Old Believer Priest Disputing with Patriarch Joachim the Matters of Faith. Painting by Vasily Perov.

Raskol (Russian: раско́л IPA: [rʌˈskol] meaning 'split' or 'schism') was the event of splitting of the Russian Orthodox Church into an official church and the Old Believers movement in mid-17th century, triggered by the reforms of Patriarch Nikon in 1653, aiming to establish uniformity between the Greek and Russian church practices. Port Moresby town Port Moresby, (), population 255,000 (2000), is the capital of Papua New Guinea. ... Raskol gangs are gangs in Papua New Guinea, primarily in the larger cities (including Port Moresby and Lae). ... Image File history File links Vasily Perov. ... Image File history File links Vasily Perov. ... Fyodor Dostoevsky, 1872. ... For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words see here. ... The word schism (IPA: or ), from the Greek σχίσμα, skhísma (from σχίζω, skhízō, to split), means a division or a split, usually in an organization or a movement. ... The Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: ), also known as the Orthodox Christian Church of Russia, is that body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs and primates of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... In the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers (Russian: ) separated after 1666 - 1667 from the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Nikon (Ни́кон), born Nikita Minin (1605-1681), was patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church from 1652 to 1658. ... Events February 2 - New Amsterdam (later renamed New York City) is incorporated. ...

The Raskol: result of Church reforms

The members of an influential circle called the Zealots of Piety (Кружок ревнителей благочестия) stood for purification of Russian Orthodox faith. They strove to reform Muscovite society, bringing it into closer accordance with Christian values and to improve church practices. As a consequence, they also were engaged in the removal of alternative versions and correction of divine service books. The most influential members of this circle were Archpriests Avvakum, Ivan Neronov, Stephan Vonifatiyev, Fyodor Rtishchev and, when still Archbishop of Novgorod, Nikon himself, the future Patriarch. The Zealots of Piety (Russian: Кружок ревнителей благочестия) was a circle of ecclesiastical and secular individuals in the late 1640s - early 1650s in Russia, which gathered around Stefan Vonifatiyev, the confessor of tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. ... Muscovy (Moscow principality (княжество Московское) to Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое Княжество Московское) to Russian Tsardom (Царство Русское)) is a traditional Western name for the Russian state that existed from the 14th century to the late 17th century. ... The Divine Service is the liturgy of the Lutheran Church which is used during the celebration of the Eucharist. ... An archpriest is the title of a priest which has supervisory duties over a number of parishes. ... Old Believer icon depicting Avvakum surrounded by other martyrs of the Old Faith Avvákum Petróv (November 20, 1620 or 1621 - April 14, 1682) was a Russian archpriest of Kazan Cathedral on Red Square who led the opposition to Patriarch Nikons reforms of the Russian Orthodox Church. ... Feodor Alekseyevich Rtishchev (1625-1673), an intimate friend of Tsar Alexis who was renowned for his piety and alms-deeds. ...

With the support from the Russian tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Patriarch Nikon began the process of correction of the Russian divine service books in accordance with their modern Greek counterparts and changed some of the rituals (the two-finger sign of the cross was replaced by the one with three fingers, "hallelujah" was to be pronounced three times instead of two etc.). These innovations met with resistance from both the clergy and the people, who disputed the legitimacy and correctness of these reforms, referring to theological traditions and Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastic rules. Ignoring these protests, the reforms were approved by the church sobors in 1654–1655. In 1653–1656, the Print Yard under Epifany Slavinetsky began to produce corrected versions of newly translated divine service books. Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (In Russian Алексей Михаилович Романов) (March 9, 1629 (O.S.) - January 29, 1676 (O.S.)) was a Tsar of Russia during some of the most eventful... The Sign of the Cross is performed mainly within Latin and Eastern Rite Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, and Lutheranism. ... Hallelujah, Halleluyah, or Alleluia, is a transliteration of the Hebrew word הַלְּלוּיָהּ (Standard Hebrew HallÉ™luya, Tiberian Hebrew HallÉ™lûyāh) meaning [Let us] praise (הַלְּלוּ) God (יָהּ) (or Praise (הַלְּלוּ) [the] LORD (יָהּ)). It is found mainly in the book of Psalms. ... A sobor is a council of bishops and other clerical and lay representatives representing the church in matters of importance. ... Events April 5 - Signing of the Treaty of Westminster, ending the First Anglo-Dutch War. ... Events March 25 - Saturns largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christian Huygens. ... // Events Mehmed Köprülü becomes Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. ... Epifany Slavinetsky (Епифаний Славинецкий in Russian) was a great ecclesiastical expert of the Russian Orthodox Church who helped Patriarch Nikon to revise the ancient service-books, thus precipitating the Great Schizm of the national church. ...

A traditional, wide-spread view of these reforms is that they only affected the external ritualistic side of the Russian Orthodox faith and that these changes were deemed as a major event by the religious Russian people. However, these reforms, apart from their arbitrariness, established radically different relations between the church and the faithful. It soon became obvious that Nikon had used this reform for the purpose of centralization of the church and strengthening of his own authority. Nikon’s forcible introduction of the new divine service books and rituals caused a major estrangement between the Zealots of Piety and Nikon. Some of its members stood up for the old faith and opposed the reforms and patriarch’s actions. Avvakum and Daniel petitioned to the tsar in favour of the two-finger sign of the cross and bows during divine services and sermons. Then, they tried to prove to the clergy that the correction of the books in accordance with the Greek standards profaned the pure faith because the Greek Church had deviated from the "ancient piety" and had been printing its divine service books in Catholic print houses and that they had been exposed to Roman Catholic influences. Ivan Neronov spoke against the strengthening of patriarch’s authority and demanded democratization of ecclesiastic management. This conflict between Nikon and defenders of the old faith took a turn for the worse and soon Avvakum, Ivan Neronov and others would be persecuted and eventually be executed in 1682. Russians (Русские - Russkie) are an ethnic group of East Slavic people, which live primarily in Russia and neighboring countries. ... Bowing is the act of lowering the head, or sometimes the entire upper body from the waist, as a social gesture. ... A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. ... Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. ... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself: as the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus and the Twelve Apostles. ... Democratization is the transition from an authoritarian or a semi-authoritarian political system to a democratic political system. ...

A fragment of painting Boyarynya Morozova by Vasily Surikov depicting Feodosiya's arrest by the Nikonians in 1671. She holds two fingers raised, thus showing the old, i.e., "proper", way of cross-signing oneself: with two fingers, rather than with three.

The case brought by the defenders of the old faith found many supporters among different strata of the Russian society, which would give birth to the Raskol movement. A part of the old faith low-ranking clergy protested against the increase of feudal oppression, coming from the church leaders. Some members of the high-ranking clergy joined the Raskol movement due to their discontent over Nikon’s aspirations and his arbitrariness. Some of them, such as bishop Paul of Kolomna, Archbishop Alexander of Vyatka (let alone a number of monasteries, such as the famous Solovetsky monastery), stood up for the old faith; bishop Pavel was eventually executed for his loyalty to the old rites. Boyarynya Feodosiya Morozova, her sister Princess Urusova, and some other courtiers openly supported or secretly sympathized with the defenders of the old faith. Take from http://www. ... Take from http://www. ... Self-Portrait Vasily Ivanovich Surikov (Василий Иванович Суриков) (January 24, 1848 (Julian calendar: January 12) – March 19, 1916 (Julian calendar: March 6)) was the foremost Russian painter of large-scale historical subjects. ... Nikon (Ни́кон), born Nikita Minin (1605-1681), was patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church from 1652 to 1658. ... The Sign of the Cross is performed mainly within Latin and Eastern Rite Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, and Lutheranism. ... Feudalism comes from the Late Latin word feudum, itself borrowed from a Germanic root *fehu, a commonly used term in the Middle Ages which means fief, or land held under certain obligations by feodati. ... A fragment of painting Boyarynya Morozova by Vasily Surikov depicting Feodosiyas arrest by the Nikonians in 1671. ...

The unification of such heterogeneous forces against what had become "the official church" could probably be explained by the in some aspects contradictory ideology of the Raskol movement. A certain idealization and conservation of traditional values and old traditions, a critical attitude towards innovations, conservation of national originality and acceptance (by radical elements) of martyrdomin the name of the old faith as the only way towards salvation were intertwined with harsh criticism of feudalism and serfdom. Different social strata were attracted to different sides of this ideology. The most radical apalogetes of the Raskol preached about approaching Armageddon and coming of the Antichrist, tsar’s and patriarch’s worshiping of Satan, which ideas would find a broad response among ordinary Russian people, sympathizing with the ideology of these most radical apologetes. The Raskol movement became a vanguard of the conservative opposition, uniting ecclesiastic and secular feudals with anti-feudal opposition. Taking sides with the defenders of the old faith, ordinary people thereby protested against the Russian state and social injustice. Look up Heterogeneous in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An ideology is an organized collection of ideas. ... Historically, a martyr is a person who dies for his or her religious faith. ... In theology, salvation can mean three related things: freed forever from the punishment of sin Revelation 1:5-6 NRSV - also called deliverance;[1] being saved for something, such as an afterlife or participating in the Reign of God Revelation 1:6 NRSV - also called redemption;[2]) and a process... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The evangelist John of Patmos writes the Book of Revelation. ... For the Gorgoroth album, see Antichrist (album) Antichrist is translated from the Greek αντίχριστος antíkhristos, which literally means opposite of Christ. A broader meaning is in place of Christ. Therefore, antichrist means opposed to Christ by being in the place of Christ. ... For other uses, see Satan (disambiguation). ... Conservatism is a political philosophy that usually favors traditional values and strong foreign defense. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ...

Uprisings and Persecution

The Raskol movement gained in strength after the church sobor in 1666–1667, which had anathemized the defenders of the old faith as heretics and made decisions with regards to their punishment. Especially members of the low-ranking clergy, who had severed their relations with the church, became the leaders of the opposition. Propagation of the split with the church in the name of preservation of the Orthodox faith as it had existed until the reforms was the main postulate of their ideology. The most dramatic manifestations of the Raskol included the practice of the so-called ognenniye kreshcheniya (огненные крещения, or baptism by fire), or self-cremation, practiced by the most radical elements in the Old Believers' movement, who thought that the end of the world was near. The Old Believers would soon split into different denominations, the Popovtsy and the Bespopovtsy. Attracted to the preachings of the Raskol ideologists, many posad people, mainly peasants, craftsmen and cossacks fled to the dense forests of Northern Russia and Volga region, southern borders of Russia, Siberia, and even abroad, where they would organize their own obshchinas. This was a mass exodus of mostly ordinary people, who had refused to follow the new ecclesiastic rituals and perform everyday duties in favour of their lords. In 1681, the government noted an increase among the "enemies of the church", especially in Siberia. With active support from the Russian Orthodox Church, it began to persecute the so-called raskolniki (раскольники), i.e. 'schism-makers'. In 1670s–1680s, the exposure of certain social vices in the Russian society gained special importance in the Raskol ideology. Some of the Raskol apologetes, such as Avvakum and his brothers-in-exile at the Pustozyorsk prison, tended to justify some anti-feudal uprisings, interpreting them as God’s punishment of the ecclesiastic and tsarist authorities for their actions. Some of the supporters of the Old Believers took part in Stepan Razin’s rebellion in 1670–1671, although this uprising is not regarded as an Old Believers' rebellion and Stenka Razin himself had strongly antiecclesiastic views. The supporters of the old faith played an important role in the Moscow Uprising of 1682 and some other anti-feudal rebellions. Many of the members of the old faith migrated west, seeking refuge in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which allowed them to freely practice their faith. 1666 is often called Annus Mirabilis. ... // Events January 20 - Poland cedes Kyiv, Smolensk, and eastern Ukraine to Russia in the Treaty of Andrusovo that put a final end to the Deluge, and Poland lost its status as a Central European power. ... Anathema (in Greek Ανάθεμα) meaning originally something lifted up as an offering to the gods; later, with evolving meanings, it came to mean: to be formally set apart, banished, exiled, excommunicated or denounced, sometimes accursed. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Catholic or Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... Baptism in early Christian art. ... The crematorium at Haycombe Cemetery, Bath, England. ... The Popovtsy, or Popovschina (Поповцы, Поповщина in Russian; this name could be translated as priestist people), one of the two principal movements (along with the Bespopovtsy) of the Old Believers, which was formed by the end of the 17th century in Russia. ... Bespopovtsy (Russian: , priestless) is one of the two major strains of Old Believers, the one that rejects priests and a number of church rites, such as eucharist. ... For other meanings of the word Volga see Volga (disambiguation) Волга Length 3,690 km Elevation of the source 225 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 1. ... Siberian Federal District (darker red) and the broadest definition of Siberia (red) arctic northeast Siberia Udachnaya pipe Siberia (Russian: , Sibir; Tatar: ) is a vast region of Russia constituting almost all of Northern Asia and comprising a large part of the Euro-Asian Steppe. ... The Russian word mir (мир), besides its direct meanings of peace and world, had some other meanings related to social organization in Imperial Russia. ... Events March 4 - Charles II of England grants a land charter to William Penn for the area that will later become Pennsylvania. ... Events and Trends Newton and Leibniz independently discover calculus. ... Events and Trends The Treaty of Ratisbon between France and England in 1684 ended the Age of Buccaneers. ... Pustozyorsk (Russian: ) was the administrative center of Yugra and Pechora krais of Muscovy and Imperial Russia. ... Uprising is another word for rebellion. ... Stepan (Stenka) Timofeyevich Razin (Степан (Стенька) Тимофеевич Разин in Russian) (1630 - 6. ... 1670 was a common year beginning on a Saturday in countries using the Julian calendar and a Wednesday in countries using the Gregorian calendar. ... Events May 9 - Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. ... A scene from the uprising: Natalia Naryshkina shows Ivan V to the Streltsy in order to prove that he is alive and well, while the Patriarch attempts to calm the crowd. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Warsaw Confederation (January 28, 1573), an important development in the history of Poland, is considered the formal beginning of religious freedom in Poland. ...

In the late 17th – early 18th century, the most radical elements of the Raskol movement went into recession after it had become obvious, that the reforms could not be reverted. The internal policy of Peter the Great eased the persecution of the Old Believers. The tsar, however, imposed higher taxes on them. During the reign of Catharine the Great Old Believers who had fled abroad were even encouraged to return to their motherland. However, the position of Old Believers remained illegal until 1905. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Peter the Great or Peter Alexeyevich Romanov(Russian: Пётр I Алексеевич Pyotr I Alekséyevich) (9 June 1672–8 February 1725 [30 May 1672–28 January 1725 O.S.] [1]) ruled Russia from 7 May (27 April O.S.) 1682 until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his weak and sickly... A tax is a financial charge or other levy imposed on an individual or a legal entity by a state or a functional equivalent of a state (for example, tribes, secessionist movements or revolutionary movements). ...

The Raskol (schism) still exists, and with it a certain antagonism between the Russian-Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Old Believers, although on an offical level both sides have agreed on a peaceful coexistention. From an ecclesiastic and theological point of view the Raskol remains a highly controversial question and one of the most tragic episodes of Russian history.

References

In English:

Cherniavsky, M., "The Reception of the Council of Florence in Moscow" and Shevchenko I., "Ideological Repercussions of the Council of Florence", Church History XXIV (1955), 147-157 and 291-323 (articles)

Crummey, Robert O. The Old Believers & The World Of Antichrist; The Vyg Community & The Russian State, Wisconsin U.P., 1970

Gill, T. The Council of Florence, Cambridge, 1959

Zenkovsky, Serge A. "The ideology of the Denisov brothers", Harvard Slavic Studies, 1957. III, 49-66

Zenkovsky, S.: "The Old Believer Avvakum", Indiana Slavic Studies, 1956, I, 1-51

Zenkovsky, Serge A.: Pan-Turkism and Islam in Russia, Harvard U.P., 1960 and 1967

Zenkovsky, S.: "The Russian Schism", Russian Review, 1957, XVI, 37-58

In Russian:

Зеньковский С.А. Русское старообрядчество, том I и II, Москва 2006 / Zenkovskij S.A. “Russia’s Old Believers”, volumes I and II, Moscow 2006

Голубинский Е.Е. История русской церкви, Москва 1900 / Golubinskij E.E. “History of the Russian Church”, Moscow 1900

Голубинский Е.Е. К нашей полимике со старообрядцами, ЧОИДР, 1905 / “Contribution to our polemic with the Old believers”, ČOIDR, 1905

Каптерев Н.Ф. Патриарх Никон и его противники в деле исправления церковныx обрядов, Москва 1913 / Kapterv N.F. “Patriarch Nikon and his opponents in the correction of church rituals”, Moscow 1913

Каптерев Н.Ф. Характер отношений России к православному востоку в XVI и XVII вв., Москва 1914/Kapterev N.F. "Character of the relationships between Russia and the orthodox East in the XVI and XVII centuries", Moscow 1914

Карташов А.В. Очерки по иситории русской церкви, Париж 1959 / Kartašov A.V. “Outlines of the history of the Russian church”, Paris 1959

Ключевский И.П. Сочинения, I – VIII, Москва 1956-1959 / Ključevskij I.P. "Works", I – VIII, Moscow 1956-1959

Кутузов Б.П. Церковная «реформа» XVII века, Москва 2003 / Kutuzov B.P. “The church “reform” of the XVII century”, Moscow 2003

For more information about Raskol, see Patriarch Nikon, Old Believers, and Avvakum Petrov. Nikon (Ни́кон), born Nikita Minin (1605-1681), was patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church from 1652 to 1658. ... In the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers (Russian: ) separated after 1666 - 1667 from the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon. ... Old Believer icon depicting Avvakum surrounded by other martyrs of the Old Faith Avvákum Petróv (Russian: ) (November 20, 1620 or 1621 - April 14, 1682) was a Russian protopope of Kazan Cathedral on Red Square who led the opposition to Patriarch Nikons reforms of the Russian Orthodox Church. ...

See also Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, a character from Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment whose name derives from Raskolnik. Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov (Russian: Родион Романович Раскольников) is the protagonist of Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. ... Fyodor Dostoevsky. ... Crime and Punishment (Russian: Преступление и наказание) is a novel written by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...