Features of Healer Practices among Peasant and Urban Population in the 18th–19th Centuries Based on the Materials of Investigative Cases of Nizhny Novgorod Governorate

The article is devoted to the spread and existence of healing practices among the people of the Russian province, namely the Nizhny Novgorod province, over a long period of time, including the 18th and 19th centuries. The study is based on the analysis of archival unpublished sources representing investigation materials. During the period under study, investigative procedures were carried out by different authorities, which influenced the completeness and safety of materials, as well as the interpretation of the crime and the determination of punishment. The authors characterize investigative cases, analyze the reasons that initiated the investigative procedure, characterize the persons involved in the case, focusing on the accused and the wording of the charges, and note changes in the legislator’s approach to crimes of this kind. The article describes the situation with the development of medical institutions in the Nizhny Novgorod province, which, according to the authors, influenced the duration and sustainability of healer practices. The reasons for turning to witchcraft and its forms are identified, auxiliary substances and objects used by witch doctors are identified. Also, some conspiracy texts contained in the investigation materials are published for the first time. Turning to investigative materials allows us to see unique historical material at the microhistorical level and to trace the reflection of global historical processes in peripheral provincial territories.

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