The confessional policy of the Russian government in the North-Western Territory in 1863–1865 and its contribution to ensuring public security in the region

Background. The study of the of state’s activities and local authorities in the im-plementation of confessional policy in region, by the example of the North-Western Territory of the Russian Empire, is an integral part of the measures of the tsarist government to ensure public security in the western outskirts of the state. The purpose of the study is to consider the main activities of the tsarist administration in the 1860s to solve the confessional issue and eliminate contradictions in the region on religious grounds on the example of the policy pursued by the Governor-General of the North-Western Territory M.N. Muravyov. Materials and methods. To achieve this goal, an analysis of unpublished documents from the funds of the State Archive of the Russian Federation, as well as published materials, was carried out. The work uses retrospective, problem-chronological, historical-comparative, as well as gen-eral scientific research methods. Results. The main directions and characteristic features of the confessional policy pursued by the administration of M.N. Muravyov in the specified region were identified. Conclusions. The religious policy of M.N. Muravyov made it possible to temporarily stabilize the intensity of sectarian contradictions in the North-West Territory, showing an effective way to solve this issue. It became an important area of his activity during the years of the administration of the region, significantly weakening the position of the Catholic Church and strengthening the influence of Orthodoxy on the inhabitants of the region, which contributed to the further integration of the region into the Russian Empire.