Defence of Christian tradition as primary function of the Black Hundred

During the First Russian revolution the Black-Hundreds organizations (such as the Union of Russian People, the Russian Monarchical Party, the Union of Michael Archangel and others) united millions of people to defend traditional foundations. After the revolution the Black-Hundred movement was the only political force which stood up to defend the priority of the Russian Orthodox Church and opposed national spiritual principles to atheism. Starting from the conservative foundation of the extreme-right doctrine, monarchists determined the belonging to the Russian people not by the unity of ethnic origin, but by acceptance of basic values of Russian civilization - Orthodoxy, autocracy, and nationality. That is the reason why extreme rights insisted on strengthening of religious-moral foundations. They believed that weakening of Orthodoxy would lead to crash of autocracy and degradation of nation. All monarchical organizations introduced points about protection of Orthodoxy in their political programmes. Numerous congress decisions described in detail complexes of arrangements to strengthen the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church in the society by means of creation of religious brotherhoods, establishment of publishing houses and issuing of historical-religious literature. Superiority of Orthodoxy signified reestablishment of protective function by means of three methods. First of all, it was the restoration of patriarchate convocation and manorial cathedral. Secondly, it was neutralization and weakening of impact of state bureaucracy on church. Thirdly, it was intensification of influence of Orthodoxy on home policy. The Black-Hundred stood up against two ideas widely discussed in the society: separation of church from the State and freedom of religion. Defending the Christian tradition monarchists actively pushed ahead ideas of restoration of primary position of the Russian Orthodox Church, strengthening of religious outlook of the citizens, overcoming of the influence of heretical social conceptions. They offered to realize these aims by means of rude anti-liberal means. During the period of existence of the Black Hundred organizations their views on this problem remained permanent

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