In the Baltic States, worship of natural deities ("paganism") did not end with Christianisation; even after the Reformation it was still partly practised among the rural population.
Initial contact of the Estonians and Latvians with the Christian Orthodox faith took place through Russian missionaries already in the 10th century. Even later, it was mainly Russian merchants who maintained small Orthodox communities. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that the Russian Orthodox church clearly stated its claim as the state religion in the Baltic provinces so that many Protestant Estonians and Latvians were persuaded to convert.
Jews settled since the 16th century, mainly in Courland and Latgalia. Their influx was regulated again and again in the following centuries. Jewish congregations did not emerge until the middle of the 19th century. During the National Socialist occupation, the Jewish population was almost completely murdered.
Illustration:
Already in pagan times Estonians and Latvians worshipped the sun and light as life-giving and celebrated the summer solstice. The church defied this custom as of the 4th century by celebrating and honouring John the Baptist so that the 24th June is known today as St John's Day. Photo: Daiga Kalniņa