Пути веры и прогресса: транспорт и паломничество в России в конце XIX — начале XX века
Paths of Faith and Progress: Transport and Pilgrimage in Russia in the Late 19th — Early 20th Century

Summary/Abstract: The article is dedicated to the relationship between modernization and Orthodox pilgrimage in Russia at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Reflecting on the interconnectedness of modernization processes, transportation development, and pilgrimage practices, the authors aim to address several related questions: Did modernization and new forms of transportation alter traditional Orthodox pilgrimage in Russia? Did modernity displace pilgrimage practices from the everyday and religious life of the Russian common folk? Or, on the contrary, did technological progress offer Orthodox pilgrimage in Russia a chance for a new phase of development? The article notes that transportation innovations, such as trains and steamships, changed the usual ways pilgrims traveled, freeing up their time and opening new spaces, which became places of spiritual interaction. These changes caused concern within the church, as it feared the potential influence of socialists and sectarians on pilgrims using the new forms of transport (steamships and trains). By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pilgrimage gradually began to combine elements of tourism, indicating a shift in the perception of religious practices within a modernizing society. The authors conclude that, despite attempts by the peasantry to preserve traditional values, modernization did not displace pilgrimage but rather facilitated its transformation and growth. The new means of transportation not only simplified access to holy sites but also expanded the geographic reach of pilgrimages, allowing a larger number of believers to participate in religious journeys. Pilgrimage at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century exemplified how traditional religious practices could adapt to new conditions, retaining their significance and relevance in a rapidly changing world.

• Details
• Contents