Missionary activity of Nikolai Ivanovich Ilminsky in Ufa province

The study considers the missionary activity of N.I. Ilminsky, the famous educator and enlightener of the indigenous dwellers, the founder of the system of missionary schools. By N.I. Ilminsky’s efforts, the system of missionary schools was created on the territory of the Ufa diocese. At these schools, teaching was conducted in the languages of the indigenous dwellers. By the beginning of the 20th century, N.I. Ilminsky’s disciples had formed the basis of missionary activity in the Ufa diocese. The research focused on the activities of St. Guriy Brotherhood, where N.I. Ilminsky was one of its founders. The author elaborated on the main objectives of this Brotherhood such as the establishment of the christened indigenous dwellers in the faith and raising their children in the Orthodox faith through missionary schools, distribution of books in their languages, an ordination of priests from the indigenous dwellers. It was concluded that the Ilminsky system made a huge contribution to the approval of the Russian Orthodox faith among the indigenous dwellers and joining the new members to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ufa province.