Православие и лютеранство в приграничных районах Европейского Севера России (1900-1940-е гг.) Международные отношения на Севере Европы и Баренц-регион. 2008, с.79-86.

Yuliya Bardileva Orthodoxy and the Lutheran Church on the border territories of the European North of Russia (1900-1940s) In the first decade o f the 20th century relations between Russian State Power and Russian Orthodox Church on the one hand, and the Lutheran population on the other hand were not easy, specially on the border territories o f Russia and Scandinavian countries as well as Finland. In 1905-1907 began active opposition to attempts o f Finnish influence dissemination on Karelian population. The Lutheran mission started its work here right after the law of faith tolerance in Russia was declared. This mission conducted the sermons among Karelians. A lecture o f Sortavala seminary B. Borstrem was its organizer and inspirer. In the beginning o f the 20th century Karelia had no status o f a uniform administrative-territorial formation. Karelians lived in Finland, in Olonetskaya, Arkhangelskaya and St.-Petersburgskaya provinces. “Karelians” were accordingly allocated also: Olonetskaya, Belomorskaya, and Vyborgskaya Karelia. To a church’s administrative attribute Karelians also lived in three dioceses: Olonetsk, Arkhangelsk and Finnish dioceses. The Manifest on October, 17th, 1905 promoted activization o f Lutheran missionary work on territories of the European North which became a serious disturbance for the Orthodox Church. In Kemsky district o f the Arkhangelskaya province lived 25 thousand Karelians, and activity of “Union of Belomorsk’s Karelians” (Vienan Karjalaisten Liitto), created by the Finnish missionaries in Finland, was aimed at them primarly.1 Their main purpose was not so much Lutheran faith dissemination as finnization o f local population and withdrawal to the independent Finnish State of Russian Karelia, which was at that moment a part of Arkhangelskaya and Olonetskaya provinces.2 For the purpose o f counterbalance propaganda and prevention of dissemination o f Lutheran ideas in the North of Russia the authorities have accepted resolute measures. A conference of Orthodox priests of Finland in spring 1906 became a kind o f reply to this propaganda. They decided “to begin fighting against Protestant propaganda”. Priests resolved to hold Church congresses from Finland, Arkhangelsk and Olonets dioceses (episcopacies) in order to elucidate religious needs of the Orthodox Karelians and for the discussions o f methods for struggling against Lutheran propaganda.3 1 Степанов А.Я. На путях духовного восхождения. Религия и атеизм в России. - Петрозаводск: Карелия, 1986. - С. 89. Алексеев В.А. Панфинско-лютеранский поход финляндцев на православную Карелию. - СПб.: Гос. Тип., 1910. - С. 19, 50. Витуховская М.А. (Финляндия). Карелы и Карелия как «яблоко раздора». Русская власть и православная церковь против карельского национализма // Россия и 79