The Russian Old Orthodox Church is one of the directions of the Russian Old Believers. Currently active in Russia and several other countries.
Church History
The basis of the ancient Orthodox Church was originally made up of Beglopopovtsy. This is part of the Old Believers who accepted the priesthood, passing from the New Believer Church. However, they did not recognize the Belokrinitskaya hierarchy.
In 1923, most members of the Old Orthodox Church recognized Archbishop Nikola of Saratov as their head. His contemporaries noted that the already aged monk Nikola quite unexpectedly switched to the Renovationists. Many even thought that he was out of his mind. About a year later, he became disillusioned with the Renovationists, but did not return to the Russian Orthodox Church, but moved to the Old Believers.
In 1929, another well-known clergyman, Bishop Irginsky, joined the Old Orthodox Church.
Old Believers Center
Initially, the center of the Russian Old Orthodox Church was in Saratov, in 1924 it moved to Moscow. He began to be based at the Nikolskaya Church at the Rogozhsky cemetery.
BIn 1938, the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Novozybkov was closed. Divine services in it resumed only during the years of German occupation. Since then, they have not stopped. But still, in 1955, the center of the Old Believers, to whom this article is dedicated, returned to Saratov.
Pressure from the authorities
The history of the Old Orthodox Church tells of a period of difficult relations with the official church and the authorities. The Soviets had a negative attitude towards any religious organizations, the Old Orthodox were no exception.
In the late 50s, a massive anti-religious campaign began, initiated by Khrushchev. One of the negative results of this was the aggravation of sentiment among the fugitives themselves.
As a result, in 1962, Bishop Epiphanius retired, citing ill he alth and advanced age. The new head of the church was Jeremiah, who moved the center to the Bryansk region.
After Khrushchev's persecution, about 20 parishes of the Old Orthodox Church remained. Mainly in Samara, Volsk, Novozybkov and Kursk.
Since 1988, the church began to rank among the saints. This honor was awarded to Andrei Rublev, Patriarch Hermogenes, Archpriest Avvakum.
Modern Old Orthodoxy
An important event in ancient Orthodoxy happened in 1990. Then the Moscow community was given the Pokrovsky Cathedral, which is located in Zamoskvorechye. Since then, it has become the main metropolitan temple of this offshoot of the Old Believers.
In 1999There was a split in the church. Some of the laity did not agree with the official qualification, considering it identical to the one offered by the Russian Orthodox Church. Because of this disagreement, a separate association was formed, which is officially called the Old Orthodox Church of Russia. It is headed by Bishop Apollinaris. Modern Old Orthodoxy is experiencing an outflow of parishioners, recently there are fewer of them.
In 2002, at a special Council, it was decided to restore the patriarchate in the ancient Orthodox Church. Archbishop Alexander became Patriarch. Since then, his residence has been located in Moscow.
It is interesting that in 2010 several hierarchs of the Provisional Higher Church Administration of the Russian Orthodox Church joined the Russian Old Orthodox Church. They renounced the heresies they previously professed, including the ecumenical and "Nikonian" ones.
Relations with other faiths
Officially, the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church does not recognize the patriarchal title of rector of the Old Orthodox Church. In documents, he is referred to exclusively as the archbishop.
An active dialogue between the two confessions has been going on since 2008. Since then, representatives of the two churches have met three times for negotiations. In 2013, the next meeting was supposed to take place, but representatives of the Old Orthodox Church did not come to it. And soon they adopted a resolution at the Council, in which they announced that negotiations with the Russianthe Orthodox Church did not bring any result, they reached a dead end and lost any constructiveness. Therefore, they consider it inappropriate to continue them.
The Old Orthodox are in dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church. In particular, they cooperate in the field of book publishing and constantly exchange liturgical experience.
Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Since 2000, the patriarch of the described church has been based in this cathedral. Intercession Cathedral is located in the capital at the address: Novokuznetskaya street, house 38.
Active construction of Old Believer churches began in Russia after 1905. It was then that a manifesto on religious tolerance came out. Moscow is no exception. The land plot on which this temple is located today was acquired by Fyodor Morozov in 1908. In the same year, on October 12, the foundation stone of the church was laid. The local Old Believer community began to look forward to the completion of construction.
The architect Desyatov worked on the project of the building. In total, 100 thousand rubles were required for these works. The grand opening of the temple took place in 1910. The first priest to conduct services was Mikhail Volkov, who previously worked in the Polezhaevs' home church, which was located on Luzhnetskaya Street. Over the next 20 years, prayer meetings of adherents of the Old Believers were regularly organized here.
In the early 1930s, Ferapont Lazarev, deacon of the Intercession Cathedral, was arrested. He was accused of counter-revolutionaryactivities that he led in the Old Believer group. March 2, 1931 he was shot. Soon the Soviet government finally closed the church. The last service took place in May 1932.
After that, the building housed a department of OSOAVIAKhIM, the predecessor of the modern DOSAAF. In the 70s, Metrostroy began to be based.
Only after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the building was returned to the Russian Old Orthodox Church. This happened in 1990. In 2000, the chair of the primate moved from Novozybkov.
Old Orthodox Pomeranian Church
The Old Believer Pomor community of the Old Orthodox Pomor Church plays a big role in Russia. To date, this is the largest religious association of the Old Believers of Pomeranian consent.
The beginning of this spiritual center was laid in 1694. Then a men's monastery was founded on the river Vyg. In 1706, a woman appeared in Leksinsk.
They became famous for compiling the famous Pomeranian answers, which became the actual basis for the defense of Ancient Orthodoxy. By the 19th century, Pomeranian communities had become a key economic center in the north of the country.
Community today
The modern history of the community dates back to 1989. Then the Russian Council of the Old Orthodox Church was created.
In 2006, the All-Russian Council was held, which became the first since 1912. According to official data, 50 religious organizations related to the Old Orthodox Church are now registered in Russia. Without registration, there are about two hundred more similar groups.and communities. At least 250 more communities are working outside the country.
Public organizations operate under the Old Orthodox Church. Magazines and other periodicals are published, children's and youth summer camps are held. There are even religious schools in St. Petersburg and Riga, where seminarians study every year.
