Long before the adoption of Christianity, the Slavs called themselves Orthodox, as they worshiped Prav - the upper world inhabited by Gods. As you know, after the birth of Jesus Christ, the sorcerers visited him. Thus, a bridge was thrown from Slavic Orthodoxy to Christianity, which in Russia is also called Orthodoxy.
Baptism with two fingers in the Slavic Orthodox tradition
There are many differences between Slavic Orthodoxy and Christianity. The most important of them should be highlighted. They were designated by the Christian Church in the 17th century, becoming one of the main reasons for the persecution of the followers of the Old Slavic Orthodox faith - those who are usually called Old Believers. In Slavic Orthodoxy, baptism with two fingers had a sacred meaning. The fact is that the sacrament of baptism also appeared long before Christianity, it was taught by the Magi. In double-fingered baptism, the middle finger symbolizes God, and the index finger symbolizes man. Thus, two-fingered denoted the oneness of man with God.
The custom to be baptized from right to left also came from Slavic Orthodoxy and survived in Orthodox Christianity. For the ancient Slavs, baptism from right to left meant the victory of light over darkness and truth over falsehood.
The symbol of faith for Christians is Jesus Christ himself, and for the Orthodox Slavs and Old Believers - the ancient equilateral cross, which was originally enclosed in a solar circle. Such a cross symbolized the path of Pravda (in other words - Pravda), the starting point for which was the moment of sunrise.
True, the light of life and fate in Slavic Orthodoxy
The truth and light of life in the tradition of Slavic Orthodoxy were symbolized by odd numbers. Hence, to this day, the existing tradition has arisen to give an odd number of flowers for the holidays, and an even one - to bring to the dead, for whom the light of life has already gone out.
In Slavic Orthodoxy, there was an idea of fate, embodied in faith in women in labor - the heavenly mistresses of the world and the most ancient goddesses of fate. It also contained the concept of God's judgment, mentioned in the "Lay of Igor's Host."
Christianity that came to Russia for centuries existed alongside Orthodoxy and became Orthodox Christianity. Realizing how strongly Christianity mixed with Slavic Orthodoxy, Patriarch Nikon decided to correct church books and customs according to Greek canons. As a result, Nikon's reform led not only to the persecution of the Old Believers, but also to the destruction of the preserved heritage of Slavic Orthodoxy.
In Christianity, Orthodox Slavs are not even mentioned. However, the bright appearance of Jesus Christ took root on Russian soil, and Christianity became one of the most important components of Russian culture. In fact, Christianity and Slavic Orthodoxy are just different ways to comprehend one God, and therefore they are equally worthy of respect. The difference between Slavic Orthodoxy lies in the fact that it stands closer to the spiritual sources of ancient Russian culture.
