A Time of Suffering #
From the very beginning of the Church schism, the authorities persecuted devout Old Believers. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Patriarch Nikon punished all who resisted the imposition of the new liturgical rites. In Russia, the new faith was established with fire and sword, with gallows and racks, whips, and beatings.
The finest people of Russia, who remained loyal to the ancient church traditions and the faith of their fathers, were declared criminals, enemies of the faith, the Tsar, and the Fatherland. They were branded with the shameful labels of “schismatics” and “heretics.” And Old Belief itself was denounced as a “schism.”
This unjust treatment of Old Believers was justified and institutionalized by the Church Council held in Moscow in 1666–1667. Alexei Mikhailovich summoned not only Russian bishops to the council but also Greek clergy, including Patriarchs Paisios and Macarius.
The main advisors and translators for the patriarchs were two Greeks living in Moscow: Paisios and Dionysius. Through the biased eyes of these two individuals, the Greek patriarchs viewed Russian Church affairs, of which they had little understanding. Yet these advisors turned out to be hypocrites and deceitful manipulators.
Paisios had abandoned Orthodoxy at the age of thirteen and converted to Catholicism. Preaching the superiority of the Western Church and advocating for union with it, he traveled through many Orthodox lands before arriving in Russia. There, he passed himself off as a Greek metropolitan and quickly gained the trust of Alexei Mikhailovich.
While living in Moscow, Paisios constantly begged the Tsar for money and secretly engaged in trading furs, precious stones, and tobacco—though the latter was strictly forbidden in Russia at the time.
Archimandrite Dionysius was just as much of a fraud. He arrived in Moscow at the invitation of Alexei Mikhailovich and Nikon to work on the new liturgical books.
Soon enough, Dionysius became indispensable at court, and his serious transgressions were forgiven. However, like Paisios, Russian affairs held little interest for him. His only concern was the Tsar’s lavish rewards—gold, silver, and furs.
With the involvement of these Greek patriarchs, the Church Council anathematized the old rites and their supporters. To this day, the thunderous curse echoes over Russian soil:
“If anyone does not listen to our commands and refuses to submit to the Church and this Council but begins to argue and oppose us, we consign such an opponent, by the authority given to us, to a curse and anathema, as a rebellious heretic. And if they remain obstinate until their death, then even after death they shall be condemned. Their soul shall share the fate of Judas the Betrayer and the damned heretics. Let iron, stones, and wood decay and disintegrate, but let this person be neither decayed nor destroyed forever. Amen.”
Thus, the council condemned not only the Old Believers but the entire Russian Church and all the Russian saints who had adhered to the old rites. The council participants accused Ancient Russia of ignorance:
“Our Russian saints were fools and did not understand. They were uneducated people. Why believe in them? They couldn’t even read!”
The authorities did not only persecute living Christians but also desecrated deceased saints. For instance, Saint Anna of Kashin (who passed away in 1368), the wife of Saint Michael, the prince of Tver, who was slain by the Tatars, suffered from this persecution. Her incorrupt relics, kept in the town of Kashin, included a hand folded in the two-fingered sign of the cross. This attested to the antiquity and holiness of the two-fingered sign, confirming the truth of Old Belief and shaming the Nikonian reforms.
In 1677, Moscow Patriarch Joachim excluded Anna from the list of saints. Her “Life” was declared false, and her relics were hidden away. The patriarch forbade any celebrations in her honor or prayers to her. Naturally, the Old Believers refused to comply with this decision and continued to venerate Saint Anna.
In 1685, the persecution of Old Believers was officially sanctioned with the issuance of the “Twelve Articles” by Tsarevna Sophia. This law, unprecedented in its cruelty, was drafted with the direct involvement of Patriarch Joachim, who stained his hands with the blood of the innocent.
According to the new law, Old Believer preachers were to be executed by being burned in log cabins, and their ashes scattered to the wind. Ordinary believers were to be whipped, tortured, have their right hands cut off, their ears and tongues mutilated, and be sent into exile or imprisoned. Even those who merely sheltered Old Believers or knew of their whereabouts but failed to inform the authorities were to be flogged and exiled to monasteries. All the property of Old Believers—estates, lands, shops, and businesses—was to be confiscated into the royal treasury.
The adoption of the “Twelve Articles” resulted in hundreds of thousands of Russian people, fearing persecution and execution, fleeing to the country’s remote outskirts, to the impenetrable forests of the north and the vast steppes of the south. Many even left their homeland entirely, seeking refuge in neighboring states such as Turkey and Poland.
Noble Old Believers, fearing the loss of their estates, chose to abandon their ancestral faith and joined the Nikonian Church. Thus, Old Belief became predominantly a movement of the common people—peasants, Cossacks, artisans, and merchants.
The authorities persecuted not only Old Believers but also old icons and books. For instance, if an icon depicted the two-fingered sign of the cross, it was confiscated from the owners, sealed with wax, and then either destroyed or painted over. This continued even into the 19th century!
Similarly, officials treated old liturgical books printed before Patriarch Nikon’s reforms. If such books were found, they were confiscated and burned.
In Nikonian monasteries and churches, old icons and books were quickly replaced with new ones, and the church’s antiquities were relegated to storerooms and basements. Christians secretly bought them back.
Only in the 20th century was the Old Believers’ devotion to their ancestors’ legacy recognized and appreciated, acknowledging their immense contribution to preserving the treasures of Holy Rus’.
Thus, in the mid-17th century, the senseless persecution of Old Believers began, continuing with few interruptions until recent times. Over centuries of persecution, thousands of lives were lost, and thousands of fates were broken. Russian soil was drenched with the blood and tears of new martyrs and confessors of the Old Faith.
The Fourth Solovetsky Petition #
To the Tsar and sovereign, great prince Alexei Mikhailovich, autocrat of all Great, Little, and White Russia, your humble petitioners are your monks of the Solovetsky Monastery: Cellarer Azary, Treasurer Geronty, priests, deacons, and all the common and sick brothers, servants, and laborers…
In this current year of 7176 (1668)… Archimandrite Joseph has been sent to us to replace Archimandrite Bartholomew, a monk of our monastery. And he has been ordered to serve according to the new service books. But we, your humble petitioners, dare not alter the traditions of the apostles and the holy fathers, fearing the judgment of the King of Kings.
We all wish to die in the old faith, in which your father, the pious sovereign Tsar and great prince Michael Fyodorovich of all Russia, and the other pious tsars and great princes lived out their days in godliness…
We humbly plead with your pious majesty, weeping with tears. Have mercy on us, your poor petitioners and orphans, and do not order us to change the traditions and practices of the venerable fathers Zosima and Savvaty. Command, O sovereign, that we remain in the same old faith in which your father, the pious sovereign, the pious tsars, the great princes, and our fathers passed away, and in which the venerable fathers Zosima, Savvaty, Herman, Metropolitan Philip, and all the holy fathers pleased God.
If you, O great sovereign, anointed by God, are not inclined to let us remain in the faith passed down by the holy fathers and wish to change the books, we beg your mercy. Have pity on us, and do not send us more teachers in vain, for we cannot change our former Orthodox faith. And, O sovereign, send your royal sword upon us and transfer us from this troubled life to a peaceful and eternal life.
We are not opposed to you, O great sovereign. Yes, O sovereign, we ask for your mercy with all our hearts, and we are ready to accept great angelic orders and to be prepared for death in that hour. Great sovereign Tsar, have mercy, have pity!
Abba Dosifey #
One of the tireless defenders of Old Belief was the venerable Dosifey. Preaching loyalty to ancient piety, he traveled all over Russia, from the White Sea to the Black, visiting many monasteries, towns, and villages, instructing people in the old faith.
Both Protopope Avvakum and Boyarynya Morozova knew and loved Dosifey. He was also venerated by common people—townsfolk, peasants, and Cossacks. Dosifey earned widespread respect not only for his righteous life and monastic labors but also for his unceasing denouncement of various false teachings and errors.
Unfortunately, we have no information about the time and place of Dosifey’ birth or his secular name. It can only be assumed that he took monastic vows and was ordained a priest in the ancient Nikolo-Besedny Monastery near the town of Tikhvin .
When the Tsar and the Patriarch began imposing new liturgical rites throughout the country, Dosifey found himself among the opponents of these innovations. The monk left the monastery and began to wander—visiting Veliky Novgorod, Moscow, and the Don.
He eventually returned to the Nikolo-Besedny Monastery and was even appointed its abbot. However, in December 1669, Dosifey permanently left the monastery, secretly departing for Moscow.
In the capital, he settled in the home of Feodosia Morozova, who always warmly welcomed those zealous for the old faith. The Boyarynya had long desired to take monastic vows, and so, yielding to her persistent requests, Dosifey tonsured her and gave her the name Feodora.
Afterward, the elder resumed his travels, wandering between the north and south, occasionally visiting Moscow. In the north, his dwelling was the Trinity Sunaretsky Hermitage near Lake Onega. In the south, Dosifey spent extended periods at the Vvedensky Hermitage in Zhabyne, near the town of Belev .
When in Moscow, living in Morozova’s home, the elder sometimes celebrated the Liturgy in her terem (tower-house) and administered Holy Communion to the Boyarynya and her household. On one autumn day in 1671, as Feodora and her sister Evdokia Urusova approached the Holy Mysteries with tearful reverence, Dosifey saw their faces suddenly shine radiantly, like those of the angels of God, and they remained so while they received Communion.
The elder marveled at the miracle and said: “This is no coincidence! I believe that this year, they will suffer for Christ.”
And so it happened—soon Feodora and Evdokia began their path of suffering for the faith, being arrested and imprisoned.
While Dosifey lived at the Trinity Hermitage, he encountered people spreading a new, unheard-of doctrine among Christians.
These preachers taught that since the time of the Church schism, Russia was ruled by the devil. The Russian Tsar, they said, was no longer an autocrat but the Antichrist—an enemy of Christ and a servant of the devil. They proclaimed that the future no longer held any hope, only a bleak and oppressive present. Old Believers, they declared, should not live in the kingdom of the Antichrist or submit to his rule.
The only way to leave this kingdom, they said, was through suicide. These new teachers urged Christians to organize mass self-immolations. Many naive and simple-hearted people, believing them, locked themselves in huts and burned themselves alive, along with their wives and children.
When one such teacher approached Dosifey, asking for his blessing for the self-immolations, the elder was horrified, for suicide is a grievous sin before the Lord. Not only did he refuse to bless the self-immolations, but he also instructed his disciple, the monk Euphrosynius, to write a treatise against such fiery suicides.
After staying at the Trinity Hermitage, Dosifey moved to the Volga, and in 1685, he relocated to the Don, where the Old Faith had gained wide acceptance. He settled by the river Chir, at a monastery founded by Job of Lgov.
Here stood an unconsecrated church, built during the life of the venerable Job. With the consent of the Cossacks, Dosifey consecrated it on March 21, 1686, dedicating it to the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.
For several years, Dosifey, beloved and venerated by the Cossacks, lived in the monastery, celebrating the Liturgy in the new church. However, even here, he had to confront preachers of strange new doctrines.
A man named Kozma Kosoy came to the Don, claiming to be a prophet and asserting that he knew the unfathomable and unspeakable mysteries of God. He taught that the Christian faith had been abolished across the entire earth, that there was no longer a Church, no priests, and no sacraments, and that the world would end in five years.
Dosifey condemned these errors, saying: “Kozma, Kozma! Your reasoning is false. You condemn the priesthood and the sacraments. You claim to know the mysteries of God. Tell us, what is the mystery of God? Why do you remain silent and give no answer?”
Nevertheless, Kozma managed to gain the support of some of the Cossacks. He had around two thousand followers on the Don. In the summer of 1687, Kozma began gathering forces for an armed march on Moscow.
However, this plan was never realized, as the Don atamans did not support it. Kozma was captured and sent to the capital, where, after torture and interrogation, he died.
Kozma’s reckless words and actions alarmed the Tsarist authorities. Troops were sent to the Don to restore order. Fearing persecution, Dosifey, along with his disciples and followers, left the river Chir in the summer of 1688. They moved to the shores of the Caspian Sea, to lands ruled by Muslim authorities.
There, near the mouth of the Kuma River , they established a settlement. It was here that Dosifey reposed, no later than 1691. The Old Believers mourned the death of their great ascetic deeply. No one was ashamed of their tears—neither the old nor the young, neither men nor women. Everyone wept inconsolably, realizing what a pastor and teacher they had lost.
A few years later, the settlers left this land. They planned to relocate to the Kuban. Before leaving the banks of the Kuma, the Old Believers decided to take Dosifey’ remains with them.
Upon exhuming his grave, they joyfully found his body incorrupt.
Placing the coffin with the saint’s relics on a cart, the Cossacks set out on their journey. However, out of excessive love for Dosifey, they made a grave mistake—they placed silver under his body. Yet the venerable father had been selfless in life, hating all earthly wealth. And for this, the settlers faced divine judgment.
Along the way, they were attacked by nomads, who looted the caravan. Opening Dosifey’ coffin, the raiders found the silver and took it. They then desecrated the incorrupt relics, cutting them into pieces and scattering them across the steppe. Some time later, the Don Cossacks found the remains, gathered them, reassembled them, and gave them a proper burial.
Kirill of Suna #
A friend and companion of Abbot Dosifey was Monk Kirill—a famous ascetic, zealous defender of the faith, and founder of the Suna Trinity Hermitage.
In the world, Kirill was known as Karp Vasilyev. He was born in 1608 in the village of Andreev Navolok, on the Suna River, not far from the well-known village of Kondopoga . His parents were peasants.
From a young age, Karp avoided games and idle talk, displaying meekness and humility. He expressed a desire to learn to read early on. After much convincing, his parents allowed him to go to Kondopoga, where a priest lived at the local church.
There, the boy quickly learned to read and returned home. Karp frequently traveled to Kondopoga to attend church services, listening to the psalms and scriptures. The priest even entrusted him with reading psalms during services.
When Karp turned sixteen, his parents decided it was time for him to marry. Although the young man dreamt of joining a monastery and embracing the monastic life, he had to submit to his parents’ wishes. He married and lived with his wife, Tatyana, for three years. They had a daughter named Akilina.
However, Karp remained burdened by worldly life, and the thought of living as an ascetic continued to weigh on him. One night, while his family slept, he quietly left his home.
Taking only bread and clothing, he set out for the Yuryev Mountain Monastery. This remote hermitage had been founded by St. Diodor (who passed away in 1633), a monk from the Solovetsky Monastery. The holy elder had settled on Mount Yuryev by the Ileksha River , 70 versts from the nearest village.
It was to this isolated monastery that Karp came. Diodor kindly welcomed him and allowed him to stay. Karp spent a year there, performing various obediences. In 1628, he was tonsured as a monk and given the name Kirill.
After two years at the Yuryev Mountain Monastery, Kirill decided to visit other monasteries to study their rules and ways of life. Thus began a long pilgrimage through northern monasteries, ending with his arrival at the famous monastery of St. Alexander of Svir .
Here, Kirill resolved to return home and visit his parents, who thought him lost forever. He told the abbot of his intentions, though the abbot doubted the wisdom of Kirill’s return, fearing that family love might entangle the monk in worldly life. But Kirill persisted, and the abbot let him go.
When Kirill returned to Andreev Navolok after an absence of more than 15 years, his family was astonished and overjoyed. His daughter had grown and married during his absence. After a few days of visiting, Kirill intended to return to the Svir Monastery, but his family pleaded with him to stay.
Not wanting to go against his parents’ wishes, Kirill complied. He erected a cross and built a small cell near the village on the island of Vidan on the Suna River. This took place around 1645.
On the island, Kirill lived as a hermit. By day, he cleared land for farming, and by night, he prayed. When sinful thoughts assaulted him, he tormented his body by exposing it to the bites of mosquitoes, flies, and horseflies, and by beating himself with fir branches until he bled.
He later built a mill and another cell—a guesthouse—for travelers and peasants who came to him to grind their grain.
The demons inhabiting Vidan Island began to harass Kirill, shouting at him in terrible voices:
“Old man, why have you come to this wilderness? This is our place. Leave now, or you will die a terrible death. No one has ever dared to live here before, and you think you can defeat us!”
But Kirill was not frightened. The demons then began to beat him, shouting:
“Leave this place!”
They grabbed the monk by the legs and dragged him around the island, even trying to throw him into the water. The hermit prayed fervently, and God drove the foul spirits away. After that, they no longer dared to torment him.
In 1657, Monk Epifany, a future companion of Archpriest Avvakum, came to Kirill from the Solovetsky Monastery. Following him, another opponent of the church reforms, Monk Varlaam, arrived. Varlaam was a true ascetic—he lived not in a cell, but in a pit dug beneath it, lying in a coffin he had prepared for himself. He died praying in this coffin.
Abbot Dosifey frequently visited and lived for long periods in the Suna Hermitage with his disciples.
Gradually, people seeking the strict monastic life gathered on Vidan Island. Around Kirill’s isolated cell, a monastery formed with many buildings and a thriving estate. A wooden church was built in honor of the Holy Trinity, and the monastery became known as the Trinity Hermitage.
In time, Kirill’s parents, his wife, and his daughter Akilina all became monastics in this hermitage. Even his grandson Ivan later took monastic vows.
The Trinity Hermitage became a stronghold of the Orthodox faith in the north, as Kirill was a zealous adherent of the old traditions. The monastery’s services were conducted solely according to pre-Nikonian books, attracting many pilgrims.
In 1684, Novgorod Metropolitan Korniliy planned to capture Kirill and destroy the Old Believer monastery. Informers who had visited the hermitage reported that they were still praying according to the old rites. Soon, a military detachment was sent to the Suna. Kirill’s monastery, built through years of labor, was plundered.
In Kirill’s place, the authorities sent Ephraim, a new abbot from Veliky Novgorod. Ephraim was a gentle man sympathetic to the old faith, and under his leadership, Old Believers continued to gather and pray at the hermitage.
Kirill managed to escape. He fled to the Vyg River, which flows into the White Sea. There, he built a cell and lived alone, avoiding human contact.
In the spring of 1690, as the snow began to melt, two local hunters came to the Vyg in search of fish and furs. They followed a ski trail up a mountain from the river and found a small hut. Knocking on the door and receiving no answer, they entered. Inside, they saw the dead Kirill sitting on a bench, leaning against the wall and facing the icons. An open Psalter lay before him, and a censer with incense stood nearby.
The Old Believers who came to the Vyg buried the monk according to Christian tradition.
When an Old Believer monastery was later established on the Vyg, its inhabitants built a small chapel over Kirill’s grave, which Semyon Denisov later replaced with a larger one.
Meanwhile, the impoverished Suna Hermitage ceased to exist in the second half of the 18th century.
Kirill of Vyg #
The venerable monk Kirill was not only one of the most zealous defenders of the true faith but also the oldest among them. He was adorned not only with piety and wisdom but also with the venerable grey hair of a man over a century old. Born during the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, Kirill passed away under the rule of Tsars Ivan and Peter, the sons of Alexei Mikhailovich.
The future ascetic was born in 1570 to a peasant family living near the Totma River, and at his baptism, he was named Konon. At the age of fifteen, he became an orphan. Left on his own, Konon learned to read and frequently visited the church. Listening to stories of ancient hermits, he grew to love the monastic way of life. Whenever he encountered monks, he eagerly questioned them about the Kingdom of Heaven and the salvation of the soul.
Unwilling to tie himself to marriage and household duties, Konon set off on a journey to find true ascetics, fasting and praying in the wilderness. He found them in the forests along the Volga River, where a pious elder and his disciples lived in seclusion from the world.
This elder was renowned for his severe monastic lifestyle. He tamed his flesh with heavy iron chains, fasting, and prostrations. His disciples lived in constant prayer and labor. Some of them ate only every other day and slept sitting or standing rather than lying down.
Witnessing this devout and rigorous way of life, Konon desired to take monastic vows and remain with the elder. But the elder said:
“Child, God will fulfill your desire according to His will. But you are young and may not be able to endure the trials of monastic life here. I will give you good advice—go to the monastery of Saint Korniliy of Komel, where you will be received with love. You will become a monk and save your soul.”
Konon followed the elder’s advice and went to the Korniliyev Monastery. The abbot accepted him and tested the young man in various labors for several years. When Konon turned eighteen, he was tonsured as a monk and given the name Korniliy. The young monk was assigned to an experienced elder, under whose guidance he lived for twenty-four years.
After the death of his elder, Korniliy asked the abbot for permission to travel to different monasteries to observe how other ascetics saved their souls. Journeying from one monastery to another, the monk eventually reached Moscow, where he lived for two years in the household of Patriarch Ioasaf, baking bread for him.
Later, Korniliy traveled to Novgorod and visited the monasteries there before returning to Moscow. There, he caught the attention of the new Patriarch Iosif, who assigned him the important and honorable role of sacristan, overseeing the proper conduct of services in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin, the burial place of the grand princes and tsars.
While living in Moscow, Korniliy witnessed the rise of Nikon, who became the Metropolitan of Novgorod and frequently visited Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. One night, a pious elder had a vision of a huge, terrifying serpent coiling itself around the royal palace, with its head and tail entering through a window to whisper in the tsar’s ear.
The elder shared this vision with several monks, including Korniliy. They investigated and discovered that Nikon had been speaking with the tsar that night, though the content of their conversation remained unknown. Horrified, they pondered the meaning of this vision.
When Nikon became Patriarch, it became clear what he had been discussing with the tsar—the introduction of church reforms. Realizing this, Korniliy left Moscow and resumed his wandering. His companion was Abbot Dosifey, and together they traveled through many lands.
Eventually, Korniliy reached the shores of Lake Seliger and settled in the hermitage of Saint Nil of Stolobny, where he lived for six years. The monks of this hermitage adhered to the old faith and conducted services according to the ancient books.
While in Nil’s Hermitage, Korniliy fell gravely ill and was near death. One night, he felt compelled to go to the church and pray to Saint Nil. Struggling to reach the church, the elderly monk tearfully prayed:
“Saint Nil, deliver me from this illness!”
Returning to his cell, Korniliy fell asleep. In a dream, Saint Nil appeared, took him by the hand, and lifted him. The monk awoke covered in sweat but completely healed.
When the authorities learned that the hermitage of Nil was conducting services according to the old rites, they sent a new priest with Nikonian assistants. The monks turned to Korniliy, who was serving as sacristan, and said:
“When the new priest begins to serve using the new books, show courage and stop him, and we will support you.”
When the priest began to serve according to the new books, Korniliy told him:
“Stop your nonsense!”
The priest replied:
“Sacristan, know your place, and don’t tell me what to do!”
The argument continued for a long time. Having exhausted all arguments, Korniliy struck the priest on the head with a censer full of burning coals, shattering it.
The priest’s assistants rushed at Korniliy, grabbing him by the hair and beating him. The monks rushed at the Nikonians, and a brawl broke out. Korniliy barely escaped from the church and fled the hermitage, leaving all his belongings behind.
The elder headed north into the dense forests, where he lived for a long time, moving from place to place to avoid persecution. In 1687, he settled on the Vyg River. There, he built a small hut.
“This is my resting place. If it is God’s will, I will settle here forever. Korniliy builds his last cell,” he resolved.
Word spread about the pious hermit, and people began to visit him—not only from nearby villages and towns but also from distant places. The monk welcomed everyone, teaching them about the salvation of their souls and urging them to embrace the monastic life. He taught some to read, and he tonsured others.
To all who came, the elder advised forming a community on the Vyg, creating a hermitage similar to the ancient monasteries. Thus, in 1694, with Korniliy’s blessing, the famous Vyg Hermitage was established.
Soon after the Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos, the Old Believers gathered in one place, began felling trees, and built a large house for communal prayers and meals. Faith and hard work soon performed a miracle—the Vyg Hermitage expanded and flourished, growing into a populous and prosperous settlement.
Magnificently adorned chapels, belfries with bells, countless cells, and various workshops soon sprang up. Diligent scribes, talented icon painters, and skilled metalworkers supplied the entire Old Believer Russia with handwritten and cast icons.
However, Korniliy did not live to see this. He passed away on March 30, 1695, at the age of 125. The Vyg Hermitage continued to thrive for another century and a half, until it was destroyed by the tsarist authorities in the mid-19th century.
Vitaliy of Vyg #
Just as the night sky is adorned with bright stars, so is our land blessed with illustrious ascetics. Particularly numerous were these holy men on the Russian North. Neither the icy White Sea, nor harsh winters, barren lands, impassable forests, bogs, or wild beasts frightened the monks who sought secluded lives of prayer and asceticism.
One of these pious hermits was Elder Vitaliy, who lived alongside the monk Korniliy on the Vyg River.
Like Archimandrite Spiridon, Boyarynya Morozova, Iov of Lyog, and the nun Devorah, Vitaliy hailed from a noble boyar family. He had once lived in Moscow, celebrated as a valiant warrior, serving Tsars Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich, and had earned many battle scars in numerous skirmishes.
In 1654, a dreadful plague ravaged Russia, claiming thousands of lives. The plague coincided with the beginning of Patriarch Nikon’s church reforms. At that time, the Greek Arseny took on the task of “correcting” Russian liturgical books.
The people viewed the plague as a divine punishment, interpreting it thus: “The patriarch harbors a known heretic, Elder Arseny, giving him full authority and ordering him to revise the printed books. And that monk has ruined many of them.”
During the plague, Vitaliy lost his entire household—his wife, children, relatives, and servants. This brave warrior, fearing death, vowed to take monastic vows if he survived. When the plague subsided, he kept his promise and was tonsured in one of the capital’s monasteries.
However, upon seeing Nikon’s audacious rejection of the ancient piety and ancestral faith, Vitaliy left Moscow and traveled north. He wandered through various places, concealing his noble origins and hiding from both persecutors and robbers.
While living on the Svir River, bandits attacked Vitaliy, burning his humble cell and stealing his supplies. Vitaliy fled into the forest and made his way to Mashozero, where a small monastery then existed. Its abbot, sympathetic to the old faith, welcomed the fugitive and allowed him to live in the abandoned cells, which had a fearsome reputation. It was said that anyone daring to reside in them would be killed by demons.
Vitaliy lived in these cells for several years. At first, demons tormented and terrorized him, but eventually, he drove them away and lived alone, enduring hunger and cold. He would walk to nearby villages and hermitages for bread. People were struck by his poverty—he wore only a heavily patched woolen cassock, even during the harshest winter frosts.
Christ-loving people pitied the monk, offering him food and clothing. If invited into a home, he would eat with gratitude, but only the simplest fare. If not invited, he would fast for two or three days without asking for food. He never accepted money and never took anything for future use.
The hermit’s sole possession was a small Psalter with a calendar of saints. He always carried it in a backpack. Occasionally, Vitaliy would fill the bag with heavy stones or wet logs and carry them on his back over long distances.
If someone on horseback offered him a ride or to carry his load, the elder would always decline. In winter, he traveled on skis, and in summer, he walked barefoot or in bast shoes.
Vitaliy especially loved visiting the Trinity Hermitage on the Suna River, but he preferred solitude above all. When staying in someone’s home, he would retreat to a storeroom to pray quietly with his Psalter. He prayed silently and rarely spoke, leading many to think he was mute.
However, when he did speak, it was always brief and meaningful. For instance, if he overheard someone living or speaking in an impious manner, he would only sigh and say: “That matter is not ours, nor has it come to us. We must only watch when our own matter comes to us.”
In March of 1687, Vitaliy left Mashozero on another journey. Along the way, he encountered some peasants who informed him that they had seen royal troops—500 musketeers with cannons and arms—sent to suppress the defiant Old Believers in the area.
Frightened, the monk fled to the nearest village and hid in the straw of a barn. For eight days and nights, he remained without food or water, too scared to come out. That spring brought severe cold, and Vitaliy’s legs were frostbitten up to his knees.
A peasant named Isaak, the barn’s owner, found the monk, took pity on him, and carried him into his house. He then informed the Old Believers from the Trinity Hermitage, who took Vitaliy into their care. The monk was gravely ill for a long time, his frostbitten toes eventually falling off.
In 1692, Vitaliy, accompanied by a guide, arrived at the Vyg River to the cell of Elder Korniliy, who had been living there for five years. Vitaliy shared his story, and Korniliy, seeing that the monk was crippled and impoverished, welcomed him into his hut.
At the same time, people began flocking to the Vyg, seeking refuge not only from the worldly life but also from the authority of the tsar. Among them was a young man named Andrei Denisov (1674–1730), a descendant of the minor noble family of the Myshetsky princes.
Andrei was an extraordinary man, pious and educated, with remarkable common sense. Later, when the Vyg Hermitage was established, Andrei became its abbot. His outstanding abilities proved invaluable in building the hermitage. Under his leadership, the Vyg Hermitage reached its peak prosperity.
Equally remarkable was Andrei’s younger brother, Semyon Denisov (1682–1740), his indispensable assistant and a famed Old Believer writer. Semyon authored over a hundred works, the most important being The Russian Vineyard and The History of the Solovetsky Fathers and Martyrs, stories about the holy martyrs who suffered for the old faith.
Vitaliy and Korniliy lived together for only two years, adhering to a strict monastic rule. Their diet consisted of finely chopped radish, salted and soaked in kvass, and occasionally fish.
In 1694, Vitaliy fell ill and passed away. Before his death, he left his monastic mantle to Andrei Denisov as a memento.
A year later, Korniliy also departed this life. Before his passing, he called Andrei to his side and said: “Be the judge and leader of the Vyg Hermitage and the entire brotherhood.”
Korniliy was buried next to Vitaliy. Later, gravestones were placed over their graves, covered with black cloth, and a chapel was erected.
Until the mid-19th century, the elders’ cell remained near the chapel on the banks of the Vyg. In the summer, local Old Believers would regularly gather there for prayer. However, during the destruction of the Vyg Hermitage, this sacred site was also obliterated.
Tsar Peter #
Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich loved all things foreign. Following the example of European rulers, he established a court theater for entertainment. The sovereign spared no expense on this amusement. The theater pleased him so much that he would spend ten hours at a time watching performances.
Tsar Feodor Alexeevich also admired foreign customs, although he disbanded his father’s theater. He was fluent in Polish and Latin, composing verses in both languages. Feodor’s love for all things Polish extended to his attire, as he even wore Polish clothing, which his courtiers emulated.
Tsar Peter Alexeevich (1672–1725) adored everything European and held little regard for Russian traditions. Once he became the autocratic ruler, Peter began building a new Russia by dismantling the Holy Rus of old. For this reason, Peter I should not only be called the Great Reformer but also the Great Destroyer.
In March 1697, Peter embarked on a European tour with a Russian delegation. Visiting several countries, including Austria, England, and Holland, the delegation returned to Moscow in August 1698.
At this time, Tsarevna Sophia, whom Peter had removed from governing the state, once again stirred unrest within the Streltsy army, just as she had in 1682. She spread the rumor that the real tsar had been replaced during his European travels by a young German imposter. The discontented soldiers believed this, and a new Streltsy rebellion broke out, but it was quickly suppressed by Peter’s supporters.
When Peter returned to Russia, he brutally punished the rebels: many were exiled, tortured, and about two thousand were executed. Peter personally beheaded some of them. He also ordered that Sophia be forced to take monastic vows and imprisoned her in a convent.
Peter disbanded the rebellious army and created a new one modeled after European forces. Instead of Streltsy and Sotniks, there were now soldiers, officers, generals, and marshals, all dressed in European military uniforms and equipped with modern European weapons.
For the wars Peter waged, he needed a great many cannons. However, there was not enough copper for casting them. Thus, the tsar ordered the church bells to be removed and melted down.
Priests and parishioners tearfully parted with their bells, cursing the soldiers who took them, and whispered among themselves: Perhaps it is true, Peter is not the son of Alexei Mikhailovich, not a Russian tsar, but an impostor-German, a servant of the devil, the Antichrist.
Everything Peter did seemed wrong and condemnable to the people, for the sovereign showed no regard for sacred traditions and the teachings of their ancestors.
For instance, under Tsars Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich, the sale and smoking of tobacco were strictly forbidden in Russia. The Sobornoye Ulozheniye (1649), the main legal code of the Russian Tsardom, stated: Anyone, whether Russian or foreign, caught possessing or trading tobacco shall be severely punished without mercy, up to and including the death penalty.
However, in 1697, Peter allowed the sale and smoking of tobacco.
In Russia, the New Year was traditionally celebrated on September 1st, a holiday that had been adopted from the Greeks along with Christianity. The Church prescribed that this day be marked with a solemn liturgy, a prayer service, the blessing of water, and a procession with the cross. The Russians had also adopted the Greek calendar, which counted the years “from the Creation of the World.”
But in 1699, Peter issued a decree declaring that January 1st, 7208 “from the Creation of the World” was now to be counted as January 1st, 1700 “from the Nativity of Christ,” and that the new calendar would be used from then on, as was done in European countries. The decree ordered people to celebrate the holiday joyfully, to congratulate one another on the New Year, and to decorate streets and homes with green fir branches.
Since the time of Ivan the Terrible, Russian rulers had been called Tsars and Grand Princes. But in 1721, Peter, following European custom, declared himself Emperor.
However, he did not merely take on a new title; he also assumed powers never before held by tsars. While in England, Peter learned about the English system of church governance, where the king, rather than a supreme bishop, was the head of the Church and had authority over all clergy. Peter liked this system and decided to implement it in Russia.
Thus, when Moscow Patriarch Adrian died in 1700, Peter assumed control of the Church. In 1721, he created the Holy Synod—a special institution that replaced the patriarch and church councils. Consequently, the state Church in Tsarist Russia came to be known as the Synodal Church.
Many of Peter’s reforms aimed to destroy traditional customs. In his blind admiration for Europe, the tsar targeted Russian practices—long beards and traditional clothing.
In 1698, Peter introduced a beard tax, later divided into four categories: courtiers had to pay 600 rubles annually for the right to wear a beard, wealthy merchants paid 100, other merchants paid 60, and townspeople, coachmen, and cab drivers paid 30.
Those who paid the tax were given tokens inscribed with: “Tax for the beard has been paid.” Peasants were exempt from the tax, but upon entering a city, each bearded man had to pay a penny.
Old Believers were subjected to an additional tax. From 1716, they were required to pay double the head tax. Combined with the beard tax, this amounted to a considerable sum! Of course, not all Old Believers could afford to pay, and many refused to do so. The impoverished and defiant were sentenced to hard labor.
In 1700, Peter issued a decree targeting traditional Russian clothing. “Proper” clothing—German-style waistcoats and hats—were displayed at city gates. Soldiers stood guard to enforce the decree, and if anyone wearing a long Russian coat passed through, they were made to kneel, and their coat was cut to the ground’s length.
From then on, tailors were forbidden to sew Russian garments, and merchants were banned from selling them. Old Believers, however, were ordered to continue wearing traditional clothing.
In 1722, Peter decreed that Old Believers must wear special old-fashioned attire with red standing collars—zipuns, feryazes, and odnoradkas. Two years later, an additional decree was issued: the wives of Old Believers and bearded men had to wear opashny and horned caps.
Thus, under Peter I, the old Rus was transformed into a new Russia. Only the Old Believers, persecuted by the authorities, remained faithful to the old Russian faith and way of life. For this loyalty, they paid a high price—not only with special taxes and duties but also with thousands of lives.
Martyrs for the Old Faith (From The Russian Vineyard by Semyon Denisov) #
On the Maiden Evdokia #
Not only men but also the most honored among women and maidens bravely endured the most severe tortures for their ancestral faith. A certain maiden named Evdokia was brought before the Novgorod court for holding to the ancient piety. At first, she was coaxed with appeals and kindness for a long time. She did not listen, nor did she weaken in the slightest but stood firmly for her faith. For this, she was sentenced to torture.
Immediately, the rack was prepared, and the ropes were passed through. The maiden was stripped and harshly raised on the rack. Her delicate arms broke, her joints cracked, and her sinews tore apart. Wounds multiplied on her young body, and blood flowed, pouring onto the ground. Then, they seared her wounds with hot iron and scorched her flesh with fire.
Oh, the brutal mercilessness of the judges’ hearts! They cruelly inflicted this torment on the holy martyr not once but thrice, torturing the brave sufferer as if she were a criminal, though she had never conceived of any evil… Finally, she was burned in a log cabin by fire.
On the Maidens Akilina and Ksenia #
Two more maidens, Akilina and Ksenia, suffered gratefully.
Akilina was a Novgorod merchant of moderate means but deeply committed to the ancient Orthodox faith. When she was captured along with other sufferers and tortured, she endured for a time. But when led to the burning cabin for execution, she began to waver and fear. However, encouraged by her fellow sufferers, she regained her courage.
When they approached the cabin and entered, she attempted to leave three times. But, persuaded by the brave souls within, she returned each time. Finally, through God’s grace and the prayers of the martyrs, she strengthened her resolve, entering the cabin wholeheartedly. She was burned with the other sufferers for the faith, joyfully entering into the heavenly life.
Ksenia was of peasant stock, but she was fervent in piety and filled with the grace of holy zeal. She was captured and brought before the judges. She bore chains and shackles, endured imprisonment, cruel beatings, and agonizing wounds. These torments wore her down until she gave up her spirit in prison.
Bulavin and Nekrasov #
It is every person’s duty to protect their land and family from invaders, robbers, and oppressors. But the sacred duty of every Christian is to defend their faith and Church from heretics and godless people. Love for Christ and His Church surpasses love for one’s homeland and kin. For a foreign land can become a new homeland, and strangers can become a new family, but nothing can replace the Orthodox faith and the Orthodox Church. During the reign of Tsar Peter, this was proven by the Nekrasov Cossacks, who left their homeland to preserve their faith.
At the beginning of the 18th century, southern Russia was in turmoil. The banks of the Don and Volga were engulfed in a people’s war led by the Cossack ataman Kondraty Afanasyevich Bulavin. The participants—Russians and Ukrainians, Cossacks and barge haulers, townspeople and peasants—rose up against the officials, voivodes, boyars, moneylenders, and wealthy landowners.
The war began when Colonel Dolgorukov arrived in the Don region from Moscow with a detachment of soldiers. He had been ordered to find runaway serfs and return them to their masters. However, according to ancient custom, all those who found refuge on the Don were considered free people—Cossacks. The arrival of the tsar’s troops angered the Don Cossacks.
Dolgorukov carried out his mission with brutal cruelty, showing no mercy to women, the elderly, or children. Bulavin and his Cossacks took up arms to defend their brothers and sisters. On the night of October 9, 1707, they attacked Dolgorukov’s detachment, killing all the soldiers and Dolgorukov himself.
The uprising was supported by poor Cossacks, landless peasants, and oppressed Old Believers. However, the wealthier Cossacks opposed Bulavin; they did not want to shed blood for the poor and had no desire to quarrel with Moscow. The wealthy conspired and killed the ataman on July 5, 1708. Upon hearing of this, Tsar Peter was so pleased that he ordered thanksgiving services and cannon fire in celebration.
The rebellion was crushed. The tsar’s forces looted and burned many Cossack villages, carrying out terrifying executions: men were quartered and hanged, while women and children were drowned. Tsarist commanders executed around 24,000 people, including many devout priests, deacons, and monks.
Bulavin himself adhered to the old faith, as did most of his comrades—Nikita Golyi, Ignatiy Nekrasov, and Lukyan Khokhlach. Therefore, they called on the people to rise not only against oppressors but also against the “Hellenic faith”—Russian Orthodoxy, which had been altered by Nikon according to Greek models. They urged the people to defend the ancient religious traditions.
Kondraty Bulavin, speaking on behalf of the Don army, addressed the common people: We, the entire army, have united in one mind, to stand with all zeal for the House of the Most Holy Mother of God, for the true Christian faith, for our souls and lives, with the son standing for his father, the brother for his brother, standing together and dying as one.
Nikita Golyi explained to the common folk: We have no quarrel with the commoners. Our quarrel is with the boyars and those who commit injustices. You, the poor, come from all the towns, on foot and on horseback, naked and barefoot. Come without fear! There will be horses, weapons, clothing, and wages for you. We stand for the old faith, for the House of the Most Holy Mother of God, and for you, for all the common people, so that we do not fall into the Hellenic faith.
Although the war for Cossack freedom and the old faith was lost, Bulavin’s cause did not die. It was continued by Ataman Ignatiy Fyodorovich Nekrasov, a devout Christian and courageous warrior.
In September 1708, Nekrasov, along with several thousand Old Believer Cossacks, relocated to the Kuban, which at that time was under the rule of the Muslim Crimean Khan. Here, the ataman sought to fulfill the eternal dreams of the Russian people for a free life without officials, landowners, voivodes, or boyars.
Nekrasov sent emissaries to Russia, urging Cossacks and peasants to settle in the Kuban, where they could live freely under the khan rather than in servitude under the tsar. Many people left their homeland and fled abroad, despite the authorities’ efforts to prevent them.
The freedom-loving people who gathered around Ignatiy Nekrasov came to be known as the Nekrasov Cossacks.
Thus, a Christian community was formed, where the self-governing traditions of the Don army were preserved, and where brotherhood and mutual assistance reigned. The highest authority in this community was the krug—the general assembly. The ataman was elected by the krug for one year. The krug also administered justice according to Nekrasov’s laws, known as the “Covenants of Ignat.” Some of these included:
- Do not obey the tsars, do not return to Russia under the tsars;
- No member of the community may leave without the permission of the \textit{krug} or ataman;
- One-third of a Cossack’s earnings goes to the military treasury;
- Treason against the army is punishable by execution without trial;
- Intermarriage with non-believers is punishable by death;
- For the murder of a community member, the guilty party is buried alive;
- A husband must treat his wife with respect;
- A husband who abuses his wife is punished by the \textit{krug};
- Uphold the old faith;
- Blasphemy is punishable by execution.
Strict adherence to the “Covenants” helped the Nekrasov Cossacks survive in their Muslim surroundings, preserving their Orthodox faith and Russian identity.
Ataman Nekrasov died in 1737. Soon after, Russia began the annexation of the Kuban, which was completed in 1783 under Empress Catherine II. Unwilling to live under the rule of the tsars, the Cossacks gradually left the Kuban and resettled in the region of Dobruja on the shores of the Black Sea. At that time, these lands belonged to Turkey, but today they are divided between Bulgaria and Romania.
However, as Russia’s borders expanded and moved closer to Dobruja, the threat of falling under the tsar’s rule arose again. Many Nekrasov Cossacks then moved to Turkey and settled on the shores of Lake Maynos.
Living as a closed community surrounded by the foreign Turkish environment, the Cossacks held firm—they preserved the Don traditions of self-government, their native language, folk songs and legends, Russian clothing, and the memory of Ataman Nekrasov. His “Covenants” were written down in the “Book of Ignat” and kept in a special chest in the church. The Nekrasov banner was also preserved.
The community had a school where boys were educated. One-third of the Cossacks’ earnings from agriculture, livestock farming, and fishing went toward supporting the school, church, the elderly, the sick, and the military.
The Nekrasov Cossacks remained faithful to the “Covenants of Ignat” and did not return to Russia under the tsars. It was only in the 20th century, after the fall of the monarchy, that they finally returned to their homeland.
New Schism #
Christians attend the house of God for prayer. However, in church, believers not only pray; special sacred actions known as sacraments are performed in Orthodox temples.
According to the Church’s teaching, a sacrament is a sacred action established by Christ and His apostles, through which divine grace is transmitted to the faithful in a visible way. The sacraments are the foundation of Christian life, and without them, the salvation of the soul is impossible.
The Orthodox Church recognizes seven sacraments: baptism, chrismation, confession (repentance), communion (Eucharist), marriage, anointing (unction), and ordination (holy orders). The Church teaches that only senior clergy—bishops and priests—can perform these sacraments, with the help of junior clergy—deacons.
The power of the clergy is the authority to perform the sacraments, to spiritually guide believers, and to lead them. This authority is passed down through episcopal ordination. A bishop, with prayer, lays hands on the head of a worthy person, who then receives the grace of the Holy Spirit for sacred service to the Church.
An ordinary Christian, without ordination, cannot perform the sacraments. They cannot hear confessions, serve the Liturgy, or officiate marriages.
The only sacrament that, in extreme cases, can be performed by a layperson is the baptism of a dying person. However, if the person survives, they must be brought to a priest who will complete the baptism with the proper prayers.
Thus, Christian life is unthinkable without ordained clergy. Without them, there would be no sacraments and no Church.
But in the Gospel, the Lord promises us, His believers, that He will be with us always, even to the end of the world. Therefore, Christians are convinced that the Church, the sacraments, and the priesthood will endure until the end of this visible world.
After the schism of the Russian Church, the Old Believers found themselves in a difficult situation. They desperately needed clergy. The priests, who had been ordained by pious bishops before Nikon, were gradually dying out. And there was no bishop in Russia who could ordain new priests for the faithful. Bishop Pavel of Kolomna was martyred in 1656, without leaving a successor.
What was to be done?
By the end of the 17th century, this question led to a new schism within the Russian Church, dividing the Old Believers into two groups: the “priestless” (bespopovtsy) and the “priestly” (popovtsy) factions.
At that time, some Old Believer preachers began to teach that the world was ruled by the Antichrist, that the end of the world and the Last Judgment were near. Initially, they saw the Antichrist in Patriarch Nikon, then in Tsars Alexei Mikhailovich and Peter Alexeyevich, and later in all Russian rulers.
Of course, Peter I most resembled the Antichrist. He sincerely loved everything foreign and disliked everything Russian, especially the ancient traditions of the fathers. He even forbade the wearing of beards and traditional Russian clothing.
Peter openly mocked the Church and its councils, organizing drunken feasts with his close associates, which he blasphemously called the “All-Jesting, All-Drunken Council.” The emperor approved the persecution of the Old Believers and called the fight against them a “holy and apostolic mission.”
Many believers, recognizing Peter as the Antichrist, fled their homes, retreating as far as possible from the devil and his servants—officials and soldiers. They built secluded hermitages deep in the forests, more hidden and severe than ever before, shut themselves away from the world, locked their prayer houses, and even placed locks of tempered iron on their wells.
The state hunted down these fugitives, sending punitive detachments to search for and capture them. Often, in fear of falling into the hands of the soldiers, Old Believers chose voluntary death by fire—self-immolation. From the late 17th to the early 19th century, self-immolations in Russia claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Preachers began teaching that in the kingdom of the Antichrist, God’s grace had dried up, all sanctity had been taken to heaven, the Church had fled into the wilderness, and the priesthood had ceased, along with the sacraments.
Followers of this teaching became known as the “priestless” (bespopovtsy). Deciding to organize their spiritual life without priests (hence their name), they abandoned all sacraments except for baptism, which could be performed by laypeople in cases of necessity.
The priestless created a unique teaching about “contamination” by the external world, which they believed was under the control of the Antichrist. A believer could become contaminated by praying with a heretic, sharing a meal, or even simple interaction.
To avoid contamination, the priestless were careful to “watch their bowl”—avoiding eating from the same dish as nonbelievers, prayed over food bought at markets, and hid their icons to prevent them from being defiled even by the gaze of heretics.
However, as years and decades passed, with new tsars and patriarchs, the anticipated apocalypse did not occur. Over time, the priestless movement splintered into various sects. Within their ranks emerged “spiritual leaders”—laypeople who took on roles such as administering baptism, hearing confession, and officiating marriages.
This contradicted the teachings of the apostles, the traditions of the holy fathers, and church rules. Most Christians could not accept this. They believed that the sacraments required genuine priests. But that left only one source of priesthood for the Old Believers: Nikonian bishops, whom they viewed as heretics.
Once again, the question arose—what was to be done?
Church rules allow for the acceptance of priesthood from heretics, as stated in the canons of the ecumenical councils and the writings of many holy fathers.
During the time of the schism, Protopope Avvakum taught this. He emphasized the necessity of a priest for salvation and called on Old Believers to accept Nikonian priests: “If a priest curses the Nikonians and their service, and loves the ancient ways with all his heart, then, in necessity, let him be a priest. How can the world exist without priests? Go to those churches.”
Saint Avvakum also wrote: “And I think this: if one becomes a priest, but his soul burns for the old ways, then we accept such, in need.”
Thus, guided by ancient rules and new teachings, Old Believers began accepting Nikonian priests into their communities. Those Christians who recognized the full spectrum of church sacraments and could not imagine their spiritual life without the Eucharist, the priesthood, and the sacraments became known as the “priestly” (popovtsy) Old Believers.
Znamenny Chant #
Liturgical singing is one of the main treasures of the Orthodox Church.
From ancient times, Christians have placed great importance on the beauty and harmony of liturgical hymns.
It was the singing that astounded Prince Vladimir’s envoys when they visited Constantinople and attended the service at the Hagia Sophia. They were so overwhelmed that they did not know whether they were on earth or in heaven. Were they hearing the ranks of archangels, angels, cherubim, and seraphim standing before the throne of God?
With Orthodox faith, Greek church singing—solemn, measured, and dignified—came to Rus’. Today, it has been preserved in all its centuries-old grandeur only among Old Believers, both priestly and priestless.
Of course, modern Old Believer singing differs somewhat from the ancient Greek chants. However, it has been preserved better among the Old Believers than among the Greeks themselves, who altered their chants under the influence of Turkish and Arabic melodies.
The main feature of ancient Greek and Russian, as well as modern Old Believer, church singing is that it is performed strictly in unison, that is, in a single voice.
In unison, or monophonic singing, all the singers on the kliros — the choir — sing together. No one rushes ahead, and no one lags behind. No one raises or lowers their voice. When you hear such singing, it seems as if one person is singing, not several.
Unison singing in church symbolically reflects the unity of mind among the believers gathered for prayer. It calms minds and hearts burdened by worldly concerns. It helps a person feel like part of the one body of Christ — the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Orthodox singing avoids ornamentation and sensuality. The voices of the singers sound simple and natural, free and dispassionate, without strain or fervor. This helps the believer focus on prayer, lifting their soul and feeling the closeness of the Almighty and All-Merciful God.
In ancient times, church singing and reading were mostly performed by men. However, today, with a shortage of male voices, women are also allowed to participate in services. In some parishes, efforts are made to have men sing on one kliros and women on another.
There are several styles of church chant: simple chanting on the tone (glas), Znamenny “stolpovoy” and “putevoy” (pillar and path), Demestvenny chant, and Kondakarian chant, the latter, unfortunately, now completely lost.
Demestvenny chant is particularly distinguished by its solemnity. In ancient times, it was called “krasny,” meaning “beautiful.” This chant appeared in Rus’ in the 15th century and was used only on special occasions—at services attended by the tsar and patriarch or on great church feasts.
Sometimes prayers are sung following a model, imitating other hymns. These are called “podobny” or “on the podoben.” The model hymn is known as a “samopodoben.”
Some prayers are sung according to melodies passed down by ear from generation to generation. These melodies may vary in different communities.
To record liturgical melodies, the Greeks used special signs, unlike modern musical notes. These signs were called “neumes.” In Rus’, they were called “znamena,” or “hooks.” Thus, Russian church singing is called “Znamenny,” or “hook” chant.
Greek neumes and Russian “znamena” differ from regular musical notes not only in appearance but also in meaning. One note represents one sound, while a single neume or “znamen” can represent one sound or several. Variations in sounds are indicated by special marks — signs and small letters next to the “znamena.”
The names of the different types of “znamena” are unusual: “palka” (stick), “stopitsa” (foot), “zmeitsa” (little snake), “kryzh” (cross). Some names are even poetic: “golubchik borzy” (swift little dove), “dva v chelnu” (two in a boat), “strela mrachnaya” (dark arrow), “strela gromosvetlaya” (thunder-lightning arrow).
Since the time of Alexei Mikhailovich and Nikon, the new ritualists gradually abandoned “znamena” and ancient singing. Instead of “znamena,” they began using European notes, and instead of the old chants — new European ones, more lively and emotional.
Moscow was flooded with numerous Ukrainian singers. They brought with them a special chant called the Kiev chant, which imitated Polish and German music.
This singing was also called polyphonic, or “partesnoe” (part singing). The kliros singers no longer sang in unison, but divided into parts, or sections. The lower voices, the basses, sang their part, and the higher voices, the trebles, their own.
By the 18th century, the new-rite singing had completely merged with secular music. Composers emerged, writing both church hymns and music for theater and dance.
At that point, the only requirement for liturgical singing was beauty, though this beauty was understood in a peculiar way. It was defined by excessive complexity, contrived ornamentation, and tearful sentimentality. Composers aimed to write hymns that would make worshipers in church applaud, as they would in a theater.
With such singing, the words of the prayers were distorted or entirely incomprehensible. But this did not bother the new-rite clergy. In their churches, one could even hear music popular in theaters, with the sacred words of psalms and prayers sung to it.
Sometimes the fascination with modern music reached the point of blasphemy. For example, during the singing at the end of a solemn moleben, not only were church bells rung, but drums were beaten, cannons fired, and fireworks set off.
Some landowners would shave the heads of peasant girls, dress them in men’s clothing, and send them to sing on the kliros.
The bad taste nurtured by the new-rite church music could not appreciate the beauty of the ancient chants. The previous slow and dispassionate singing seemed boring and long to the new-ritualists.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, some composers tried to write hymns resembling the Znamenny chant. However, these attempts were unsuccessful. The result was hymns written according to European musical rules, but in which the ancient melody was either lost or distorted.
Excluded from the repertoire of the Synodal Church, Znamenny chant survived only among the Old Believers. They carefully preserved it, despite persecution and oppression.
Listening to Old Believer singing, a modern person embarks on a journey through time. They hear not only the prayers of ancient Rus’, but also the lament of the fallen Constantinople. Through the centuries, the living voices of the singers of the Hagia Sophia reach them.
Vetka and Starodubye #
There once lived a devout priest named Kozma in Moscow. He served at the Church of All Saints in Kulishki, located in the White City, and was one of the few priests in the capital who dared to perform the services according to the old ways. Kozma was well-acquainted with Protopope Avvakum and the noblewoman Morozova.
When Protopope Avvakum returned to Moscow from his exile in Siberia, he would offer Holy Communion to his spiritual children in the Church of All Saints and pray there himself. Kozma celebrated the liturgy at the altar, while Avvakum would sing on the kliros.
Kozma’s parishioners were wealthy people, involved in trade and various crafts. They respected the priest for his righteous life. Kozma, in turn, encouraged his congregation to uphold the ancient piety and reject the new rituals.
However, it became increasingly difficult for the Old Believers to live in the capital. There was no place to hide from the Nikonian authorities, so they lived in constant fear of denunciation, imprisonment, torture, and execution. Kozma, after consulting with his spiritual children, decided to leave Moscow and relocate to Starodubye, on the border with Poland.
At that time, the border between Russia and the powerful Polish kingdom was near Smolensk, Bryansk, and Chernigov. The area around the border town of Starodub was called Starodubye, or the Starodub Regiment. One of the regiment’s captains was a friend of Kozma, and it was to him that the group of settlers went.
Around 1678, Kozma left Moscow with twelve families of his most devout parishioners, taking with them the reserved Holy Gifts for Communion. The captain of the Starodub Regiment settled the Moscow refugees in a small town called Ponurovka. In the first year, the Old Believer settlers also established four other towns: Bely Kolodets, Siny Kolodets, Shelomu, and Zamishye.
Following Kozma, another priest, Stefan, from the town of Belev and a friend of Abbot Dosifey, also arrived in Starodubye. He came with his son Dmitry, daughter Martha, and many Christians from the Kaluga and Tula regions. Stefan first settled in Zamishye, and later moved to a town named Mitkovka, after his son.
The number of refugees in Starodubye grew significantly after the defeat of the Streltsy uprising in 1682.
In 1685, the infamous “Twelve Articles” of Tsarevna Sophia were issued, and the Starodub colonel was ordered to apply this cruel law against the Old Believer settlers.
In response, the devout fled from the Russian borders and crossed into Polish territory, just fifteen versts away from their villages. Here, on a deserted island in the middle of the Sozh River, near the town of Gomel, they established their first village, which they named Vetka after the island. The term “Vetka” also came to refer to the lands around this settlement that housed the Old Believer communities.
Today, these lands belong to Belarus, but at the end of the 17th century, they were owned by Polish landowners. These landowners welcomed the influx of sober, peaceful, and hard-working people, giving them vacant lands, setting a fair rent, and not interfering in their religious affairs.
The news that Poland did not persecute the Old Belief attracted even more settlers to Vetka. In a short time, they had settled fourteen large towns, which was remarkable considering that Poland had long been an enemy of Russia. It had seized Russian lands and oppressed the Orthodox population, forcefully imposing Catholicism and the Union. Poles disdainfully referred to Russians as “schismatics” or “heretics.” Yet, on Vetka, Polish landlords did not harm the Russian Old Believers, who were being ruthlessly persecuted by their own Russian authorities.
Kozma and Stefan first lived in the village of Vetka, where a chapel was built, and the priests conducted services. However, soon a disagreement arose between them.
Kozma purchased bells to call people to prayer, but Stefan disapproved. He grumbled:
“We didn’t flee here to show off but to hide from persecution!”
After this, Stefan moved to the village of Karpovka, and Kozma to the village of Kositskaya. Stefan soon passed away, and Kozma died in 1690.
At the beginning of the 18th century, Vetka entered its golden age, becoming the capital of Old Belief for a century. The population of the villages grew to 40,000 people. Numerous monasteries, both male and female, were established.
Monks wrote icons and copied liturgical books, as the Old Believers did not yet have their own printing presses. Nuns wove cloth, embroidered with gold, and made prayer ropes. Laypeople engaged in agriculture and trade.
In 1708, during the invasion of the Swedish king Charles XII, the Old Believers of Vetka and those few remaining in Starodubye gathered and fought against the enemies of Russia. They aided Peter I by attacking Swedish supply wagons and ambushing small groups of soldiers. Several hundred Swedes were killed by the villagers, and the captured prisoners were personally presented to the emperor.
Although Peter did not favor the Old Believers, he appreciated their show of loyalty. He forgave the refugees and granted them the lands in Starodub. The previously abandoned settlements were repopulated in even greater numbers. Peter ordered that the people of Vetka not be disturbed, which contributed to the flourishing of their communities.
However, the wealth of Vetka, with its many villages and monasteries and its splendid churches, aroused the envy of the Russian secular and spiritual authorities. Thousands of serfs fled from Russia to settle there. As a result, the lands bordering Poland became depopulated, landowners lost their dues, Russian generals were short of recruits, and the clergy of the Synodal Church lost parishioners.
In 1735, the infamous “Vetka Expulsion” occurred. Empress Anna Ioannovna , the niece of Peter I, sent troops to Vetka. During Holy Week, five regiments crossed the Polish border and, by force of arms, drove thousands of Old Believers back to Russia. The villages were emptied, the monasteries were burned, and the churches were looted. Many laypeople and monks managed to escape into the surrounding forests.
Soon after, Christians began returning to the ravaged settlements. By 1740, Vetka had once again been repopulated. New villages were established, and the old ones, along with new monasteries, were restored.
Having survived both the Polish kingdom and the Russian Empire, enduring several terrible wars and the catastrophic explosion at nearby Chernobyl , Vetka has persisted to this day, though its brilliant glory and unquestionable greatness now belong to the past.