The Catholic clergy influence on the interconfessional relations in the Grodno region of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century

The article analyses various aspects of the relationship between the largest confessional groups in the Grodno region of the Russian Empire – Orthodox Christians and Catholics in the early 20th century in the context of the implementation of self-identification models “friend or foe”. Particular attention is paid to the characteristics of the activity of Catholic clergy and their sympathetic fanatical parishioners to incite interfaith hostility (insults to the Orthodox, obstruction of teaching Catholic children in official educational institutions, secret Polish schools' foundation). The article provides factual evidence of Catholic priests' propaganda activities in the Polish national spirit, analyses the reaction of the authorities to these activities.