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Conversion to Christianity [16] Petitions for Conversion “Petition of Vil’na Townsman, Vulf’ Iankeliovich Portukh to Alekxandr Bogdanovich Efrey (Head of the Preobrazhenskii Guards Regiment), 5 August 1863” LVIA, f. 378, d. 314, ll. 1–4. My underage son, Iankel, prompted by childish stupidity, caused sundry mischief and went into hiding. [. . .] Based on the search that I conducted, I learned that he was in hiding at the barracks of Your Excellency’s section of the Preobrazhenskii Guards Regiment, which evidently intends to exploit his minority , to violate the freedom of conscience, and to tear asunder by force the natural ties between my son and his unfortunate parents. In the name of the magnanimous Sovereign , our great Alexander II, who has most graciously granted complete freedom of conscience to all loyal subjects, I dare to pray with bitter tears that Your Excellency will make an order [. . .] that my son, who has been kidnapped , will be immediately returned to me. “Statement of Iankel Vul’fovich Portukh” [n. d.] I, Iankel Vul’fovich (the son of a Vil’na townsman ), swear and attest that I have not been taken by force and will convert to Russian Orthodoxy. This was [always] my desire; only before, there was no such opportunity to realize [this desire]. Now, however, with an opportunity before me, I entered the 5th company of the Preobrazhenskii Guards Regiment . No one is forcing me to embrace Russian Orthodoxy; I myself am of sound mind and wish to embrace the Russian Orthodox faith. My father, Vul’f Iankeliovich, declares in his petition that I have been taken by force. This is not right. I told my father, in the presence of the commander (Col. Gel’freikh) that I want to convert to Orthodoxy [voluntarily], not by force. I have my own understanding of my wishes and ask the authorities to bring this to fruition.1 “Petition of the Merchant’s Wife Freida Srolovaia Poliakova to the Bishop of Kovno for Baptism (29 July 1866)” LVIA, f. 605, op. 4, d. 485, l. 1. For a long time, I have nourished a desire to embrace Christianity. I fully understand that the promised Messiah in the Old Testament— Jesus Christ—has already come and is revered among Christians. I believe in him with all my heart and soul and can no longer remain in Judaism, although [baptism] brings a loss of external privileges. But I hope that the Lord God will not leave me without His Holy Providence and, since it remains impossible at present, that He will give my children a Christian direction in the future. With these feelings and the ­ recognition of the above-stated truths, I left my husband in Minsk and arrived here [in Kovno] in order [144]   religious life to realize my wish, at least without any impediments . I see that the Lord God has already helped me in this charitable place— through the kind people at the St. Mary’s Convent [in Kovno]. [. . .] My daughter Mariia (known as Merka in Judaism), who is seven years old, is with me. My daughter and I are already preparing to receive the saving baptism of the Russian Orthodox faith because we have studied all the principles of the Christian faith, life, and prayers for a long time by ourselves. I humbly beseech Your Reverend Grace to give orders about instructing me and my daughter for Christian holy baptism at the place where we receive charitable care [the convent].2 “Memorandum from the Dean of Novoaleksandrovsk, Priest Afanasii Kovalevskii, to Bishop Aleksandr of Kovno (12 April 1866)” LVIA, f. 605, op. 4, d. 123, ll. 1–17. In his report on 10 April of this year, the priest of the St. Il’insk Church submitted the correspondence with the staff of the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the Vladimir Regiment about a Jewish girl, Khaia Essimovna, from the Dolginov community (Vil’na District) and a deposition that the priest took from her. He reported that this Jewish girl has sufficiently studied the principal truths of the Orthodox faith, and he asks for official permission to give instructions on the holy baptism of this Jewish girl: “[. . .] I have the honor to ask Your Grace to give an order [. . .] about this Jewish girl, who is now in the town of Vidza, and who endures many troubles from [the Jews] because of her intention to embrace Christianity. “Statement of Khaika [Khaia] Essimovna (6 August 1866)” My name is Khaika [Khaia]. My father was called Essim but I...

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