Appeals to God in the documents of the law enforcement system of Russia (from ancient times to 1917)

Documents of the domestic law enforcement system from the time of Kievan Rus to 1917 are considered for turning to God – the source of immutable moral values from the standpoint of the Orthodox religious tradition. The study of this topic is of particular importance for understanding Russian history, taking into account the factor that Orthodoxy occupied in the life of the state and the individual. It is noted that the origins of the Russian law enforcement sphere coincide with the emergence of Christianity and statehood in Russia. On the basis of the anthology, published on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Russian police, and through the study of documents from the 10th to the 19th centuries, the nature of such appeals is investigated, and their comparative analysis is carried out. Three periods are distinguished: the first – from the first treaty between Russia and the Greeks until the introduction of the post of St. Petersburg General Police Chief; the second – from the introduction of the post of St. Petersburg General Police Chief to the establishment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; the third is from the establishment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the disbandment of the Gendarme Corps in 1917. The documents of each of the periods analyze the forms and context of appeals to God, which made it possible to identify the trend of changes taking place in society in relation to the highest value for the Orthodox faith – the Triune God. The conclusion is made about the period of preservation of the traditional for the Orthodox faith concepts of God in the documents of the law enforcement system of Russia, as well as the time of the beginning of the loss of such concepts. A hypothesis has been put forward about the possibility of reviving the highest traditional religious values in Russia at the present stage.