Baberowski, Steve Bittner, Angela Brintlinger, John Bushnell, Ken Church, Heather Coleman, Steve Conn, Saul Cornell, Katja David-Fox,

ix