This article examines the struggle against the Skoptsy sect in the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the first half of the 19th century. In the early 19th century, the Skoptsy religious sect, founded by Kondraty Selivanov, became a serious problem for the official authorities of the Russian Empire. Skoptsy communities also existed in the Russian Navy. The Russian Naval Ministry and the Black Sea Fleet command sought to identify members of the Skoptsy sect and suppress their religious activities. Emperor Alexander I and the Governing Senate of the Russian Empire drew attention to the sect's existence. Documents from the Russian State Archive of the Navy (RGA VMF) reveal details of the identification and punishment of Skoptsy sect members by the Black Sea Fleet command. Members of the sect in the Black Sea Fleet included sailors of the first and second classes, quartermasters, clerks, bombardiers, naval mechanics, naval crew members, and ship and boat carpenters. Such a widespread involvement in naval professions testified to the widespread spread of the sect among the enlisted ranks of the Black Sea Fleet. Doctors from the Sevastopol Naval Hospital also actively participated in the fight against the sect, regularly conducting medical examinations for enlisted personnel. It should be noted that the history of the struggle against members of the Skoptsy sect in the Russian Empire, including in the army and navy, remains a little-studied topic in Russian historical scholarship.

This article examines the struggle against the Skoptsy sect in the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the first half of the 19th century. In the early 19th century, the Skoptsy religious sect, founded by Kondraty Selivanov, became a serious problem for the official authorities of the Russian Empire. Skoptsy communities also existed in the Russian Navy. The Russian Naval Ministry and the Black Sea Fleet command sought to identify members of the Skoptsy sect and suppress their religious activities. Emperor Alexander I and the Governing Senate of the Russian Empire drew attention to the sect's existence. Documents from the Russian State Archive of the Navy (RGA VMF) reveal details of the identification and punishment of Skoptsy sect members by the Black Sea Fleet command. Members of the sect in the Black Sea Fleet included sailors of the first and second classes, quartermasters, clerks, bombardiers, naval mechanics, naval crew members, and ship and boat carpenters. Such a widespread involvement in naval professions testified to the widespread spread of the sect among the enlisted ranks of the Black Sea Fleet. Doctors from the Sevastopol Naval Hospital also actively participated in the fight against the sect, regularly conducting medical examinations for enlisted personnel. It should be noted that the history of the struggle against members of the Skoptsy sect in the Russian Empire, including in the army and navy, remains a little-studied topic in Russian historical scholarship.