A certain Old Believer clergyman — a somewhat well-known one — once surprised me in conversation by referring to a “holy lestovka.” But we, as Christians, understand holiness to belong first and foremost to God. It is proper and fitting to speak of the Holy Church, the Holy Gospel, the Holy Temple, and the Holy…

By F.E. Melnikov Old Belief is generally understood to mean that Russian religious movement which unites millions of people, commonly called Old Believers. But such a definition clarifies nothing of substance, for the very nature of this “ecclesiastical movement” remains unexplained. The vast literature on Old Belief contains a wide variety of definitions. According to…

Viktor Bochenkov Almost everyone has at least heard something about Old Belief. But what exactly is it? It’s no secret that the old label “schismatics” is still in common use. For a long time, these words were nearly synonymous. Even today, the terms “schism” and “schismatic” appear frequently, including in scholarly articles, despite being ideological…

The development of church theology in ancient Russia still awaits its historian. Despite the extensive research devoted to contemporary events in church and civil history, the evolution of Christian legal and moral concepts within our own land remains poorly studied. The flourishing of Christianity in Russia long before St. Vladimir is clearly attested by Blessed…