Orthodox religious tourism in Russia: development trends and perspectives

Orthodox pilgrimage in Russia is a major contributor to the integration of the state, the society and the Russian Orthodox Church, moulding the three into a spiritually, culturally and historically sound and solid unity. The article draws on history to provide examples of the national exceptional treatment that spiritual pilgrimage and pilgrims enjoyed in the epoch of the Russian Empire. The authors give a review of the modern approaches to the concept of orthodox pilgrimage, put forward a classification of its parties and types and suggest an improvement mechanism.