Unity, Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia or Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary. Volume V - Professor Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin. Edinoverie: problems and prospects

In August of this year, the editors of the magazine “Lessons of Faith” published an anniversary booklet in celebration of the 120th anniversary of our Holy Assumption Church. Unexpectedly, a large gap in knowledge of the history of the Fatherland and the Fatherland Church became apparent. Some parishioners were perplexed, and some were indignant: they say, the Old Believers are non-Orthodox, and since the churches of the same faith are Old Believers, it turns out that we are celebrating the anniversary of a non-Orthodox church. To help people understand an issue that was unclear to them, a team of magazine authors agreed to do joint work and prepare a short material on the history of Orthodoxy in Russia. We offer this work to our readers in the current issue of the magazine. The column “United Faith Churches” was prepared by: Gleb Berezhkov, Marina Popova, Alexey Tsytsevich, Margarita Kravchenko.

The historical position of Russia before the schism of the church

The 17th century was very difficult for Rus'. More than 15 years of war during the Time of Troubles exhausted the strength of the people. In addition to the fact that the Poles entered Moscow, the heart of Russia, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, was under siege. On September 23, 1608, Sapega left Tushino and besieged the monastery. His army numbered almost 30 thousand warriors. There were not even 3 thousand defenders of the Lavra. By May 1609, there were about 1 thousand soldiers left in the monastery, barely able to stand on their feet from hunger. Not only men, but women and children fought. Only on January 12, 1610, Skopin-Shuisky forced Sapieha to lift the siege and move away from the monastery. One thing can be said: the abbot of the Russian land, Saint Sergius of Radonezh, with a host of Russian saints, defended and prayed for Rus'. Was this Rus' non-Orthodox? Holy Orthodox Rus' saved Russia.
Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov was very young. He ascended the Russian throne at the age of 16 and was the second Tsar of the Romanov family. His soul longed for an assistant and adviser. Of course, this adviser must be a spiritual person. Since the time of Ivan Kalita, Rus' has been ruled by the so-called “symphony of power” - joint power and control of the clergy (patriarch, metropolitan) and secular power (princely, royal). The young tsar saw this kind of gracious adviser in the person of the seventh Russian Patriarch Nikon.

†Nikon

Nikon Minov or Minin. The surname is derived from the father's name. His parents are simple peasants Mina and Mariama. Mother died early. When Nikon grew up, he got married. He was a white priest in the village. But unexpectedly, three of his children died one after another. Nikon took the death of his children very hard. He persuaded his wife to go to a monastery. The wife took her hair at the Alekseevsky Monastery. Nikon took monastic vows on Solovki. Nikon's character was far from monastic humility - imperious, proud, endowed with peasant economic acumen, very practical. Nikon was smart and educated. Having quarreled with his brethren, the obstinate monk fled from the island at night during a storm. He took refuge in Novgorod. Far from being humble, the economic people of Novgorod quickly appreciated Nikon’s personality. Nikon came to Novgorod, as they say, “at home.” On monastic affairs he was sent to Moscow. It was there that the young king liked Nikon. And he was left in Moscow.
Nikon absolutely courageously decided to persuade the tsar to publicly repent: he brought to Moscow the relics of Metropolitan Philip, who was tortured in prison under Ivan the Terrible. The tsarist government has still not repented for this. Nikon brought all the relics from the same Solovki.
Nikon began the extensive construction of monasteries. As a thrifty peasant, he managed to increase the church and monastic wealth so much that he was nicknamed Skopida. Monasteries and churches acquired vast lands under Nikon - fields, forests, fishing grounds. A magnificent patriarchal palace was built by German craftsmen. Which, by the way, caused a lot of criticism against him among the Orthodox. It was difficult to imagine that a humble servant of God and a servant of the people lived in this patriarchal palace. Meanwhile, during the famine, Nikon fed the poor, distributed church food and money to the poor. He began the fight for a sober Russia, because he considered drunkenness to be one of the most dangerous sins for the Russian people, which could completely destroy the people, the state, and Orthodoxy. By his decree, the number of drinking establishments was sharply reduced, and the sale of alcohol to one person was limited. Sellers were strictly prohibited from selling alcoholic drinks priesthood, monks, church officials.
He began the struggle for the purity of the Orthodox population. To prevent mixing of the Orthodox population with non-Orthodox people and in order to limit mixed marriages, lands were allocated for the residence of non-Orthodox people. So, for example, the “Nikonovskaya” German settlement appeared in Moscow.

†Habakkuk

In Moscow, a “Circle of Zealots of Piety” was created, which included two fellow countrymen and two comrades-in-arms, and later two enemies who cursed each other: Nikon and Avvakum. In general, almost all the members of the circle come from the Nizhny Novgorod district. This land, strong in spirit, gave birth to people strong in mentality and character - sometimes even excessively.
Avvakum is an extraordinary person, like his fellow countryman Nikon. It is absolutely impossible to evaluate such personalities with the words “good – bad”. Let's say, in an effort to explain to the Russians biblical story Habakkuk was so zealous that one could read his explanations with extraordinary fear: am I committing a sin? Not only were the Roman legionnaires called “archers” in his works, plunging a spear into the side of the Lord. But the Lord of Hosts Himself was compared to the Grand Duke of All Rus'. In addition, these teachings, probably for the sake of greater “simplicity and nationality,” were sprinkled with the most outright abuse. By character, Habakkuk was extremely tough and strict, did not tolerate any idleness or entertainment, and unconditionally demanded the same from his flock. Who knows why he didn’t like the wandering actors with the trained bear. Maybe they really behaved obscenely, which was not uncommon. Or maybe not... But Avvakum dispersed everyone from the festivities - the actors, the bear, and his sinful flock. The patience of the parishioners ran out at this point, and they expelled the overly harsh archpriest from the parish, beating him pretty badly. Avvakum stopped in Moscow - Nikon really liked him. They really were kindred spirits in some way. Serious reform work was underway in the “Circle of Zealots of Piety.” Archpriest Avvakum began the fight against boorish singing, which existed in Rus' and greatly interfered with services. Its meaning was that, according to the law of an open syllable, a vowel must be added after each consonant. Vowels were added arbitrarily. It was sometimes impossible to understand what the choir was singing. There was another, very harmful Russian tradition - singing while reading the Gospel. There were errors in the books... In general, the church ministry really, objectively needed reform.

†Split

Unexpectedly, the activities of the “zealots of piety” were overshadowed by a split among the members of the circle. Nikon acted imperiously, according to the right of a patriarch. He stopped consulting with his associates.
The two- and three-fingered sign of the cross existed in Orthodoxy for a long time and in parallel. The two-finger sign is a Byzantine tradition. According to legend, the monks who taught Prince Vladimir to be baptized were Byzantine. The three-fingered sign of the cross was mainly Greek. Gradually it replaced the Byzantine sign. Double-fingering remains only in Russia and Serbia. Two-fingered and three-fingered people did not cause any complaints or indignation in the Orthodox world. Both types of cross were considered correct.
Byzantium fell. Greece was weak. Of the Orthodox states, only Russia was strong. The heads of Orthodox churches in other states often asked Russia for help, including financial help. This situation in the world led Nikon and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich to the idea of ​​creating a single pan-Orthodox state uniting all Orthodox lands. Maybe this idea was good. But since the Tower of Babel, global projects have usually ended badly. There was no exception this time either. Nikon most likely thought of himself as a pan-Orthodox sovereign. The Tsar trusted Nikon very much. While away on military campaigns, Alexei Mikhailovich left Nikon as the de facto ruler. He allowed me to sign with the word “sovereign.” However, now Nikon’s power has crossed acceptable limits, and the king decided to take measures to limit the activities of his mentor. He stopped attending services in the Assumption Cathedral, where the patriarch served. He forbade Nikon to sign his name with the word “sovereign.”
Meanwhile, Russia annexed Ukraine, where services were also held in churches according to local custom. It turned out that not even in the imaginary pan-Orthodox state, but even in the real state of Russia, there is no uniform model of services. It was necessary to bring the services to a single canon. And here the trouble happened: the patriarch single-handedly chose not the Byzantine tradition as a model, but the Greek one. In the Orthodox world, Greece has long been viewed with suspicion. Greece accepted the Florentine Union. She agreed to make concessions to Catholics by correcting the Creed. In Greece, Orthodox uprisings began over this issue. By the way, even now the Greek Church is new-calendar and serves only Easter according to the Julian calendar. In Rus' they did not like the Greeks for their money-grubbing. According to Russians, the Greeks themselves had long ago lost the purity of Orthodoxy and could not serve as a model. Even Ivan the Terrible, in response to attempts (they were there even then) to unify services and rituals, sternly remarked: “The Greeks are not the Gospel to us.” Horvat Yuri Krizhanich wrote: “...At present, the Greeks are not engaged in either art or science, so they themselves are the blind leaders of the blind...” Muscovite Arseny Sukhanov, who visited Greece, wrote: “... the Greeks... if they were the source, now they are dried up." Nevertheless, it was the Greeks who led the rewriting of Russian service books. Nikon claimed that he took samples from Athos, which has always been a stronghold of Orthodoxy and the rest of Greece is not a decree for Athos. This is the land of the Mother of God. Whether the scribes were from Athos or not, the Greek edition of the books aroused the anger of the Orthodox in Russia. In general, most historians agree on one thing: slander and truth were so intertwined during the Schism that, apparently, it will never be possible to restore the truth.

†Russia's spiritual trouble

Historian L. Tikhomirov: “We... Russians... ourselves do not know what we believe in, and honoring the same saints, the same Apostolic Church“We consider each other lost, excommunicated, anathematized or the Antichrist.”
The reform some 40 years after the Time of Troubles was clearly not in time. During the Time of Troubles, the Russians defended the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Russian saints were their helpers and intercessors before the Lord. Conciliar prayer saved the people. And now this whole past life has been declared heresy. What about the saints - Sergius of Radonezh, Andrei Rublev, Alexander Nevsky. Dmitry Donskoy?.. Dostoevsky wrote: “In order for every society to hold on and live, it is necessary to respect someone and something, and, most importantly, by the whole society, and not that everyone wants to do it to himself” (Diary of a Writer for 1876) The main problem: the question in people’s minds: where is the church? Catholics immediately became active. While the Old Believers were being beheaded, Catholics were allowed to preach in Moscow. In the near future, in 1685, the Jesuits will open their school in Moscow. Old books were ordered to be taken away and destroyed. Nikon allowed blasphemy in relation to the icons of the old letter. But in Rus' Andrei Rublev was revered as a saint. Now, the icons of the old letter were not only not given veneration, not only were they forbidden - they were broken in front of the believers, burned, and the eyes were gouged out of their faces.
Rus' was highly literate. The children studied from three books - the ABC, the Psalter, and the Book of Hours. They also taught church writing. Training was also carried out using chronicles. Mandatory subjects for study are reading, writing, arithmetic, znamenny singing and hook reading, history. It was not uncommon to learn icon painting, at least its basics. Now educational process was seriously undermined for centuries: there is no trust in new books, and the old ones were almost not preserved; they were burned.
They said that Nikon pushed a stone, and this stone caused an avalanche. There was also a political misfortune: the Council Code, a set of laws, finally consolidated serfdom in Russia. Peasant uprisings began. The state was becoming non-Orthodox in its structure: remembering how Nikon tried to usurp power, the tsar began to rule autocratically. But Rus' rose precisely when the spiritual and princely authorities ruled the state together. Before this, God was the legislator of the state, and Rus' was handed over to the Intercessor - the Mother of God. Now the legislator of the state has become a person, i.e. nature itself royal power has changed. Under Peter the Great, the church will be completely subordinated to the secular state. Such a breakdown of consciousness would not have been possible even for Peter if church unrest had not prepared the ground.
The Solovetsky Monastery rebelled. The monks of Solovki wrote a letter to the Tsar: “Order, sir, to send your royal sword against us and move us from this rebellious life to a serene and eternal life.” The fulfillment of the request was not long in coming. The Solovetsky sitting lasted eight years. At first, the monastery was simply blockaded. Then, when they learned that fugitives from Stepan Razin’s army had found shelter on Solovki, the sovereign’s troops were allowed to fire at the monastery. The monks decided to no longer pray for the king and not remember him for his health. Who knows how long this confrontation between the monastery and the state lasted, but the fate of Solovki was decided by betrayal: the monk Feoktist showed the archers the secret entrance to the monastery. The monastery fell.

† Edinoverie

Surprisingly, the founder of Edinoverie was the same Patriarch Nikon Minin. It is quite obvious that Nikon himself did not attach exactly the importance to church reform that the secular state gave it in an attempt to free itself from the power of the church, which persistently awakened the conscience of those in power.
Archpriest John Neronov dared to ask Nikon for permission to serve using the old service books and not use the new ones. This was in 1656. Nikon’s answer is amazing: “The wallpaper is good, it doesn’t matter which way you want, that’s the way you serve.” In the printing house of the Valdai Svyatoozersk Monastery, by decree of the patriarch, the printing of the pre-schism Book of Hours was established, and the Creed in the prayer books was printed here in the old edition. The Council of 1666 did not pronounce a verdict on the adherents of the Old Orthodox custom. Both movements - Russian-Greek and Old Orthodox, inherited like a shrine from Byzantium, existed together. This is how the Russian Orthodox Church became Edinoverie. Both rites were recognized as equally saving. Nikon understood that the basis of the reform was not a divergence in dogmas. And if so, both movements are in the bosom of the Apostolic Church.
However, awareness of this truth did not prevent Nikon from dealing with particularly insubordinate opponents. Those who did not recognize Nikon’s ordination, who called Nikon’s priesthood graceless, were dealt with harshly. This was most likely justified by personal ambitions, since Nikon was aware of the equivalence of the Byzantine and Greek rites. So Nikon beat Bishop Pavel Kolomna at the Council of 1654, tore off his robe and exiled him to a monastery. Paul left the monastery, taking upon himself the feat of foolishness and denouncing the authorities. He died a martyr's death - he was locked in a wooden frame and burned alive. It was rumored that this was the work of Nikon - he sent assassins with a specific task: to kill Bishop Paul.

†The further fate of the patriarch

Nikon, with his power, finally restored both the king and the priesthood against himself. Who knows how his fate would have turned out if it were not for pride - the most important enemy of the patriarch - which signed his sentence. Nikon was offended by the tsar and announced that he “no longer wants to be a patriarch.” After a disagreement with the Tsar, Nikon arbitrarily folded his patriarchal robe, left in duckweed and retired to a monastery. The entire Russian society perceived the unauthorized abandonment of the flock as an outrage. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich invited Nikon to take church power into his own hands. But it is obvious that Alexei Mikhailovich knew and was sure: pride would not allow the patriarch to immediately agree. Most likely, he will become stubborn and wait until he is asked again. And so it happened. Nikon refused the king. But the king did not insist. On December 12, 1666, Nikon was defrocked and exiled to Ferapontov, and then to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.
Already the son of Alexei Mikhailovich, Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, who sympathized with Nikon, ordered the release of the former patriarch and allowed him to return to the New Jerusalem Monastery in Moscow, which Nikon himself built at the beginning of his activity. But on the way to the monastery Nikon died. This happened on August 17, 1681. Fyodor Alekseevich insisted on Nikon's funeral as a patriarch, despite the protests of Patriarch Joachim. Nikon Minin was buried in the New Jerusalem Monastery. The king himself read the 17th kathisma and the Apostle over the deceased with tears. And in 1682 he obtained a letter of permission from the Eastern patriarchs: in it Nikon was ordered to be remembered as a patriarch. On August 5, 2006, a monument to Patriarch Nikon was unveiled in Saransk and consecrated by Alexy II.

† Worsening of the schism of the Russian Church

The entire Russian public hoped that after Nikon's deposition, the reform would be canceled. But this just didn’t happen. The reform of the church and the worsening of the split in Russian society and Russian Orthodoxy was, paradoxically, to the advantage of the tsarist government. The deposition of Nikon did not change anything in the reform process in a positive direction. On the contrary, the situation has escalated to the limit. The Council of 1667, which took place after Nikon, anathematized the old rituals. The rebel elders were treated cruelly. Everyone who did not recognize the new rite was subjected to repression. The boyar sisters Morozova and Urusova were tortured to death by starvation. And the elders imprisoned in Pustozersk - Avvakum, Epiphanius, Lazarus and Fedor - had their tongues and fingers cut off so that the priests could not glorify God and be baptized in the old way.
Archpriest Avvakum was exiled with his entire family. He, his children, and his wife who had just given birth with their newborn son were thrown into a cart and taken away. Two younger sons died. The older children, barefoot, wandered around begging for alms. There is a well-known dialogue between Habakkuk and his wife:
- How long will this torment last, Archpriest?
- Until my death, Markovna.
- Good, Petrovich, otherwise we’ll wander on.
On April 14, 1686, the elders imprisoned in Pustozersk were burned alive at the stake: Avvakum, Epiphanius, Lazar, Fedor. According to other sources, this happened earlier: by decree of Fyodor Alekseevich Avvakum was burned in 1682.
In 1916, Avvakum was canonized at the Consecrated Council.
After Fyodor Alekseevich, the Old Believers were especially persecuted under Anna Ioanovna, Princess Sophia and Peter the Great. In response to the burnings, the Old Believers began to respond with self-immolation - “burnings”.

† The fate of the Old Believers

The Old Believers immediately split into several movements. Of these, there are three main ones: Edinoverie, priests and bespopovtsy. Priesthood and non-priesthood have, again, different branches within themselves.
Bespopovtsy. Nikon immediately demanded that the bishops be faithful to the new rites. Bishops who did not submit were destroyed during the Nikon and post-Nikon repressions. Thus, there were no bishops left who did not accept the reform. The Old Believers considered the bishops who accepted the reform to be without grace, just like the priests of the new installation. As a result, this part of the believers decided that it was better to be without priests at all than to have Nikon’s priests. However, without priests, a number of sacraments turned out to be impossible. Without bishops, priests could not consecrate churches or prepare myrrh. The sacrament of the Eucharist could not be celebrated. Moreover, the priestless people spoke blasphemously about the sacrament of the Eucharist, performed by the priests of the new order. The Vygovskaya Hermitage became the center of the Bespopovites.
In the so-called priesthood there are also at least five main churches cursing each other. This is one of the broadest currents. Here new ordained priests were accepted into the priesthood after repentance. Often these were runaway priests, dissatisfied with the existing church authorities. That’s why they were often called Beglopopovtsy. .
The main center of the priestly Old Believers was the island of Vetka, on the Sozh River, in Belarus, in the Gomel region. Vetkovskaya Sloboda gave its name to one of the most extensive areas of the Old Believers. In our village of Belorechenskaya, a large settlement of Vetkovo Old Believers arrived to develop new lands. Anna Ioanovna tried to destroy Vetkovtsev, but Vetka survived. The Belokrinitsky Monastery is also the center of the priests.
Under Catherine the Second, under the supervision of the Holy Synod, it was allowed to serve according to old books. In 1763, the Synod declared that double-fingering is not a sign of schism. In March of the following year, Catherine published a Manifesto in defense of the Old Believers. In 1783, the monk Nikodim, with the support of Count P.A. Rumyantsev submitted a petition to the Holy Synod for the reunification of the Old Believers with the official Russian Church. Catherine the Second allowed Prince G. A. Potemkin to resettle the Old Believers in New Russia. However, Catherine allowed the Old Believers to have only priests, but not bishops. Under Paul the First, old and new rituals were recognized as equally salutary: “According to this.” That is, the same faith, blessed by Patriarch Nikon, has again found itself in the bosom of the united Russian Orthodox Church.
The Edinoverie Church is a church that is part of the Russian Orthodox Church, but performs services according to the old rite and according to the old liturgical books with official blessing and permission. The year when Paul inscribed “therefore came to be” is considered the second birth of Edinoverie churches - this is the year 1800. In Kazan in 1885, a meeting of bishops was held, where it was decided: “Orthodoxy and Edinoverie constitute one Church... Those who are in Edinoverie are truly Orthodox... sons of the Holy Churches". Under Nicholas the First, the attitude towards the Old Believers became unkind, but the Unity of Faith strengthened. In Edinoverie churches, services were performed according to the monastic rite, without omissions, on seven prosphoras, with znamenny chanting.
And yet, officially the oaths of the cathedral of 1667 were removed by the church authorities from the old rites only in 1929 under Sergius of Stragorod, and then in 1971.
Simon Shleev became the first bishop of the same faith. Patriarch Tikhon himself led the consecration of Simon as bishop. This was the first hierarch of the same faith, ordained according to the old pre-schism canon. Patriarch Tikhon sent Simon to Ufa to govern the Orthodox diocese. This was a virtual confirmation of the equality and fairness of both movements. Before the revolution, co-religionists could not even dream about this. Bishops of the same faith officially had the right to serve services both according to the Old Orthodox and the Greek-Russian, new rites, that is, according to the old and new rites. The life of Bishop Simon was tragically cut short on August 18, 1921 - he was shot in Ufa, like many in those years. Also, during the years of the revolution, the same-faith bishops Ambrose (Andrei Ivanovich Sosnovsky), Archbishop Iriney of Kuibyshev also died...
His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II said: “The children of the Russian Orthodox Church need to remember that ancient church rites form part of our common spiritual and historical heritage, which should be preserved as an absolute treasure in the liturgical treasury of the Church.” (November 27, 2000 at a solemn meeting on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the founding of Edinoverie churches by decree of Paul the First).

Line 1. To form an idea of ​​the establishment of Islam among the Arabs and the foundations of Islamic doctrine. Form an idea of ​​the expansion of the Islamic world.

Line 2. Picture of the world in concepts. Introduction to the vocabulary of concepts related to Islamic civilization: Arabia, Mecca, Kaaba, Koran, hajj, jihad, Muhammad - the founder of Islam. Caliph.

Line 3. Historical thinking. Highlight reasons and features new religion, understanding the changes that happened to the Arabs after the adoption of Islam. Identification of patterns that led to the emergence of civilization.

Line 4. Moral self-determination. Compare the moral and ethical foundations of two civilizations: Christian and Islamic.

Line 5. Civil-patriotic self-determination. To provide an opportunity to realize that each culture has played its role in the development of society, to tolerantly determine one’s attitude towards other ideological positions.

Lesson type: learning new material.

During the classes

Creating a problem situation

Hello guys!

• Tell me, do you like holidays?
• What holidays do you know?
• What holiday will we celebrate on October 25? (Eid al-Adha)
• What do you know about this holiday? (a religious Muslim holiday of sacrifice. This holiday ends the Hajj - a pilgrimage to holy places - to Mecca and Medina. 300 pilgrims will leave our Republic).

Islam originated in the 7th century. on the Arabian Peninsula and became a world religion.

• What other world religions do you know? (Buddhism, Christianity)
• Why do we call them global? (they are professed by most people regardless of nationality)

Let's turn to historical sources(RL No. 1) (read documents, compare, notice that 2 documents are similar to each other)

From the Bible and sacred Christian traditions

“The Lord God took the dust of the earth and created Adam. God breathed a soul into man, and he came to life.

At the end of history, the Antichrist will appear on earth, who will pose as the messenger of God - Christ. When Christ himself comes to Earth for the second time, his “heavenly army” will defeat the army of the Antichrist. People will be resurrected and appear before God's judgment. Sinners will go to eternal torment, and the saved will settle in the heavenly city.”

Are Islam and Christianity different religions?

From the Koran and sacred traditions of Muslims

“The first man – Adam – was created by the one God (Allah) “from sounding clay” and breathed a soul into him.

At the end of the world, Satan will send his demon to earth, who will pose as messengers of God - Jesus. However, when the true Jesus descends from heaven, he will defeat the false messenger and begin Last Judgment“Sinners will be eternally condemned to burn in hell, but the righteous will be resurrected to eternal life.”

Compare the ideas of two different religions - Islam and Christianity - about the past and future of humanity.

• What contradiction did you find in the documents? (there are no contradictions, passages from the Koran and the Bible are very similar to each other)
• What problem will we solve today?
• How was Islam different from Christianity?

To answer this question we must first recall the basics of Christian doctrine

Secondly, study the conditions for the emergence of a new religion

Thirdly, the fundamentals of Islam, and

Fourthly, ways to transform Islam into a world religion.

In the course of our work, we will fill out a comparative table Worksheet No. 2

Using the material from RL Dictionary No. 3, fill in 1 column of the table. We work in groups, your tasks are indicated in the worksheet WORKSHEET No. 2

TASK 1. Make a table “Comparison of two religions” - briefly, only key words.

TASK 2. Circle the features that distinguish Islam from Christianity.

Let's check.

To solve our problem, we must explore the conditions for the emergence of Islam and the foundations of the doctrine, for this we turn to the map and the dictionary.

• Where did Islam originate? (Arabian Peninsula)
• Where is the Arabian Peninsula located? (western Asia)
• What seas is it washed by? (Red, Arabian, Persian Gulf)
• What are natural conditions? (desert, oases in the south and west)

Let's turn to worksheet No. 4. Select from the options provided the main occupations of the Arabs, using the information from the first column of the table and circle them.

Enter into the table the place of origin of Islam (Arabian Peninsula)

Let's divide ourselves into 2 groups

• The first group, working in pairs, completes task RL No. 5 - based on the proposed text, you must identify three historical patterns.
• The second group will finish filling out the comparison table

We first check the table (group 2), then the execution of the scheme (group 1)

Don't forget to add missing elements to your tables and diagrams

Circle in the table the features that distinguish Islam from Christianity.

1. Islam arose in a different (semi-nomadic) society; The founder is the human prophet Muhammad; holy book Koran.
2. Islam does not allow the existence of one God in three persons
3. The center of the world is not Jerusalem, but Mecca.
4. Five main duties (unified faith, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, pilgrimage)
5. Jihad.

What unites the two religions?

• There is a lot in common in questions of the world order, ideas about the beginning and end of history, in questions of attitude towards people and God.
• What do you think is the most important thing in both religions?
• Both religions are BASICALLY HUMAN VALUES: KINDNESS, JUSTICE, MERCY.

The new religion contributed to the unification of the Arab tribes into a single state, the Arab Caliphate. After the death of Muhammad, the Arabs were faced with the task of spreading the “true faith” among the infidels. In a relatively short period, a huge state was created with its capital in Damascus. The possessions of the caliphate stretched from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the borders of India and China. Islam had a huge influence on the culture, customs and morals, law and morality of not only the Arabs, but also the inhabitants of the countries they conquered.

What allowed the Arabs to achieve such tremendous success?

Let's turn to the textbook p. 96, and worksheet document No. 6

Reasons for Arab success:

• The ruler had unquestioning power, both secular and spiritual.
• The belief that death is in holy war” opens the way to paradise, made warriors fearless.
• The weakness of the conquered territories.
• The policy of the conquerors.
• Common features two religions.

Conclusion. Thus, thanks to the common features of Christianity and Islam, the Arab conquerors achieved success and created the state of the Arab Caliphate in the East. As a result, a new civilization, the Islamic world, emerged, which gave the world many cultural achievements.

Tell me, please, if you, traveling around the world, come to countries where the Muslim faith and traditions are honored, how will you behave? (When we visit foreign countries, we must be tolerant, we must take into account the religious and cultural characteristics of that country)

Summarizing.

Literature.

1. Davydova O.V. Tests on the history of the Middle Ages. M.: Exam, 2006.
2. General history. Middle Ages. Grade 6: Tests, test questions and assignments./Author-compiler S.N. Stepanko. - Volgograd, Teacher, 2009.
3. Davydova S.M., Turchina M.E., Danilov D.D., Russian and General History. 6th grade: Guidelines for the teacher. M.: Balass, 2007.
4. Educational complex “Russian and General history LLC “1C Publishing”, 2008.

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

Unity of Faith(other self-names - “ Orthodox Old Believers», « newly blessed agreement», « Church Old Believers», « spiritual faith», « Old Believer parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church"") - a trend in the Old Believers, whose supporters, while preserving the ancient liturgical rites (two fingers, service from old printed books, etc.) and the ancient Russian way of life, recognize the hierarchical jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.

IN early XVIII century, the government moved from a policy of exterminating Old Believers to a policy of legalizing them in public life; At the same time, the authorities continued to inculcate the new rite among the Old Believers using falsifications created specifically for this purpose (see the Conciliar act against the heretic Armenin, against the deceiver Martin). But these measures did not have significant success, but only aggravated the situation, since the falsifications were very crudely compiled, as many Old Believer writers wrote about (Kerzhensky answers and Pomeranian answers). The disruption of the way of life in Russia, begun by Peter I, contributed to a gradual increase in the number of Old Believers.

The emergence of Edinoverie in the 18th century

In the 18th century, the idea of ​​common faith arose, that is, the possibility of serving according to the old rite in individual parishes. But at the same time, the anathema oaths against double-fingering and the old rites of the councils of the 17th century remained in force. Supporters of the existence of the old rite in the bosom of the Synodal Church gave a different interpretation of the “oaths”, according to which the oaths were not imposed against the rites themselves, but only against those who were disobedient to the episcopate.

According to the report of Ataman Arkady Stolypin, in fact, on the basis of the future Edinoverie, most of the Yaik Cossacks belonged to the church, receiving priests from the Kazan Metropolitan, but adhering to the old rite.

The first mentions of Old Believer communities in the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church date back to the middle of the 18th century, when Bishop Hilarion of Astrakhan (1731-1755) allowed clergy in his diocese for the reason large quantity Old Believers living in the region should perform divine services according to pre-reform books.

Some tendencies of religious tolerance towards the Old Believers also appeared at the beginning of the reign of Empress Catherine II, when Chief Prosecutor Ivan Melissino developed a special project for the reconciliation of the Old Believers with the Church. This document stipulated the commission Orthodox clergy services based on old books under the supervision of the Holy Synod. A sign of tolerance for old rituals was also the statement of the joint Conference of the Synod and the Senate on September 15, 1763 that “the custom of baptizing with two fingers is not proof of belonging to a schism and should not be prohibited.”

Activities of the monk Nicodemus

In connection with the extinction of pre-reform priests, the position of the Old Believers accepting the priesthood (priests) became more and more difficult, which led at the end of the 18th century to the emergence of a significant movement whose goal was to seek compromises with the dominant church. One of the initiators of this movement was the rector of the Assumption Old Believer Monastery on the river. Kamenka in Starodubye (Chernigov province) monk Nikodim. In 1781, on the advice of Count Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, through the monk of the Old Believer Nativity Monastery Gerasim (Knyazev), Nikodim sent a letter to St. Petersburg outlining his vision of the problem. Metropolitan of St. Petersburg Gabriel (Petrov), Archbishop of Pskov Innocent (Nechaev) and Prince G. A. Potemkin supported the aspirations of the monk Nicodemus and promised him their support. Having the consent of 1,500 Old Believers, the monk Nikodim in 1783, in a petition addressed to the Empress and the Holy Synod, set out in 12 points the conditions under which the Old Believers-priests agreed to reunite with the dominant church.

There were several main conditions:

• a) that the oaths of previous Russian councils on the old rites be cancelled;
• b) that the Old Believers be granted a chorebishop, dependent directly on the Holy Synod;
• c) so that this bishop provides priests for them and all divine services are performed according to the old, pre-Nikon rite;
• d) so that the Holy Synod supplies them with the holy world;
• e) that the entire flock of this chorebishop be given the right not to shave their beards and not to wear German dress.

Church of the Introduction (winter) in Lefortovo, formerly belonging to the Vvedenie co-religionists

The new inspirer of the ideas of the “newly blessed consent” after the monk Nicodemus was Archpriest Andrei Ioannov, who himself converted from the Old Believers to Edinoverie; he became known as the author of the first work after the “Want” of Demetrius of Rostov, “Historical News of the Schismatics,” compiled on the basis of rare primary sources.

The attitude towards the old rites themselves in the Holy Synod during the creation of parishes of the same faith remained extremely negative; for example, Archbishop Nikifor Feotoki, with the consent of Empress Catherine II on June 18, 1780, consecrated the first Old Believer church, and directly establishing connections between the Old Believers and the Synod, wrote a “District Epistle to the Old Believers,” in which he explained to the Old Believers that not only all their rites and rituals take began with the heretic Martin Armenin, but all their subsequent teachers were non-Orthodox people: “What were the teachers and mentors of your sect, whom one memory brings to shame and disgrace, because they were Armenians, and Jews, who, having found simpletons - ancestors yours, deceived them and, leading them away from the straight path, led them into the pit of destruction, advising them to consider as virtues such deeds as the wicked pagans had previously done, burning their sons and daughters to please their gods.” , but since the Old Believers are ready for unification and recognize the priesthood and sacraments performed by the New Believer clergy, the New Believer bishops are ready to accept the Old Believers with leniency. That is, the old rituals were not considered at that time in the Synodal Church not only as equally honorable, but also as Orthodox.

From Starodubye, the movement for common faith began to spread widely throughout the country: in 1788, a parish appeared in Elisavetgrad; in 1791 - in Troitskaya Sloboda on the river. Dniester; in 1794 - in Perm; in 1797 - in Kazan; in 1798 - in Alexandria, Irkutsk province, in Tver, Torzhok, Tver province, in Nizhny Novgorod, in St. Petersburg and, finally, in 1800 - in Moscow. Since 1787, a Edinoverie monastery also operated 30 versts from Kherson. The already existing Michael-Arkhangelsk Cathedral of the Yaitsky town, as well as the Kazan and Peter and Paul churches, were attributed to the Edinoverie.

Establishment of Edinoverie in 1800

All Saints Women's Edinoverie Monastery (Moscow)

The oaths imposed by the councils of the 17th century on all those who were baptized with two fingers and using ancient rites were not canceled. From those who united with the New Believers (became a fellow believer), the bishops removed these oaths. Metropolitan Plato formulated this as follows: “To release the oaths previously placed on them: for although the church has placed them on them righteously, which they themselves acknowledge, considering themselves bound by them, and asking permission from them; but as they now draw closer or, even more so, unite with the Church, and its truth, and its sacraments, and its priesthood are recognized as valid, then this permission is needed, and their conscience should no longer be burdened with those oaths, under which those who still reject the Church have and henceforth to be righteous. And in order for this permission to be more open and more calming for them, then over each person accepted into the church permitted by him, read to the Bishop or Presbyter with the laying on of hands, the following prayer of permission: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, by his grace and love for mankind, allow you to turn to the church of the saints.” , from all oaths, by them from the church, you were subjected to rejection from it. And I am unworthy (bishop, or priest, the name of the rivers), by the power given to me from Him, I absolve you, the servant of God (the name of the rivers), from these oaths and all your sins: In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen."

In addition, a strict restriction was imposed on the Old Believers - a new believer had the right to receive communion from a priest of the same faith only in cases of extreme need and in the event of death, if it had not happened to find an Orthodox priest and church.

Edinoverie in the 19th century

Edinoverie at the beginning of the 20th century

On April 17, 1905, Emperor Nicholas II issued a decree “On strengthening the principles of religious tolerance.” He allowed “falling away” from Orthodoxy to other confessions. For the first time in 250 years, legal restrictions on Old Believers were completely abolished. In 1906-1907, the IV All-Russian Missionary Congress, held in Kyiv, and the VI Department of the Pre-Conciliar Presence declared the equality of the ancient and new rites. The center of the Edinoverie movement was the community of St. Petersburg, which was headed by the rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, priest Simeon Ivanovich Shleev.

In 1909, the Moscow Edinoverie Congress convened, bringing together more than a hundred deputies from clergy and laity. The representative from the Synod at the congress of fellow believers was Archbishop of Vyborg and Finland Sergius (Stragorodsky).

On June 19, 1927, the III All-Russian Congress fellow believers. According to some reports, it was attended by 142 delegates from approximately three hundred Edinoverie parishes throughout the country.

During the 1920s, most Edinoverie churches were closed. Believers performed divine services at home in a secular manner; individual parishes gradually switched to new rite.

In 1971, the Synodal decision of 1929 was confirmed by the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1971, which also pointed out the unnecessaryness and violent nature church reform XVII century and finally established the identity of not only Edinoverie, but also the Old Believers with Orthodoxy: “The Consecrated Local Council lovingly embraces all those who sacredly preserve the ancient Russian rites, both members of our Holy Church and those who call themselves Old Believers, but who sacredly profess the saving Orthodox faith.” Moreover, the Council, we repeat once again, allowed the Holy Mysteries to be taught not only to fellow believers, but also to Old Believers, “as they have unity with us in the sacraments.” At the Local Council of 1988, the definitions of the 1971 Council were repeated.

On September 12/25, 1974, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad decided “prohibitions and oaths imposed in the past on those who contained these customs by the councils of 1656 and 1667, as well as by individuals, as laid down by the unkind understanding of the participants in these councils, are considered invalid, canceled and not former."

By the end of Soviet times, only three Edinoverie parishes remained open (in the village of Maly Murashkino, Gorky region, in Latvia and in the village of Zlynka, Kirovograd diocese of the Ukrainian SSR). The last church of Moscow co-religionists until the 1960s was St. Nicholas Church at the Rogozhskoe cemetery, after which co-religionist services were held only in the southern (in the name of the Icon of the Mother of God of the Three-Handed) aisle of this temple (they stopped in 1988).

After the collapse of the communist system, co-religion in the Russian Orthodox Church began to revive in a slightly different form - the initiative to create parishes came from below, representing a kind of “internal emigration” to the Russian Orthodox Church from among the unacceptable ritual innovations of Nikon and the conservative part of the Russian Orthodox Church (often modern co-religionists do not have direct continuity from the previous ones) .

At the same time, a significant part of Edinoverie parishes are communities of former Old Believers. Thus, the greatest success of Edinoverie in the 1990s was the annexation of the remnants of neo-okruzhniks in the historical district of the Moscow region - Guslitsy. One of the largest Edinoverie parishes abroad, in the state of Pennsylvania, consists of former Pomeranians. The activities of Edinoverie parishes are developing in the Sverdlovsk region, where they consist of former chapels.

On November 27, 2000, a conference was held in Moscow on the topic “200th anniversary of the canonical existence of Old Believer parishes in the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church.” The conference opened with a solemn prayer service in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, performed according to the old rite by the clergy of all Edinoverie parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate. At the conference, it was decided to henceforth call themselves Old Rite parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church, gradually abandoning the previous name, since the recognition of the old and commonly used rites as “equally honorable and equally saving” makes all the children of the Russian Orthodox Church “co-religionists” with each other, regardless of the rite they use.

In the structure of the ROCOR in the United States there is a special vicar cathedra of Edinoverie. For a long time, the co-religionists in America were ruled by Bishop Daniel (Alexandrov) of Iria. In 2008, Bishop John (Berzin), who now cares for fellow believers of the Church Abroad, was ordained into the ROCOR according to the old rite.

Archpriest John Mirolyubov notes that Old Believers often go over to the Russian Orthodox Church, however, a single order for the reception of Old Believers into the Church has not been developed, and different ones accept them in all three ranks, as they please.

1. Taking into account the discrepancies encountered in modern pastoral practice, confirm the determination of the Holy Synod No. 1116 of May 25, 1888, according to which those baptized in the Old Believer consents enter into unity with the Russian Orthodox Church through the sacrament of Confirmation performed on them.

Unity of faith in the media

Increasingly, the topic of Unity of Faith is becoming the reason for the preparation of television releases on TV Soyuz and Tsargrad. Guests on television and radio programs are representatives of the same faith, usually Archpriest John Mirolyubov.

On November 14, 2015, on the waves of the Christian “Radio Maria” of St. Petersburg, a series of cultural and historical programs about the Old Believers, prepared by Alexander Gnyp, began under the working title “Kulugur”. Due to numerous requests from radio listeners and users social networks the series of programs was transformed into a regular weekly program about the Orthodox Old Believers-University. The working title “Kulugur” was also left in the context of further regular radio broadcasts about Edinoverie. Guests of the program are clergy, historians, philosophers, philologists; Edinoverie and Old Believer clergy, community mentors. In June 2016, the Old Believer Metropolitan Korniliy (Titov) took part in a conversation about Unity of Faith in the Kulugur program.

Edinoverie communities

In the Russian Orthodox Church, communities of the same faith are organizationally subordinate to the governing dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to Vladimir Basenkov, at the beginning of 2018, there were about 50 such parishes. According to the data Patriarchal Center ancient Russian liturgical tradition, there are 37 such parishes, and in four more the old parish is used as an additional one. It is difficult to give an exact figure, since not all parishes have prayer rooms, registration or even a clear status; Often such communities are closed and do not advertise their activities. A number of Edinoverie churches are in ruins. About a dozen dilapidated Edinoverie churches on the territory of Western Kazakhstan have not been restored, and a significant part of the descendants of Edinoverie believers attend services in pan-Orthodox churches. The determination of the number of such parishes is hampered by the lack of a legally prescribed definition in the statutory documents of the Russian Orthodox Church about what a co-religious parish is.

There were separate transitions of fellow believers to the Old Believers or various “splinters” of the ROCOR, the Edinoverie parish in Nizhny Novgorod was closed, and an attempt to revive the Edinoverie Church of St. John the Baptist in Uralsk ended in failure.

At the same time, in a number of traditionally Old Believer areas (in Guslitsy, in the Urals), there is a massive conversion of the descendants of Old Believers to the Russian Orthodox Church in ordinary New Believer parishes.

The terms “edinoverie” and “edinoverie parishes” are criticized by many representatives of “edinoverie” as unsuccessful. All members of the Russian Church have the same faith, regardless of rites and rituals. To correct the situation, it was proposed to abandon them, and in official documents of the Russian Orthodox Church at the beginning of the 21st century, instead of “common faith parishes,” the new concept of “Old Believer parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church” is usually used. Meanwhile, some Edinoverie communities do not accept the neologism “Old Believer parishes,” preferring to use the historically established name “Edinoverie parishes” and the definition of “Orthodox Old Believers” (or “Old Believer parishes within the Russian Orthodox Church”) approved at the First All-Russian Edinoverie Congress.

Statistics

In 1903 to Russian Church 10,213 Old Believers joined (of which 2,461 were on the basis of Edinoverie), and in 1904, 9,179 Old Believers joined (of which 2,298 were on the basis of Edinoverie).

On January 1, 1908, there were 444,407 co-religionists, despite the fact that in the dioceses of Blagoveshchensk, Vladivostok, Grodno, Minsk, Smolensk, Finland and Yaroslavl there were no co-religionists at all, and the Irkutsk, Turkestan, Kherson, Kholm dioceses and the Georgian Exarchate were reported to the Holy Synod not provided.

The largest number of co-religionists in 1908 lived: in the Orenburg diocese - 89,307, Perm - 52,308, Yekaterinburg - 51,701 and Tomsk - 45,233.

In 1990 there were 3 Old Believer parishes, in 2000 - 12.

Edinoverie monasteries

By 1917, there were 9 men's and 9 women's Edinoverie monasteries and one women's community.

At the end of the 1900s, about 90 monks and about 170 nuns, more than 170 novices and more than 480 novices lived in Edinoverie monasteries.

Figures of Edinoverie

• Avaev, Alexander Mikhailovich - archpriest, rector of the Edinoverie Church of the Intercession Holy Mother of God in the village of Voinovo (Poland).
• Andrey (Ukhtomsky) is the Bishop of Satka of the Edinoverie (elected in absentia, reserving the former Ufa see) and the First Hierarch of all Edinoverists.
• Anthony (Milovidov) - Bishop of Omsk and Chelyabinsk (was dean of Edinoverie churches and monasteries of the Ufa diocese).
• Verkhovsky, Ivan Timofeevich - writer.
• Dugin, Alexander Gelievich - Russian philosopher, political scientist and sociologist, founder of the ideological movement “neo-Eurasianism”.
• Job (Rogozhin) - Bishop of Mstera, vicar of the Vladimir diocese (of the same faith).
• Mina (Shustov) - abbot, famous missionary.
• Mirolyubov, Ivan Ivanovich - priest, secretary of the Synodal Commission for the Affairs of Common Faith.
• Nikanor (Kudryavtsev) - Bishop of Bogorodsk (of the Edinoverie), vicar of the Moscow diocese, rector of the Moscow St. Nicholas Monastery of Edinoverie.
• Nikita (Dobronravov) - abbot, secretary of the Synodal Commission for Old Believers.
• Onuphry (Parusov) - abbot of the Moscow St. Nicholas Monastery of Edinoverie.
• Pavel (Lednev) - archimandrite, rector of the Moscow St. Nicholas Monastery of Edinoverie.
• Parfeniy (Ageev) - abbot and builder of the Guslitsky Transfiguration Missionary Monastery.
• Peter (Vasiliev) - abbot, rector of the Moscow Edinoverie

What is the Edinoverie Church? When did she appear? How is it different from the regular Orthodox Church? Is it possible to understand before entering a temple that it is of the same faith?

Each person still has school course History is familiar with the name “Old Believers.” Schoolchildren are told about religious reforms that entailed church schism and persecution of those who did not accept the changes.

What is unity of faith?

What does a common faith church mean? This is one of the trends in the Old Believers, which appeared in 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, co-religionists are not fanatical adherents of professed views, and do not organize communities fenced off from the world in the taiga wilds. They just hold services a little differently, and their temples are located in almost every historical significant city. For example, there is a Edinoverie church in Moscow (and more than one); there are parishes in St. Petersburg and the Urals.

The Old Believers are often presented as a kind of gathering of “martyrs” rebelling against innovation. This is partly correct, but co-religionists are not like that. 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 Soviet years the Edinoverie Church was in decline, its churches were alienated and desecrated in the same way as all others. However, since the end of the last century, common faith began to revive.

What traditions are followed in the Edinoverie?

Edinoverie does not have any special, significant differences from ordinary Orthodoxy. The essence of the religion is the same, the list and order of services are also no different. The difference between co-religionists and ordinary Orthodox Christians is in their understanding of the organization of life, way of life and, of course, external manifestations of ritual.

Edinoverie is characterized by the following main characterizing nuances:

• double-fingering when making the sign of the cross;
• preservation of ancient liturgical rites and adherence to them;
• conducting rituals based on old printed books published before the schism;
• maintaining a traditional way of life corresponding to Domostroy.

The Edinoverie Church as a building in which services are held, no differences from the usual Orthodox church has neither outside nor inside. It is almost impossible to understand before the start of the service that the temple belongs to the Old Believer movement.

What does it mean to be a fellow believer?

What does a common faith church mean? This is, first of all, a person’s adherence to certain spiritual and moral traditions, and only then - the way of life, the nuances of ritual, and so on.

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

• reading the Midnight Office and the Night Office, that is, morning and evening prayers;
• keeping fasts;
• accompanying any undertaking by turning to the Lord;
• attending community services and meetings;
• donations to the temple;
• all possible assistance to fellow believers;
• constant spiritual self-education and development.

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

Today Edinoverie attracts many because for this direction of Orthodoxy it is important moral purity, following traditions and literal understanding of God's commandments. Women who follow the old rite can take care of the house and children, literally be “behind their husbands” - and no one will blame them for the lack of work and financial income. Men in these communities do not feel worthless. They are the heads of families and carry full responsibility for the well-being of their homes. For many, Edinoverie is like an island of the past in the sea of ​​soullessness of the present.

How does life work in the same faith?

In 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 by at services or into the church by chance) communicate closely with each other and maintain almost family relationships. Joint meals are accepted, spiritual meetings are held. If any difficulties arise, the problems are solved together. Some parishes follow the tradition of “tithing,” that is, donating a tenth of their income to the temple.

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

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

• "Domostroy";
• "Stoglav";
• "Helmsman";
• "Son of the Church."

In spirituality, the Edinoverie Orthodox Church 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 Edinovery begin?

The first official regulation on churches of the same faith appeared on June 3, 1799. This 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 “agree”, both on the part of the Old Believers and initiated by the Patriarchate. But, unfortunately, the relationship between the clergy on both sides was more like political bargaining than 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 popular saying, it always turns out lumpy. The Kazan archbishop demanded that his co-religionists 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 placed, refused to fulfill this demand. For what reasons the spiritual leaders of fellow believers considered the archbishop’s demands unacceptable is now impossible to understand. However, trying to enter the fold of the “dominant church,” as the Old Believers called the official religion, spiritual leaders constantly set conditions and put forward their own demands, forgetting about Christian humility. Of course, there was no talk of any concessions on their part. It is quite possible that behind this position of the leaders of the same faith was hidden the fear of forced changes in their rituals and manner of serving.

But Paul the First was not a person whose will could be neglected. The refusal of the Old Believers to fulfill the demands of the archbishop entailed the following: the Edinoverie 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 cessation of all relationships and contacts with the Old Believers. This instruction returned the clergy of the old rite “from heaven to earth.” The leaders of co-religionists were forced to seek rapprochement with the Patriarchy already on the terms that were dictated to them Orthodox clergy.

How and when was Edinoverie established?

The 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 admission of the Old Believers of Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow into the common faith.” At the same time, the concept of “uniform faith” was introduced, which was a form of designation of the reunification of the Old Believers with the existing Orthodox Church.

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

What did the establishment of Edinoverie lead to?

Probably, after such a reunion, most believers felt not relief, but bewilderment. Those who followed the old rite considered themselves devoted spiritual leaders. The establishment of a common faith led to the fact that people began to go into the wilderness, away from the world, and establish isolated communities there.

Of course, a minority of believers did this. The majority had something to lose, and they did not want to leave everything they had acquired because of political games. Most The Old Believers were merchants; for example, the Edinoverie Church in St. Petersburg had practically no representatives of other classes among its parishioners. The merchants were pious people, but at the same time very pragmatic.

This class accepted all the acts regulating the Old Believers, but how sincerely no one can answer now. Services according to the old rite with the making of the sign of the cross continued even after the introduction of the concept of “uniform faith,” but were not advertised. Old-style icons were painted and placed in churches and houses. The way of life has also been preserved. However, outwardly everything looked as if the dominant church had absorbed the Old Believers.

Some Edinoverie parishes in Moscow

When it comes to Old Believer parishes in the capital, most people remember the Edinoverie Church on Taganka. This is very beautiful temple with a special atmosphere that you just want to go into. It's hard to believe that the church long years remained in disrepair and was reconsecrated only in 1996.

The Church of St. Nicholas on Studenets is located on Taganskaya Street in the building number 20a. He is often mistakenly called Nikolsky. St. Nicholas Edinoverie Church is located not in Moscow, but in St. Petersburg. There is no need to call the temple on Taganka Nikolsky, this is not the correct version of the name.

Although the church on Taganka in this moment most famous among believers who follow 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 Stalin era- Houses on the embankment, where representatives of the Soviet elite lived and from where they were taken away in the morning by secret service workers. And even closer to this temple is an inconspicuous old building of a couple of floors with a modest historical plaque. These are the chambers of Malyuta Skuratov. There are many more legends and scary stories about this house than about the “stone monster” of the Soviet era.

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

Speaking about the parishes of the same faith in the capital, one cannot ignore the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located in Rubtsov. It is notable for the fact that it is the center of the ancient Russian liturgical tradition. In other words - the representation of the Patriarch. This church is located on Bakuninskaya Street, in building 83.

About some Edinoverie churches in the Moscow region

When it comes to churches in 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 completely different states. Some glitter with gold domes and are overcrowded during services. Others are in desperate need of both restoration and congregations.

For example, in a village called Avsyunino, near Orekhovo-Zuev, there is St. Peter’s Church. The official name of this temple is the Church of Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow. The first service was held here in the bloody year of 1905. The construction of the church building began in 1903. This is surprising - just a few tens of kilometers from terrorists throwing homemade bombs, from endless protests and demonstrations, the participants of which often did not understand in principle what they stood for and what they were called to, then, when the cadets and gendarmes shot at the crowd of believers who came “to the Tsar,” a new temple 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 reconstruction, but practically rebuilding.

Another very symbolic place can be considered the church located in the Voskresensky district, in the village of Ostashovo. Church Vladimir icon Our Lady of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a parish in a community of over two hundred people. This place is noteworthy because the community was not “restored.” It was formed in 1991 from people seeking spirituality and striving to preserve moral and moral principles. Among those for whom it was important to raise their children not in an endless race for material values, but within the framework of the old traditions of Russian spirituality.

The church is open, and services are always extremely crowded. This will be of interest to those who would like to know more about modern Russian Edinoverie and its differences from ordinary Orthodoxy.

Edinoverie in St. Petersburg

There is a fairly widespread opinion that St. Petersburg is a major center of the Old Believers. The formation of this belief was greatly facilitated by the St. Nicholas Edinoverie Church on Marata Street. This is truly the largest spiritual center for all believers who follow the old rite, despite the fact that there is no “full-fledged” church in the building now.

Walking along Kuznechny Lane, it is impossible to pass by this temple. St. Nicholas 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 reminiscent of a theater or an observatory. Probably exactly external features helped St. Nicholas Church survive Soviet times with fairly minor losses. In the years Soviet power St. Nicholas Edinoverie Church of St. Petersburg was used as a museum of the Arctic and Antarctic. Of course, this is desecration of the temple, but still this option better than use as a warehouse or prison facility.

St. Nicholas Edinoverie Church 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 assignment this status was filed back in 1910. At the beginning of the last century, in St. Petersburg and its environs, there were several thousand believers who followed the old rite. Of course, they were all co-religionists or were considered such. But, despite the obvious need to give the temple the status of a cathedral, the patriarchate 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 temple premises to the church is being carried out in stages. This process began in 1992, and by 2013 almost all premises came under church jurisdiction. You can find the St. Nicholas Church on Marata Street, at its 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 Church of the same faith grows 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. Finding the monastery is not difficult; it is located at the crossroads of two streets - Sovetskaya and 1st Metallistov. The territory is open to visitors, there is a temple at the monastery, and there are also church shops.

The Assumption Edinoverie Church 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 the very difficult situation in the region, the temple will still be completely restored.

Before the revolution, the Edinoverie Church was very strong in the Urals. Yekaterinburg 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 suffered greatly during the Soviet regime, and although it was returned to the church in 1993, restoration work is still underway.

However, in the Urals, not everything is as bad for Edinoverie as it might seem. In the Volga region the situation is more complicated. The Edinoverie Church in Samara still cannot return the unique building of the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God to its jurisdiction. Although it would be more correct to talk not about the unique building, but about what remains of it. Before the revolution, this church had five “star” domes, in no way inferior to the domes of the churches 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’s left of it on Nekrasovskaya Street. The building number is 27. In this case, the exact address is important, since it is impossible to understand that the temple building is in front of your eyes.

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

Of course, this is not a complete list of temples and churches related to the same 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 church buildings than the average Orthodox Church. After all, although nowadays there is no official conflict between the new and old rituals, co-religionists still do not have equal rights. Those following the old rite are a junior, subordinate to the main dominant church, a spiritual organization.

What was a Edinoverie parish 100 years ago and today? How do Edinoverie communities differ from ordinary Orthodox communities? This is another article about this, introducing Edinoverie.

First of all, let's refresh our memory of the basic concepts. Orthodox Old Believers (co-religionists) are children of the Russian Orthodox Church who adhere to the “old” rituals in worship and a special strict way of life in parish and home life. Followers of ancient rites are united in parishes, which are called Edinoverie, or Old Believers. They, like all Orthodox parishes, are subordinate to the local bishop.

Hieromartyr Simon (Shleev), the first bishop of the Edinoverie and the most prominent figure, at the beginning of the 20th century, in his article “On the question: what kind of bishop does the Edinoverie need?” quite clearly and succinctly described the whole essence of Old Believer parishes in one paragraph:

“Edinoverie parishes differ from Orthodox parishes in the monastic way of church life. In them, for example, the monastic attitude of the abbot and the brethren is very vividly felt. The parishioners, like the brethren of the monastery, elect their own rector and together with him govern their parish community. In this parish community of the same faith there are also cathedral monastery elders, elected trustees, and closest advisers to the ktitor and rector of the church. In Edinoverie parishes, if circumstances are favorable, monastic discipline and high respect for authority are observed spiritual father, obedience to his will, fulfillment of his commandments. In Edinoverie churches, the Divine service itself is performed according to the monastic rite, without omissions, with the preservation of all its details, as indicated in the Typikon. In Edinoverie churches there is the same order that distinguishes monastery churches from other parish Orthodox Great Russian churches.”

“Is that all?” - a sophisticated contemporary Christian who has traveled to the holy monasteries of Russia and Abroad may ask in disappointment. If you want a monastic way of life, go to a monastery, since today they are in almost every diocese or relatively close. It happens that there are monasteries in the city. Please go to long services, be obedient... What is so special about these co-religion parishes?

First of all, it must be said that in the understanding of fellow believers, a parish is not those who “came” to the service, came into contact with the shrine, threw a symbolic donation into a mug and left. We are talking primarily about the community of Christians. “Where there is tithe, there is a community; there is no tithe, there is a parish.” A well-forgotten Russian proverb clearly shows us the difference. Moreover, tithe should not be narrowly understood as only a tenth of income. Rather, it is about the ability to sacrifice, to give part of oneself to the parish. And such a worldview is possessed in Old Believer churches by a larger, rather than a smaller, part of the parishioners. There is no tithe as a strictly established concept; the principle of freedom operates here, but, of course, voluntary tithe exists.

Fellow parishioners participate in the divine service, many sing and read in the choir, meals become a frequent occurrence, at which pressing problems of the parish are discussed, and sometimes issues of helping one of the parishioners. Communication is quite close; the abbot, as a rule, is aware of the lives of all his children. He is usually the spiritual father for everyone.

It is not difficult to become a member of a community of the same faith: you need to regularly attend services and gradually begin to live according to the rules of the established way of life in the parish. Morning and evening, pray the Midnight Office and the Night Office, begin any task with prayer, observe fasts, constantly educate yourself in the faith... Instructions for life for fellow believers - of course, after the Book of Books - the Gospel, the instructions of the apostles and holy fathers - are such creations of the ancient Russian world as “Stoglav”, “Domostroy”, “Son of the Church”, “Helmsman”.

I remember a case where a new parishioner appeared in one of the same faith communities. Eagerly studying the Christian faith, regularly going to pilgrimage trips, the man really fell in love with Orthodox worship. He completed the diocesan courses for a charter-psalmist... And a year later he became a charter-master for the community.

Legally, Edinoverie communities are fully consistent in their charter with the usual Orthodox parish. Only in the name is the affiliation stated, basically like this: “community of the same faith”; There are variations: “Orthodox-Old Believer”. The parish council can be headed by a layman, but more often by a rector. For a community of the same faith, both options are natural. At different times and under different conditions, with the temporary absence of a priest, Russian Christians developed the practice of worshiping in a “secular rite.” The priestly prayers were omitted, and the exclamations were given by a layman - the head of the service or the “prayer.” The choir sang and the Gospel was read. The all-night vigil was also served... Of course, there was no most important thing - the Liturgy, but the community continued to live. And this independence, to a certain extent, explains the vitality of co-religion communities. This practice increased (and continues to increase - there are not enough priests of the same faith today) the self-awareness of parishioners, their responsibility, and literacy in terms of worship. Jealousy was also high, which kept the beauty of the service “on top.” The service was most often ruled by people employed in ordinary life in worldly professions. Divine services were both an outlet, a creative outlet, and a change of activity. And the community lived. I was going to pray, resolve some issues, build church buildings, buy something, lead educational activities. At the same time, the community was registered, there was a chairman and a parish council.

The community “raises” the future rector, so in Edinoverie parishes the priest is one with his community

One of the Edinoverie communities of our time performed divine services in the “secular rite” for 7 years. We went to other churches in our city for Communion. However, the community did not disintegrate; a candidate for priest emerged from it and, having been ordained, with God’s help, continues to care for the parish. Active laymen, as a rule, supplied the priest for the community. That is, the community “raised” the future abbot. Therefore, in parishes of the same faith, the priest is one with his community. The likelihood of his transfer to another parish is negligible, and from the moment of his appointment the priest begins, or rather continues, to be actively involved in the parish, in all matters, as a rule, in consultation with the flock, with its respected and active representatives.

At meetings, fellow believers try to have spiritual conversations or read spiritually beneficial books aloud, and then discuss them together. Questions of faith in modern world are touched upon quite often. A lot of time can be devoted to studying the liturgical regulations, church singing and reading, pious traditions. Joint pilgrimage trips, including on patronal feast days to fellow believers in other dioceses, are becoming common. And meeting guests at your place is a common thing. Fellow believers are friendly and hospitable.

One day, the author of the article found himself at the largest Edinoverie parish of the Archangel Michael in the Mikhailovskaya Sloboda, Moscow region. During the meal there is a reading of the lives of the saints, grace-filled silence, a change of readers and a blessing for obedience after the meal. Everything that happens on the territory of the parish is Christ-centered, not excluding the meal.

In communication, there is a tradition of “cutting off unnecessary things”, so fellow believers do not have idle conversations

Priests or elders in the community, according to current practice, may, on holidays or common days visit parishioners, conduct spiritual conversations. So one thing can be said about the communication of parishioners of Edinoverie parishes: it exists. And this is very gratifying. The community here is called a community not in letter, but in spirit. Of course, they can also discuss ordinary worldly issues and share news. But, as a rule, there has been an unspoken tradition of “cutting off the unnecessary,” so co-religionists will not engage in idle conversations that are irrelevant to the point.

Close communication also gives rise to certain moral education its members not by word, but by example and conscience. News double life it's hard, even in big city your life is not always visible: communication in the parish and outside it, constant participation in worship they do their job. The existence of a community also triggers the process of involving the children of parishioners in it. It is considered good form for fellow believers to invite children to participate in worship. Children as young as 7 years old can be placed on the choir and asked to help in the altar. At home, of course, they grow up in Russian culture and follow the example of their parents. If upon arrival there is Sunday School, visit her. But among fellow believers, the lack of education at the parish can be fully compensated for by home education.

About 30 years have passed since the collapse of the USSR and the beginning of the revival of Edinoverie. IN last years The emergence of indigenous families of the same faith is becoming a pleasant trend. The children of those parents who just came to the Old Believer church in the 1990s are getting married. Such families not only follow in the footsteps of their parents, remaining in communities of the same faith, but also increase their experience in Christian life. It also happens that co-religionists tie the knot with Orthodox Christians of the new rite, and here the situation can turn out differently, but mainly thanks to such unions, communities are only replenished.

Strict observance of church rules and discipline, strictness of the way of life, primarily personal, high level Christian identity - all this helps communities of the same faith survive in our days. Conservative views and firm convictions of fellow Christians attract people who think the same way to Old Believer churches, and this only strengthens the communities. Today, the number of fellow believers in Russia and abroad is gradually growing, and new parishes are opening. But at the head of the entire life of the community lies the main law of God -.