Russian Pilgrims in Holy Land in Second Half of 19th – Early 20th Centuries: Quantitative, Gender, and Social Characteristics

This article presents and analyzes statistical data concerning the scale and key characteristics of Orthodox pilgrimage from Russia to the Holy Land (Palestine) during the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, utilizing materials newly introduced into scholarly discourse from the Archives of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire. The study examines the gender and social composition, age demographics, regions of departure, and duration of stay in Jerusalem for pilgrims. The total number of pilgrims is estimated at approximately 170,000 individuals. It is concluded that previously reported figures regarding the number of Russian pilgrims should be regarded as somewhat inflated due to inaccuracies in statistical accounting. The analysis reveals a predominance of women, who constituted up to two-thirds of the total number of pilgrims. Furthermore, it is noted that political and economic factors significantly influenced variations in pilgrimage intensity. The data indicates that after reaching peak levels at the turn of the century, the growth of pilgrimage activities slowed, and a subsequent decline was observed. A “portrait” of the average Orthodox pilgrim during this period is depicted: a female peasant aged between 50 and 70 years from the Little Russian or Great Russian provinces of European Russia.

Pilgrimage, Holy Land, Jerusalem, Russian Ecclesiastical Delegations, Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, Sociographic Profile of Pilgrims