The organization of the Russian pilgrimage to the Holy Land (1858-1889)
We analyze the specifics of the organization of Russian pilgrims transportation to Palestine, the activity of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade in the organization of pilgrims delivery is evaluated, the effectiveness of the created passenger departure system is analyzed. The relevance of the study consists in a comprehensive study of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade activities in the arrangement of pilgrimage routes, the role of the created transport infrastructure in the formation of the Russian presence in the Orthodox East. The novelty of the work is determined by the study of interdepartmental cooperation of secular structures in the arrangement of Russian Palestine, the introduction of new sources from the B.P. Mansurov’s fund (SATR. F. 972) into the scientific circulation. It is shown that the inclusion of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade in the Palestinian project made it possible to find acceptable solutions for transporting a huge number of Russian pilgrims. For the first time in the history of Russia, a centralized departure of pilgrims to Palestine was organized, and conditions were created for their reception and placement in the Holy Places. We pay attention to the fact that the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade leadership was to not only facilitate the pilgrims transportation, but also take on part of the costs of organizing the Jerusalem consulate, while combining the posts of consul and chief agent of the Society in one person. We reveal that the infrastructure creation for the reception and accommodation of pilgrims in Palestine opened a new stage in the development of the Russian presence in the Holy Land, strengthened the cultural and religious ties of Russia and the Middle East region.