In the early 80s of the XX century, journalist Vasily Peskov published a series of reports about the mysterious Lykov family, who had lived in Khakassia for several decades and led a hermitic lifestyle. It turned out that the Lykovs belonged to one of the branches of the Old Believer Church. This is how the general public got acquainted with the little-known traditions of the Old Believers.
The concept of "Old Believer" or "Old Believer" appeared in the middle of the 17th century after the schism that took place in the Orthodox Church. To an inexperienced contemporary, the word "Old Believer" reminds of bygone times, far from history. But the traditions of this religious movement are still strong.
Church schism began after a reform undertaken in the early 50s of the 17th century by Patriarch Nikon. The innovations concerned, first of all, the correction of the books on which the church service was conducted. Nikon decided to bring church services and ceremonies in line with the rules adopted in the Greek Orthodox Church. The reform of the patriarch found support from Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Nikon's followers, nicknamed "new believers", relying on state power and violence, declared the renewed church the only correct one. Those who opposed the innovations began to be called the contemptuous word "schismatics."
The adherents of the old rite remained faithful to those ancient customs that have been established in the Orthodox Church since the time of the baptism of Rus. They proudly call themselves Old Believers or Orthodox Old Believers. It should be noted that the disagreements between the two religious movements are only superficial, external in nature and are associated with the peculiarities of the rituals and ceremonies. There are no profound differences in teaching between adherents of the old and new faiths.
What are the ritual differences between Old Believers and New Believers? The adherents of the old faith continue to cross themselves with the sign of the cross, using two, not three, fingers. The spelling of the name of Christ on the icons also differs among the opponents: the Old Believers write it with one letter "and" - "Jesus", in contrast to the supporters of the new rituals. Nikon also ordered the procession to be performed differently - not clockwise, as is still customary among the Old Believers, but against. There is a difference in bowing and answering the priest's prayers.
The traditions of the Old Believers related to everyday life may seem very strange to some. Real Old Believers never shave their beards, refrain from smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages. Special requirements are imposed on everyday little things: each member of the community has his own utensils, which cannot be used by outsiders.
Long-term persecution by the authorities and new believers tempered the character of true Old Believers. Quite often they, fleeing from persecution, with whole families moved to previously uninhabited places. There are many known cases when Old Believers, who did not submit to their persecutors, subjected themselves to self-immolation. As in former times, today's Old Believers try in every possible way to support each other and stick together, while maintaining a commitment to the institutions that may seem rather unusual to an uninitiated person.
