After Peter the Great had cut his "window into Europe" to air Russia in former 1700s the people the window was cut through (Estonians) experienced such a national depression (mass kills/deportations/serf status forever) that alcoholic suicide seemed unavoidable (funny enough - they owned next to nothing but still had money for booze). It came to a halt with Bohemian Brethren movement (later known as Herrnhutianism) in the mid-1700s. First, they regained some spiritual balance, then human dignity, then new hope.
But of course the Brethren movement was not a Russian state religion, it was just a citizen movement, a people`s church, if you will, based on Jan Hus, based on Italian Renaissance humanism, based on John Wickliffe. So it is to be seen if an official church can do the same trick. |
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