What is a co-religion church? Edinoverie churches in Russia

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

What is a co-religion church? When did she appear? What is the difference from the ordinary Orthodox Church? Is it possible to understand before entering the temple that it is of the same faith?

Each person from the school history course is familiar with the name "Old Believers". Schoolchildren are told about religious reforms that led to a church split and persecution of those who did not accept the changes.

What is common faith?

What does a co-religion church mean? This is one of the directions in the Old Believers, which appeared in the XVIII century. The main difference between Edinoverie and other Old Believer religious movements is that it recognizes the supremacy of the Moscow Patriarchate.

In other words, fellow believers are not fanatical adherents of the professed views, they do not suit the communities fenced off from the world in the taiga wilds. They are just a littleservices are held differently, and their temples are available in almost every historically significant city. For example, there is a common faith church in Moscow (and not one), there are parishes in St. Petersburg, in the Urals.

The Old Believers are often presented as a kind of gathering of "martyrs" who rebel against innovations. This is partly correct, but co-religionists are not. Adherents of this version of Orthodoxy are quite adequate and do not try to resist changes or turn back time. They prefer to be part of the Russian Orthodox Church and obey the patriarch.

In the Soviet years, the Edinoverie church experienced a decline, its churches were alienated and defiled just like all the others. However, since the end of the last century, common faith began to revive.

What traditions are followed in the Edinoverie?

Edinoverie has no special, significant differences from ordinary Orthodoxy. The essence of religion is the same, the list and order of worship are also no different. The difference between co-religionists and ordinary Orthodox is in their understanding of the organization of life, way of life and, of course, the external manifestations of ritualism.

The following main characterizing nuances are characteristic of common faith:

• two fingers when making the sign of the cross;
• preservation of the ancient liturgical rites and following them;
• carrying out rituals according to old printed books published before the schism;
• maintaining the traditional way of life corresponding to Domostroy.

Edinoverie church as a building in whichdivine services are performed, it has no differences from an ordinary Orthodox church either outside or inside. It is almost impossible to understand before the start of the service that the temple belongs to the Old Believer direction.

What does it mean to be a fellow believer?

What does a co-religion church mean? This is, first of all, a person's following certain spiritual and moral traditions, and only then - the way of life, the nuances of rituals, and so on.

For a fellow believer, close communication with other members of the community is important. For such a person, it is natural:

• reading Midnight Office and Companion, that is, morning and evening prayers;
• observance of fasts;
• accompanying any undertaking with an appeal to the Lord;
• attending community services and meetings;
• donations to the temple;
• help fellow believers as much as possible;
• constant spiritual self-education and development.

As for any peculiarities in clothing, there are no church prescriptions for this. If women in a community led by a co-religious church do not use decorative cosmetics, wear floor-length skirts and rarely take off their headscarves, then religion has nothing to do with it. Features of the manner of dressing are a personal matter of each person, although, of course, the concept of modesty and dignity is present in the same faith, as in other areas of Christianity.

Today, common faith attracts many because moral purity, adherence to traditions and a literal understanding of God's commandments are important for this direction of Orthodoxy. Women,following the old rite, they can take care of the house and children, literally be “for their husband” - and no one will reproach them for the lack of work and financial income. Men in these communities do not feel worthless. They are heads of families and are solely responsible for the welfare of their homes. For many, common faith is like an island of the past in a sea of soulless present.

How is life in the same faith?

In the Edinoverie, the concept of "community" is not an empty phrase or a line from a history textbook. All members of the parish (of course, we are not talking about those who drop in on the service or in the church by chance) communicate closely with each other, maintain almost family relations. Joint meals are accepted, spiritual meetings are held. If any difficulties arise, the problems are solved jointly. Some parishes follow the tradition of "tithing", that is, giving a tenth of the income to the temple.

The priest, as a rule, is nominated from the community itself. That is, this person often does not have a spiritual education, did not study at the seminary, but accepts the dignity by the will of the heart, spiritual predisposition and, of course, by the decision of the members of the community. However, this is not an unshakable tradition or a rule. Such a custom arose out of necessity, since there are much fewer clergy in the Old Believers than the flock.

In everyday life, in life, fellow believers are guided by what is written in the following books:

• "Domostroy";
• "Stoglav";
• "The Pilot";
• "Son of the Church".

In spiritualitythe Orthodox Church of the same faith follows what is written in the Gospels and other religious books. Believers also do not neglect the instructions of the apostles and saints.

How did the legalization of common faith begin?

The first official regulation on the churches of the same faith appeared on June 3, 1799. It was a decree of Paul the First, ordering the management of the affairs of the Old Believer Moscow communities to Archbishop Ambrose of Kazan. This decree was preceded by lengthy attempts to "negotiate", both on the part of the Old Believers and initiated by the Patriarchate. But, unfortunately, the relationship of the clergy on both sides was more like a political bargaining than a Christian reconciliation. Both sides put forward lists of demands and claims, calling them "requests." And, of course, no one compromised. At the same time, both the Old Believers and their opponents did not forget to submit petitions and petitions to the emperor.

Paul's decree became the "first pancake", which, according to the popular saying, always turns out lumpy. The Kazan archbishop demanded from fellow believers to commemorate the emperor, members of the Synod and the ruling bishop at the great entrance. The Edinoverie church in Moscow, at the head of which Ambrose was put, refused to fulfill this requirement. For what reasons the spiritual leaders of the fellow believers found the requirements of the archbishop unacceptable, it is now impossible to understand. However, trying to enter the bosom of the "dominant church", as the Old Believers called the official religion, spiritual leaders constantly set conditions and put forward their own demands, forgetting aboutChristian humility. Of course, there was no talk of any concessions on their part. It is possible that behind such a position of the leaders of the Edinoverie was the fear of a forced change in their rites and manner of service.

But Paul the First was not the kind of person whose will could be ignored. The refusal of the Old Believers to fulfill the requirements of the archbishop led to the following: the united faith church retained its structure, but again found itself in the position of a heretical sect. The decree signed by the emperor on August 22, 1799 ordered the termination of any relationship and contacts with the Old Believers. This injunction brought the Old Rite clergy "from heaven to earth" back. The leaders of the fellow believers were forced to seek rapprochement with the Patriarchate already on the terms that the Orthodox clergy dictated to them.

How and when was the common faith established?

Establishment of Edinoverie churches as an integral part of Russian Orthodoxy took place on October 27, 1800. It was on this day that Emperor Paul the First accepted the "Petition for the acceptance of the Old Believers of Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow into the same faith." At the same time, the concept of "one faith" was introduced, which was a form of designation for the reunification of the Old Believers with the current Orthodox Church.

However, this reunion was strange enough. For example, the provisions adopted at the councils of the 17th century, relating to the making of the sign of the cross with two fingers and to the conduct of other old ritual rites, were not canceled. Thesethe provisions were called "oaths". The meaning of the word in this case is similar to the meaning of the term "curse". Cathedral oaths were taken only by bishops and individually. Only those who accepted the “new rite”, that is, were reunited with the dominant church, were freed from them. Such people were then called co-religionists.

What did the establishment of the common faith lead to?

Probably, most believers felt after such a reunion not relief, but bewilderment. Followers of the old rite considered themselves dedicated spiritual leaders. The establishment of common faith led people to go into the wilderness, away from the world, and build isolated communities there.

Of course, this is what a minority of believers did. The majority had something to lose, and they did not want to leave everything acquired because of political games. Most of the Old Believers were merchants, for example, the Edinoverie church in St. Petersburg practically did not have representatives of other classes among the parishioners. The merchants were pious people, but at the same time very pragmatic.

This estate adopted all the acts regulating the Old Believers, but no one can answer how sincerely. Services according to the old rite with the sign of the cross continued even after the introduction of the concept of "university", but were not advertised. Old-style icons were painted and placed in churches and houses. The lifestyle has also been preserved. However, outwardly, everything looked as if the dominant church had swallowed up the Old Believers.

SomeEdinoverie parishes of Moscow

When it comes to the Old Believer parishes of the capital, most people remember the common faith church on Taganka. This is a very beautiful temple with a special atmosphere, which you just want to go to. It is hard to believe that the church was abandoned for many years and was re-consecrated only in 1996.

The church of St. Nicholas on Studenets on Taganskaya street is located in building number 20a. It is often erroneously referred to as Nikolsky. Nikolskaya Edinoverie Church is located not in Moscow, but in St. Petersburg. The temple on Taganka, however, does not need to be called Nikolsky, this is not the correct version of the name.

Although the church on Taganka is currently the most famous among believers following the old rite, another temple is much more interesting. In the very center of Moscow, on Bolotny Island, notorious to all lovers of Russian history, stands the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, or, as the priests call it, the Church of St. Nicholas.

You can find it at Bersenevskaya embankment, building 18/22. It is literally a few steps from the world-famous monument of the Stalin era - the House on the Embankment, in which representatives of the Soviet elite lived and from where they were taken away in the mornings by secret service workers. And even closer to this temple is an inconspicuous old building a couple of floors with a modest historical tablet. These are the chambers of Malyuta Skuratov. There are much more legends and scary stories about this house than about the "stone monster" of the Soviet era.

Despite suchspecific location, the temple has a unique energy. Although it is still in the process of reconstruction, the doors for believers and the curious are already open. Such a moment is quite interesting: leaving this temple, a person sees the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, located on the other side of the embankment.

Speaking of the parishes of the same faith in the capital, one cannot ignore the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, located in Rubtsovo. It is notable for the fact that it houses the center of the Old Russian liturgical tradition. In other words, the representation of the Patriarch. This church is located on Bakuninskaya street, in building 83.

About some churches of the same faith in the Moscow region

When it comes to the temples of the Moscow region, most people remember the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Meanwhile, this is far from the only spiritual center located close to the capital. There are a lot of churches in the Moscow region, including those of the same faith.

They are in a completely different state. Some gleam with golden domes and are overcrowded during worship. Others are in desperate need of both restoration and parishioners.

For example, in a village called Avsyunino, near Orekhovo-Zuev, there is the Petrovsky Church. The official name of this temple is the Church of Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow. The first service here took place in the bloody year of 1905. The construction of the church building began in 1903. It is amazing - just a few tens of kilometers from terrorists throwing homemade bombs, from endless protests and demonstrations,whose participants often did not understand in principle what they stood for and what they were called to, then, when the junkers and gendarmes fired at the crowd of believers who came “to the tsar”, a new church was built and opened here, in a small village.

Now there is a priest here, but the building itself is in desperate need of not just renovation, but almost rebuilding.

Another very symbolic place can be considered a church located in the Voskresensky district, in the village of Ostashovo. The Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is a parish in a community of more than two hundred people. This place is notable for the fact that the community was not "restored". It was formed in 1991 from people seeking spirituality and striving to preserve the moral and moral foundations. Of those for whom it was important to raise their children not in the conditions of an endless race for material values, but within the framework of the old traditions of Russian spirituality.

The church is open and the services are always extremely crowded. Here it will be interesting for those who would like to know more about modern Russian Edinoverie and its differences from ordinary Orthodoxy.

Edinoverie in St. Petersburg

It is widely believed that St. Petersburg is a major center of the Old Believers. The formation of this belief was largely facilitated by the St. Nicholas Church of the same faith on Marata Street. This is really the largest spiritual center for all believers who follow the old rite, despite the fact that there is now a “full-fledged” church in the building.no.

Walking along Kuznechny Lane, it is impossible to pass by this temple. Nikolskaya Edinoverie Church in St. Petersburg is an incredibly impressive building in the Empire style. It is quite large, but does not give a feeling of bulkiness or grandeur. The building, in principle, does not look like a church, its facade is more like a theater or an observatory. Probably, it was the external features that helped the St. Nicholas Church to survive the Soviet era with fairly minor losses. During the years of Soviet power, the Nikolskaya Edinoverie Church of St. Petersburg was used as a museum of the Arctic and Antarctic. Of course, this is a desecration of the temple, but still this option is better than using it as a warehouse or a prison cell.

The Church of St. Nicholas was built in 1838. Its construction lasted 18 years, and the author of the architectural project was Abraham Melnikov. In 1919, the church was given the status of a cathedral church. Accordingly, he received the parish and all the rights of county and city cathedrals. It should be noted that the application for this status was filed as early as 1910. At the beginning of the past century, there were several thousand believers in St. Petersburg and its environs who followed the old rite. Of course, they were all fellow believers, or were considered as such. But, despite the obvious need to give the temple the status of a cathedral, the patriarchy considered the issue for nine years. It is quite possible that if the revolution had not shaken the position of the church, St. Nicholas Church would not have become a cathedral.

The return of the church premises of the temple is carried out in stages. Has begunthis process in 1992, and by 2013 almost all the premises had come under church jurisdiction. You can find St. Nicholas Church on Marata Street, at the intersection with Kuznechny Lane.

Edinoverie churches in modern Russia

Of course, there are parishes of the same faith not only in St. Petersburg and Moscow, churches are being restored and opened throughout Russia. And along with their discovery, the united faith church is growing stronger. Shuya is one of the major spiritual centers of modern co-religionists. Here, in a small town in the Ivanovo region, there is the All Saints Edinoverie Convent. The first mention of this monastery dates back to 1889. It is not difficult to find the monastery, it is located at the crossroads of two streets - Sovetskaya and 1st Metallistov. The territory is open for visits, there is a temple at the monastery, and there are also church shops.

The Church of the Assumption is being restored in Donbass. This temple, which was located in Novocherkassk, was completely destroyed. Now a modest chapel has been opened in its place, and it is quite possible that with the resolution of a very difficult situation in the region, the temple will still be completely restored.

Before the revolution, the church of the same faith was very strong in the Urals. Ekaterinburg now cannot boast of a large number of open churches. However, on Shkolnikov Street there is a functioning temple - the Church of the Nativity. The building was badly damaged under the Soviet regime, and although it was returned to the church in 1993, restoration work is still ongoing.

However, in the Urals, not everything is so bad forunanimity, as it may seem. In the Volga region, the situation is more complicated. The Edinoverie Church in Samara still cannot return to its jurisdiction the unique building of the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Although it is more correct to speak not about a unique building, but about what is left of it. Before the revolution, this church had five "star" domes, in no way inferior to the heads of the temples of Sergiev Posad. The church was built at the expense of the Old Believer community at the end of the century before last. You can see what is left of it on Nekrasovskaya Street. The number of the building is 27. In this case, the exact address is important, since it is impossible to understand that the building of the temple is in front of your eyes.

An interesting place for those interested in the Old Believers is the village of Penki. The Edinoverie wooden Mother of God-Kazan Church was built here in the middle of the century before last. The church was consecrated in 1849. It was closed by the authorities and plundered in the sad 30th year of the past century. The uniqueness of this church is that it was made of wood in full accordance with all the early Russian traditions of architecture.

Of course, this is not a complete list of temples and churches related to the common faith. In almost every Russian city there is a community of believers who follow the traditions of the old rite. But, of course, these communities have much fewer temple buildings than an ordinary Orthodox church. Indeed, although in our day there is no official conflict between the new and the old rites, fellow believers still do not possessequality. The Old Order is a junior spiritual organization subordinate to the mainstream church.