The Evolution of the Documents Concerning the Matrimonial Relations in the Karaite Communities in the Crimea in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries (According to the Materials Residing in the State Archive of the Republic of the Crimea)

Abstract

One of the most informative accounts of the past of the Karaite communities in the Crimea are the documents related to the regulation of marriage and family relations among the Karaites. Although the Russian authorities integrated the Karaites into the Russian linguistic and cultural space, the communal norms and tenets of the Karaite religion remained unchanged to the second half of the nineteenth century. In the sphere of matrimonial relations, the Karaites were guided by the teachings formulated in the works of the Karaite religious authorities of the Middle Ages and the commentaries to these works by authors from the Modern Period. The Karaite clergy carefully monitored the accuracy of religious rites, the observance of religious canons and the norms of family law. This article examines private legal documents, or Karaite marriage contracts shetar, signed between the representatives of Karaite communities of the Russian Empire, as well as the accompanying materials, which accompanied the process of documenting marital and family relations of the Karaites. Particularly, the author has analysed the peculiarities of their design and structure, as well as the main trends that influenced the transformation of their content, production, and appearance.