My post for 25th November concerned Elizabeth of Russia. She sounded quite good back then. But by 1st December 1742 she’d ordered the expulsion of all Jews from Russia. I sought in Called to Account, the fourth book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures, to explore the nature and cause of pogroms. That was set in Frankfurt in 1612, but much the same seems true of Russia in 1742.
Elizabeth was a devout Orthodox Christian who believed in maintaining the “purity” of her empire’s religious character. She viewed Judaism as incompatible with her vision of a Christian state. There was widespread suspicion that Jewish merchants might undermine the economic interests of Christian Russians. Elizabeth, echoing these prejudices, claimed that Jews engaged in harmful trade practices. Influential figures in her court and church leaders pushed for measures against Jews, reflecting broader anti-Semitic sentiments prevalent in European societies at the time.
The 1742 decree ordered all Jews to leave Russia unless they converted to Orthodox Christianity.
This edict specifically targeted Jewish merchants and families living within newly acquired territories, such as areas annexed from Poland during earlier expansions. The implementation faced resistance from some local officials, especially in regions where Jewish communities played significant roles in trade and local economies.
Thousands of Jews were forcibly expelled, disrupting their lives and livelihoods. Many sought refuge in neighboring countries like Poland and the Ottoman Empire. Regions that depended on Jewish merchants and artisans experienced economic disruption, leading to criticism of the policy even from some Russian officials.
Elizabeth’s expulsion laid the groundwork for future anti-Jewish measures in the Russian Empire, including restrictions under Catherine the Great, who established the Pale of Settlement to limit where Jews could live. Elizabeth’s expulsion of Jews is a stark example of the intersection of religious intolerance, economic prejudice, and state policy in 18th-century Europe.