Even in ancient times, people realized that humanity is vulnerable to the raging elements of nature. This forced them to seek protection from higher powers. Later, three main teachings about God spread on Earth - Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. The religions of the past are disappearing mainly because their adherents are disappearing into oblivion, and the new generation is looking for truth in other ideas.
How many religions have existed on earth in the entire history of mankind, it is impossible to say, most of them have been lost, some have transformed into recognized confessions, and some today are considered nothing more than an ideological position or cult.
Drevlyans
The main extinct religions include the teachings of the Old Believers and Drevlyans. Information about the tribes of the latter ends with a chronicle dated 1136. The Drevlyans consisted of East Slavic inhabitants and occupied the area of the Right Bank of Ukraine. The reliability of the existence of adherents of the Drevlyan religion is confirmed by archaeological excavations. In the indicated area, houses were discovered that looked more like dugouts, places of sacred actions. The Drevlyans buried their dead in burial-free graves, the corpses were burned, and the murdered or blessed ones were buried in the forests, as a rule, in the roots of large trees. It was not customary to lay weapons in the grave, which speaks of the tribe's innocence.
The Drevlyans had special religious cults based on belief in polytheism and the natural principle of all things.
Religions, such as the Drevlyansky, are disappearing, perhaps due to the underdevelopment of the host people, or, on the contrary, due to the rapid development of consciousness. In the case of the Drevlyans, the process of implanting a different belief was rather observed, because it is known that after the death of her husband, Princess Olga sent troops to the Drevlyan villages that enslaved the inhabitants. The Drevlyans simply lost their culture and faith, assimilating with the Russians and adopting their religious beliefs.
Old Believers
In our time, there is still a place for dying teachings, and today you can observe how religions are dying. One example is the Old Believers. This is one of the branches generated by Orthodoxy. The religion of the Old Believers is separated from the main teaching by rituals that are somewhat different from the canon of the modern church. We can say that the Old Believers were purposefully exterminated: a schism in the bosom of the church occurred in 1650-1660. The innovations of Nikon and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich were not accepted favorably by all believers. Nikon, who had support, introduced new rituals, proclaimed traditions, while supporters of the old faith who disagreed with him turned out to be outcasts.
Until 1905, the Old Believers were considered schismatics and were censured in every possible way.
In 1971, the Council decided to soften the severity of the attitude towards the followers of the old rituals. The charges that had previously been assigned to them were dropped. If up to this point it was believed that this religion could not lead to the salvation of souls, then from now on this statement has been canceled.
The often bloody struggle for the purity of the faith ended in exile for them, the Old Believers decided to leave the people where they could keep the “true faith,” which is why the Old Believer villages today are far from settlements, closed, and the inhabitants rarely communicate with the “world”, rejecting humanitarian and even medical assistance.
There are many different opinions about why religions are disappearing. One of them says that with the advent of universal education and the eradication of illiteracy, people have the opportunity to independently re-read the sources of doctrine, such as the Bible, explore the physical properties of the world around them and find rational explanations for what was previously considered a miracle.
