ABSTRACT
During the thirteenth century, crusaders conquered Livonia (the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia), bringing its indigenous communities into the Catholic world. For Livonian political rhetoric in the period after the conquest important roles were played by the pagan threat represented by Lithuania, as well as by the Orthodox Christian threat represented by the Russian principalities. The Russian threat became an increasingly important political theme in the fifteenth century, following the acceptance of Catholic Christianity by Lithuania in 1386.2 Periodic military clashes with the Orthodox Russians had taken place in Livonia since the beginning of the crusading period, and the Livonian political system finally collapsed following the Muscovite attack in 1558. While this confessional confrontation is repeatedly highlighted in both narrative and documentary sources, it is surprising to find that in Livonia there existed Orthodox churches which were tolerated by the Catholic authorities. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the legal and social framework of the foundation and existence of these churches.
