On the issue of legal status of spiritual Christians Molokans in the Russian Empire

The purpose of this work is to give a brief analysis of the legal status of spiritual Christians Molokans in the Russian Empire, following the dynamics of state legal regulation. The problem of the individual sectarian groups status remains little studied in both domestic and foreign literature, which determines its relevance. We use the following research methods: chronological, problem and analytical. We analyze the norms of administrative and criminal law in force in the 19th – early 20th centuries in the Russian Empire, which regulate the rights and obligations of subjects assigned to the Molokan sect. The analysis showed that the legal impact of the state on the Molokans was repressive and causal throughout most of the studied period. Only the reign of Alexander I was marked by a loyal attitude towards sectarians. After the revolutionary events of 1905, a number of civil and religious freedoms were granted to the Molokans, however, one cannot speak of the religious equality of all subjects during this period. After 1905, specialized acts were passed regulating the procedure for registering communities, holding conventions, organizing religious education, and other areas of public relations.