Struggle of the church and the state against superstitions in Russia in the XVI-XVII centuries

The joint struggle of the Church and the State against such a religious crime as superstitions is studied in the article. Until the XVI century the persecution of superstitions fell within the competence of the Church. The centralization of the country also required the State to establish control over a religious moral state of the subjects. The Stoglavy Synod of 1551 became the starting point of the state power involvement into an active persecution of superstitions. On the basis of the church and secular legislation of the second half of the XVI and XVII centuries analysis the author draws the following conclusions. Firstly, since this period the process of a gradual transition of many superstitions to the competence of the secular court goes. Secondly, the concept of punishment for these acts changes towards repressiveness. Consequently, the death penalty application and other kinds of penalties based on the principles of frightening and expediency are observed. Thirdly, the shift to corporal punishments in ecclesiastical courts happens, this affects the sacral basics of church sanctions that were oriented towards a spiritual correction before.