Moscow Catholics and Russian society of the late 17th century

The article studies the role of Moscow Catholic Church’s parishioners in the development of interfaith relations and analyzes their importance in the formation of Europeanization of Russian society in the late 17th century. Also the article appreciates the contribution of Moscow Catholics to the development of spiritual and material culture of Russia in the context of transforming inter-confessional connections. The author concludes that the Moscow Catholics at the end of the 17th century had a direct influence on the choice of ways of Russian Europeanization (which is recorded by sources) and that they made a positive contribution to the implementation of the government’s modernization plans. Before the first independent political steps of Peter the First, being major agents of European influence, Moscow Catholics by their activities consciously or intuitively have marked a vector of the future transformation of “Muscovy”. Their importance in creating specific socio-cultural surroundings in which the future Peter the Great ripened as a politician was very great.