February 28, 7534
-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”)…
“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…
In today’s context of increasing religious activity and society’s genuine interest in Christian culture, the social roots of religion are being preserved and strengthened, prompting further research into these foundations. Biblical themes are acquiring significant socio-cultural importance. The study of early Christian communities, which were established by real historical figures—the Apostles—becomes particularly vital. The Apostles…
Excerpt from the book: V.P. Ryabushinsky – Old Belief and the Russian Religious Consciousness Around the middle of the 17th century, an event of tremendous significance took place in the history of Russian culture: the Russian Church was torn by a schism. This division, for many, even to this day, seems to have arisen from…
In recent decades, the meaning of the term “Old Believers” (староверы) has undergone a significant transformation in the public consciousness. Whereas just a few decades ago, society had a clear understanding that Old Believers were Old Ritualists (старообрядцы)—representatives of the most ancient and orthodox form of Christianity in Russia—today, this term is increasingly being adopted by neo-pagans to describe their own…
By the 17th century, messianism had fully taken shape as a fundamental part of the Russian mentality, crystallized through the terror of Ivan the Terrible and the Time of Troubles that inevitably followed. The sense of a providential mission before the whole world shaped key features of the Russian national character, including (1) isolation from…