The structure and specific features of various parts of the general flow of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land in the second half
of the 19^th century 

Anatoliy A. Mayorov, Doctor of historical sciences, acting head of the sub-department of history, philosophy and the Russian language, Orel State Agrarian University named after N.V. Parakhin (69 Generala Rodina street, Orel, Russia), aamajorov@rambler.ru

Background. For a very long time in the Russian science, little attention was paid to the comparison of the features of the genesis, organization, functioning and goal-setting of parallel flows of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land in the second half of the 19th century. By now, source material has been collected, processed and partially published, allowing us to consider in detail the specific features and characteristics of the formation, functioning and organization of each of them. The purpose of this work is to identify the characteristics of a number of large flows of Christian pilgrims during the period under consideration, their classification according to the primary and secondary goal-setting, organizational features, connections with the previous pilgrimage tradition, and the social affiliation of the pilgrims. Materials and methods. In addition to general scientific methods, the work used and applied historical-genetic, diachronic-historical, historical-comparativistic and system-historical methods. Results. The conducted analysis allowed us to identify at least three main flows of Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the second half of the 19th century, which obviously differed from each other: intra-Ottoman (which in turn consisted of Greek Orthodox and administratively Armenian), Russian and European. The specifics of goal-setting for each of the flows are described, the positioning of each of the Christian pilgrimage flows in relation to the continuity of the medieval Christian pilgrim-age tradition is revealed. The consequences of the influence of the activity of the Russian Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society on the implementation of pilgrimage by subjects of the Russian Empire are noted. Conclusions. Each of the three main flows of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land had, in addition to the actual pilgrimage, special specific goals and features. Intra-Ottoman Christian pilgrimage manifested loyal feelings and confirmed the need to maintain the high intraimperial status of its leadership. Russian pilgrimage was initially aimed at continuing its own pilgrimage traditions, which dated back to medieval norms, rules and orders, and only with the emergence of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society did it begin to gradually change in the direction of reducing the previously obligatory “needs and burdens”. European pilgrimage, with its obligatory religious entourage, acted rather as an early form of religious tourism.

Christian pilgrimage, pilgrim flows, Holy Land, goal setting, traditions and rituals, Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society

Mayorov A.A. The structure and specific features of various parts of the general flow of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land in the second half of the 19^th century. Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. Povolzhskiy region. Gumanitarnye nauki = University proceedings. Volga region. Humanities. 2025;(3):26–38. (In Russ.). doi: 10.21685/2072-3024-2025-3-3