March 2, 7534
Depart, my lights, into the mountains, into the dens, into the earthly abysses. Bury yourselves, my lights, with ashes and sands, and even with fine gravel. Stand firm, my lights, for the cross and for prayer, and for the Christian faith. – Old Believer verse about the Antichrist In the same years when the “statists”…
K. Kozhurin. (On the 350th anniversary of its beginning) In 1668, the siege of the principal holy shrine of the Russian North—the Solovetsky Monastery—began by tsarist troops. From the very start of Patriarch Nikon’s reforms, the monastery had become one of the chief strongholds of the old faith. “The Solovetsky Monastery was the fourth most…
-K. KOZHURIN, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences (Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia) As has already been noted by a number of researchers, the “zealots of piety” of the mid-17th century and their followers—the Old Believers—in their historiosophical views relied on written monuments of South- and West-Russian origin. Over time these texts acquired unconditional authority, and…
In the wild, desolate Dauria, A voivode’s detachment marches on. In that troop, with a dignified stride, A great sufferer trudges along. His wife and young children Bear the exile with him. For his righteous preaching in the world, A cruel judgment has been passed. – Old Believer spiritual verse “Avvakum in Exile” In 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…
“And a heavy darkness… then covered Russia.” — Andrey Denisov, Funeral Oration for Peter Prokopyev Ты была Христова До шездесят шестова… (You were Christ’s Until 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…
At the start of the 21st century, no one disputes that the church schism of the mid-17th century was one of the most tragic and bloody chapters in Russian history. The church reformation, initiated 350 years ago by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Patriarch Nikon, not only split the Russian Church but also divided Russian history…
I would recommend first and foremost reading the Holy Scripture, but always with the commentaries of the Holy Fathers, to avoid straying into self-willed interpretations of its passages, as Protestants and other non-Orthodox often do. It is very beneficial to read the works of St. John Chrysostom, who presents Orthodox teachings about God, the incarnation…