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«IZVESTIYA IRKUTSKOGO GOSUDARSTVENNOGO UNIVERSITETA». SERIYA «POLITOLOGIYA. RELIGIOVEDENIE»
«THE BULLETIN OF IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY». SERIES «POLITICAL SCIENCE AND RELIGION STUDIES»
ISSN 2073-3380 (Print)

List of issues > Series «Political Science and Religion Studies». 2026. Vol 55

Practices of Exorcism for Those Possessed by Evil Spirits in the Russian Empire 18th–19th Centuries (Based on the Materials of the RSHA)

Author(s)

I. S. Butov 1, N. V. Tomin 2

1 Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Republic of Belarus

2 Irkutsk National Research Technical University, Irkutsk, Russian Federation

Abstract
This article examines exorcism practices in the Russian Empire during the 18th–19th centuries, drawing on previously unpublished archival materials from the Russian State Historical Archive (RSHA). The study aims to reconstruct the religious and folkloric conceptions of demonic possession and analyze historical methods of combating “demonic affliction”. Key objectives include identifying characteristic patterns of possession manifestations and assessing differences between ecclesiastical and folk exorcism practices. Analysis of archival records reveals a distinctive feature of Russian Orthodox exorcism – its sacred and private nature, contrasting sharply with the performative, public forms of Western European demon-expelling rituals. The study also demonstrates the ambivalent perception of the possessed – ranging from victims of demonic influence to individuals endowed with supernatural abilities. Particular attention is given to tragic cases in which unauthorized exorcism attempts resulted in fatalities. The research materials, primarily archival documents, provide new insights into the interplay between official Church doctrine and folk beliefs. The main conclusion is that the phenomenon of possession served as an important mechanism for regulating social relations and interpreting mental deviations in traditional society.
About the Authors

Butov Ilya Stanislavovich, Candidate of Sciences (Agricultural), Applicant Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus building 2, 1, Surganov st., Minsk, 220072, Belarus e-mail: illiabutov@gmail.com

Tomin Nikita Viktorovich, Candidate of Sciences (Power Engineering), Associate Professor Irkutsk National Research Technical University 83, Lermontov st., Irkutsk, 664074, Russian Federation e-mail: tomin.nv@gmail.com ORCID 0000-0001-5898-9649

For citation
Butov I.S., Tomin N.V. Practices of Exorcism for Those Possessed by Evil Spirits in the Russian Empire 18th–19th Centuries (Based on the Materials of the RSHA). The Bulletin of Irkutsk State University. Series Political Science and Religion Studies, 2026, vol. 55, pp. 96-112. https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3380.2026.55.96 (in Russian)
Keywords
exorcism rites, exorcism, demonic possession, evil spirits, narrative, motifs.
UDC
[398.3:398.41+271.22-53:2-167.6](470+571-89)"17/18"(093)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3380.2026.55.96
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