Tukhvatullina O. Spiritual and Religious Development of Ethnic Communities in the Northern Azov Region in the Late 18th - the Early 20th Centuries.

The dissertation is devoted to the complex analysis of spiritual and religious development of ethnic communities in the Northern Azov Region in the late 18th - the early 20th centuries. The process is considered in its organizational and confessional, religious and ethno-cultural aspects on the base of historiographic tradition and great source data. The features and reasons for ethnic communities forming in the Northern Azov Region have been found out; special economic interest of Russian authorities in the development of the territory has been shown. It is noted, that church and religious autonomy of foreign settles was one of the most important components in the system of fringe benefits endowed by Russian authorities. The features of church government and evolution of church arrangement of Greek, German and Jewish settlements have been analysed. The process of integration of Greek Church arrangement into the eparchial system of Russian Orthodox Church and the role of Orthodoxy in Greeks' everyday life has been characterised. The features of church arrangement and government of Catholic, Mennonite, and Protestant German Communities have been described. Specific character of religious and social relations in Jewish Community have been analysed as to the administrative and territorial, social and cultural areas in the Northern Azov Region.