A ‘mosque’ room is seen in the museum of the Prison Castle in Special Report Tobolsk, Russia. (Credit: Alexander Aksakov/Getty Images News/Getty Images Europe). Islamic sermons in prisons: Russia's experience Copyright © 2020 by Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute The right of Alexey Starostin to be identified as the author of this publication is hereby asserted. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions of the Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute, its co-founders, or its staff members. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please write to the publisher: Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute gGmbH Französische Straße 23 10117 Berlin Germany +49 30 209677900
[email protected] 1 Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute Islamic sermons in prisons: Russia's experience Alexey Starostin From the late middle ages and the early modern era, Russia’s territory expanded to encompass the Volga, the Urals, Siberia; in the 18th and 19th centuries, parts of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia were also incorporated. This period saw the country acquire new subjects who were followers of various religious traditions: Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Catholicism, Lutheranism, and paganism. Authorities therefore developed religious policy in relation to various religious groups, adopting regulations that defined functions and powers of religious professionals, rules for the construction of religious buildings, a loyalty oath to the monarch, and the possibility of worship for military personnel as well as for people who had committed crimes and were in prison.