The Russian Orthodox Church and the Study of the Asia-Pacific Region in the Petrine Era

The article is devoted to the process of spreading Orthodoxy in remote parts of the Russian Empire. The purpose of the study is to analyze the contribution of the Russian Orthodox Church to the development of the Asia-Pacific region and the discovery of America. Partly published and unpublished sources of the Russian State Historical Archive, the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, the Russian State Archive of the Navy, etc. have been studied. The authors of the article examined in detail the government's policy on this issue. Thanks to the far-sighted plans of Peter I, the eastern border of the empire was being formed, new territories were being developed and consolidated. Peter the Great extended the sovereignty of the state to the organization and activities of the church, took a direct part in the affairs of Orthodoxy, played a significant role in the mission among non-Christian peoples, regulated the rights and duties of the naval clergy. The authors systematized information about the activities of Church representatives in the region. The contribution of both the government initiative and individuals is noted. The article analyzes missionary activity, the establishment of relations between Russia and China, the biography of I. P. Kozyrevsky. The authors noted the importance of the Russian Pacific expeditions of the late XVII - first half of the XVIII century in the process of spreading Orthodoxy in the region. Representatives of state structures initiated the mandatory and permanent participation of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in expeditions to study the Asia-Pacific region. In the article, along with the activities of the participants of the Second Kamchatka Expedition under the leadership of Vitus Bering, the significance of earlier expeditions was highlighted. In general, the activities of the expedition participants influenced the development of remote territories. The study of the role of Orthodoxy in the region provided a more comprehensive and detailed overview of the initial phase of the discovery and development of the Pacific territories. The study of the Asia-Pacific region was closely connected with the spread of Christianity in it. This was due to the ecclesiastical policy of the Russian sovereigns, starting with Peter I. The clergy morally supported the Russian pioneers and settlers, and also prepared the annexed peoples for joining the empire as subjects of the Orthodox monarch. The presence of clergymen during the exploration of the new territories became an integral part, and it was laid down in the Peter's era. That part soon became indispensable in the exploration of Russian America. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

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