Figure 1.--This photograph shows a group of Russian Old Believers in Novgorod Oblast. It is undated, but was probably taken in very late-19th century, although the early-20th century is possible. We are unsure about the building, possibly their church. One aspect of the Old Believers beyond religious ritual was to maintain how they looked. Much of what you see here does not reflect actual 17th century dress, but the people are clearly clinging to traditional styles. This is to a large extent dependent on what is available to purchase. The clothing to us looks esentially like 19th century Russian rural peasant dress. One interesting aspect is the boy's hair styles. They hace a destintly modern look to us. We are unsure just how boys' hair was cut in the 17th century.

Neither the Tsarist state or the church heirarchy ever suceeded in eliminating the Old Believers heresy. Persecution by the Tsarist state and Church heirachy forced Old Believers into remote and undeveloped areas, where Tsarist officials rarely visited. Here they cintinued to quietly carry out the old rituals. Periodically when discovered or feared discivery, they moved again into Russia's vast hinterlands. [Dolitsky and Kuz'mina] Not all old Believers disappeared in to the interior, but for the most part they moved out of cities and important towns where Tsarist officials and the official church was likely to be found. The Old Belkievers became a fertile population for social disobedience. And old legends would periodically reappear such as the Tsar-Antichrist and Peter the Imposter legends. This occured during the reiugnb of Peter the Great (1682-1725) who promoted a range of social and cultural reforms. Percecution continuediunder Catherine, Anna, and Elizabeth seemed to have actuallyresulted iun the survival of the Old Believers. For many who felt oppressed or marginalized by the Tsarist state, the Old Beliver faith appears to have had considerable appeal. The Old Believers even remained the dominant force in isolasted areas far from Moscow such as the Far North as well as pockets elsewhere (Kursk region, the Urals, Siberia, and Russian Far East). The last Imperial Russian census found that an amazing 25 percent of the Russian Empire adhered to Old Believer branches (1910). This seems a huge amount give over two centuries of at times brutal persecuion by the Church heirarchy and the Tsarist state. .

Sources

Dolitsky, Alexander B. and Lyudmila P. Kuz'mina. "Cultural Change vs. Persistence: A Case from Old Believer Settlements," Arctic Vol. 39, No. 3 (September 1986), pp. 223-231. Published by the Arctic Institute of North America.

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Created: 10:13 AM 6/17/2011
Last updated: 10:13 AM 6/17/2011