August 15, 7533
-Dimitry Urushev In rare books on 18th-century Russian literature, one seldom encounters the name of Simeon Denisov. Among the “enlightened men” like the poets Kantemir, Sumarokov, or Kheraskov, who sang in a European style of “the heart’s bitter sorrows,” there is little room for a northern hermit who, in an ancient style, recounted not “the…
-K. Kozhurin As it has always been within the Orthodox Church, there have been sacred persons, permitted by the authorities at certain times and under specific circumstances, including from among ordinary, unordained individuals, particularly in monastic settings, even when sacred persons faced ultimate destruction. For when sacred persons are present, they strictly prohibit ordinary people…
-K. Kozhurin But even if I am greatly sinful before God, I only recall the words of the saints: “Hold fast,” they said, “to the traditions of the elders, as they learned from their fathers.” However, heresies and schisms in the Church, according to the holy scriptures, are judged to be nothing other than a…
Much less is known about the Filippovtsy sect compared to the Pomortsy and Fedoseevtsy sects. This is partly due to the greater secrecy of the Filippovtsy, which stems from their teachings. Currently, very few Filippovtsy remain—on Russian territory, the sect is represented by only a few communities, with an estimated total of no more than…
-Dimitry Urushev Bishop Paul of Kolomna is one of the most significant figures in Russian spiritual history of the 17th century. Unfortunately, he has not been fortunate in attracting scholarly attention. His name has been overshadowed by more famous contemporaries—Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Patriarch Nikon, and Protopriest Avvakum. Paul and Nikon The memory of Bishop Paul…
In the Tretyakov Gallery, one cannot miss the enormous painting by Vasily Perov, Nikita Pustosvyat. Dispute on Faith. At the center of the composition is a figure that evokes little sympathy: an elder with a frenzied, crazed expression—Nikita Dobrynin, an Old Believer priest. This is a caricatured, biased portrayal. The term “Pustosvyat” (meaning “false saint”)…
Knorre B., Iserov A. I. The Last of the Mohicans It is hard to imagine, but some of the strictest branches of Old Believerism still survive today. Among them are the Filippovtsy, an Old Believer sect that emerged among the priestless Old Believers in the early 18th century. The sect was founded by a musketeer…
By Wanderer Margarita Dear benefactors, when we gather for such assemblies, we pursue one goal—to listen to the holy scriptures. Why do we listen to the holy scriptures? To know God’s law and His will. However, knowing the law is not enough for salvation, as the Apostle Paul says: “It is not the hearers of…
By Wanderer Margarita Desiring to offer you a soul-benefiting discourse, I must say that I do this not because I am confident in my own knowledge or strength, but only because you have asked me to, and I rely on the mercy of God. For the Lord Himself said, “Open your mouth, and I will…
“And a heavy darkness… then covered Russia.”— Andrey Denisov, Funeral Oration for Peter Prokopyev Ты была ХристоваДо шездесят шестова… (You were Christ’sUntil sixty-six…)— Old Believer spiritual verse, “On the Nikonians” Long before the onset of Nikon’s “ventures” in Russia, when nothing seemed to foreshadow the impending catastrophe that would befall the Russian Church, the first…