Anti-Catholic and Anti-Jewish propaganda in «Pochaivskyi Lystok» (1906–1914)

Abstract

The purpose of the study The purpose of the study is to introduce into scholarly circulation, analyze, and systematize the series of articles published in Pochaivskyi Lystok between 1906 and 1914 that were aimed at inciting interconfessional and interethnic hostility in Volhynia, as well as to determine the role of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church and members of the Pochaiv Branch of the Union of the Russian People in implementing this propaganda campaign. Methodology. The methodological framework of the study is based on source criticism, problem-oriented historical analysis, and archaeographical approaches to the examination and systematization of the materials published in the periodical. Particular importance was also attached to the methods of analysis and synthesis of published materials, as well as to the contextual approach, which accounted for the specific socio-political circumstances of the region. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the study lies in providing the first comprehensive investigation into the role of the Black Hundred newspaper Pochaivskyi Lystok in inciting interconfessional and interethnic hostility in Volhynia at the beginning of the twentieth century.Conclusions. The analysis of publications in Pochaivskyi Lystok demonstrates that following the establishment of the Union of the Russian People, the periodical underwent a substantial transformation, evolving from a religious and educational weekly into one of the principal printed organs of Black Hundred propaganda in Volhynia. Its pages systematically disseminated materials promoting monarchist ideology, asserting the exclusivity of Orthodoxy as interpreted by the Russian Orthodox Church, and discrediting representatives of other religious denominations and ethnic communities. Anti-Catholic and anti-Jewish publications occupied a particularly prominent place, relying extensively on religious and ethnic stereotypes, unverified allegations, and emotionally charged rhetoric. A considerable proportion of these claims lacked a reliable evidential basis and primarily served a propagandistic function by fostering negative attitudes toward Roman Catholics and the Jewish population among readers. The coverage of the Beilis trial, the dissemination of the blood libel myth, accusations against Jews of engaging in unlawful economic activities, and allegations that the Roman Catholic clergy sought to undermine the position of Orthodoxy all formed part of a coordinated information campaign conducted by the Pochaiv Branch of the Union of the Russian People. Thus, Pochaivskyi Lystok served as an important instrument for the ideological policy of the Black Hundred movement and contributed to the spread of interconfessional and interethnic intolerance in Volhynia Governorate at the beginning of the twentieth century.