"In a Very Elegant Gothic Style": A History of the Catholic Tradition in the Middle Urals From Late 1600s Until the Late 1930s

Abstract

The paper shows the evolution of Catholicism in the Middle Urals over more than two centuries. The study is based on archival sources and statistical records that allow a reconstruction of the Catholic population dynamics as well as the process of Church institutionalization. The paper covers three periods of Catholic presence in the region: formation, institutionalization, and establishment, with an evolution from ethno-religious isolation to integration in the local cultural landscape. After the Revolution, the Catholics were subject, along with other religions, to rigid state policy, while practices were forced out to the private sphere. The Catholic Church institutions contributed to the preservation of the ethnic identity of the population historically associated with European, especially Polish, culture. They played a role in social protection for the most vulnerable population groups. Among other things, the data prove a particular role of religion in socially critical conditions.