Church schism in Russia in the 17th century. We wanted the best...

Preconditions for the reform

It all started in 1651, when Metropolitan Gabriel of Nazarev noted that the Russian Church had become very distant from the Eastern Church. Patriarch Athanasius of Constantinople also supported him. Already in 1653, news came to Moscow - the Athonite elders declared Russian books heretical and burned them. At the same time, Sukhanov made a report on the difference in the Moscow and Eastern rites.

Why was the Russian Church so different from the Greek? Researchers identify several reasons for the appearance of distortions:

• For centuries, books were copied by hand. There were typos, personal opinion of the author.
• An admixture of paganism in the Christian religion. It was not easy for people to abandon the ancient faith, so some customs echoed paganism.

Two main demands were put forward to the Russian Church:

• Avoid polyphony. The service was simultaneously conducted by priests, clerks, singers and parishioners. The result was chaos.
• Replace two fingers with three fingers. Until the middle of the 17th century, people in Russia crossed themselves with two fingers, while in other countries they used three.

Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich immediately responded to the remarks of foreigners. It was important for him to meet the requirements of the world religion. This was done to strengthen Moscow in the international arena. Therefore, already in 1652, Romanov gave the task to Patriarch Nikon to carry out the reform.

Church schism in Russia in the 17th century. We wanted the best...

In the 21st century, there is not a single social institution left in Russia that has not been affected by one or another transformation, with the exception of the most conservative of them - the Russian Orthodox Church. Disputes and discussions about reforming church life have been going on for a long time. Questions about the replacement of texts from Church Slavonic to Russian, the transition to the New Julian calendar, and the adoption of regulations for the laity are widely discussed in secular and Orthodox media.

However, it is necessary to recall, at least briefly, the church schism of the 17th century, when the Orthodox Church underwent reformation, which resulted in a split in the Russian people, and its consequences have not been overcome to this day.

Reasons for church reform in the 17th century

Discussion of the need for reform of church life began in the 1640s. At that time, a “circle of zealots of piety” was organized in the capital. Representatives of the clergy who were members of the circle advocated the unification of church texts and rules of worship. However, there was no unity on the issue of choosing a model based on which changes would be made. Some suggested taking ancient Russian church books as a model, while others suggested taking Greek ones.

As a result, those who advocated bringing church books and rituals in line with Byzantine canons won, and there were several explanations for this:

• The desire of the Russian state to strengthen its international position among Orthodox countries. The theory of Moscow as the Third Rome, put forward in the 15th century by the Pskov elder Philotheus, was popular in government circles. After the church schism of 1054, Constantinople became the spiritual center of the Orthodox Church. Philotheus believed that after the fall of Byzantium, the Russian capital became a stronghold of the true Orthodox faith. To confirm this status of Moscow, the Russian Tsar needed to enlist the support of the Greek Church. To do this, it was necessary to bring the worship service in accordance with Greek rules.
• In 1654, the territory of Polish Ukraine, by decision of the Pereyaslav Rada, joined the Russian state. In the new lands, the Orthodox liturgy was conducted according to the Greek canons, so the unification of liturgical rules would contribute to the process of unification of Russia and Little Russia.
• Stabilization of the internal political situation. A little time has passed since the events of the Time of Troubles died down, and small pockets of popular unrest still periodically flared up in the country. The establishment of uniformity in the rules of church life seemed to the government an important tool in maintaining national unity.
• The discrepancy between Russian worship and Byzantine canons. Amendments to the liturgical rules, which caused the church schism, were secondary in carrying out church reform.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Patriarch Nikon

So under which tsar did the church schism of the Russian people occur? Under Emperor Alexei Mikhailovich, who reigned from 1645 to 1676. He was an active ruler who diligently delved into all issues concerning Russia. Considering himself truly Orthodox, he paid a lot of attention to church affairs.

This is interesting

Contemporaries nicknamed Alexei Mikhailovich the Quietest, but his reign fell on a turbulent and alarming time, overshadowed by many wars and disasters.

In Russia, the church schism is associated with the name of Patriarch Nikon, known in the world as Nikita Minin (1605-1681). At the behest of his parents, he became a clergyman and in this field managed to make a brilliant career. In 1643, he received the high spiritual rank of abbot of the Kozheozersk monastery in the Arkhangelsk province.

In 1646, Nikon, having arrived in Moscow to settle monastic affairs, was introduced to the young Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The seventeen-year-old sovereign liked the abbot so much that he left him at court, appointing him archimandrite of the Moscow Novospassky Monastery. Thanks to the royal favor, Nikon subsequently received the rank of Metropolitan of Novgorod.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Patriarch Nikon - initiators of church reform in the 17th century

By order of the tsar, in 1651 Nikon was returned to Moscow again and from that moment his influence on Alexei Mikhailovich increased even more. He gained complete confidence in the sovereign and actively participated in resolving many state issues. Nikon reached the pinnacle of his career in 1652, ascending the patriarchal throne after the death of Patriarch Joseph. From this time on, preparations began for church reform, the need for which had been brewing for a long time.

Briefly about the reforms of Patriarch Nikon and the church schism

The first thing the new patriarch directed his activities towards was the editing of all church books, which needed to be brought into conformity with the Greek canons. However, the initial date of the church schism of the 17th century is considered to be 1653, when changes were introduced to the liturgical rules, and a confrontation began between Patriarch Nikon and his supporters - on the one hand, and adherents of the old rituals - on the other.

Kivshenko A.D. Patriarch Nikon offers new liturgical books

Now let us briefly dwell on Nikon’s reforms and the church schism that followed them:

• replacing the two-finger sign with a three-finger one. This innovation caused the most criticism among opponents of reforms. The sign of the cross, performed in a new way, was regarded as disrespect for the Lord himself, because three fingers made a “fig for God”;
• writing "Jesus" instead of "Jesus";
• reduction in the number of prosphoras for the liturgy;
• during the service, instead of bows to the ground, it was necessary to make bows;
• movement during the procession was now made against the sun;
• in church singing they began to say “Hallelujah” three times instead of two.

Important

The reforms carried out by Patriarch Nikon became the main and main cause of the church schism of the 17th century.

What is church schism and what are its causes?

The Russian church schism is the separation of a significant part of the believing population from the Orthodox Church and those opposing church reforms carried out by Patriarch Nikon.

If we talk briefly about the reasons for the church schism of the 17th century, which influenced the entire subsequent history of the Russian state, they were directly related to the short-sighted policies of the secular and church authorities.

It should be noted that the church schism, which can be briefly described as cooling and confrontation, had a negative impact on the relationship between the authorities and the church. The reason for this was the harsh methods that Patriarch Nikon followed when carrying out his reform. By order of the tsar, in 1660, a spiritual council deposed Nikon from the patriarchal throne. Subsequently, he was deprived of his priestly rank and exiled to the Feropontov Belozersky Monastery.

With Nikon's removal from power, church reforms were not curtailed. In 1666, the Church Council officially approved new rituals and church books, which were to be accepted by the entire Orthodox Church. By the decision of the same Council, supporters of the “old faith” were excommunicated from the church and equated with heretics.

Repressions against Old Believers

Now let's take a closer look at the causes and consequences of church schism:

• the methods by which church reforms were carried out alienated a significant part of the clergy and the common people, namely the forcible confiscation of church books, icons and other shrines that did not correspond to the Greek canons and their further public destruction;
• the abrupt and ill-considered transition to new rules of worship aroused the conviction among the masses that they were trying to impose a different faith on them. In addition, those who refused to accept the innovations were subjected to serious corporal punishment, which did not add sympathy to Patriarch Nikon and his entourage;
• low level of education, and sometimes complete illiteracy of the parish clergy, who are unable to explain to parishioners the essence of the change in the liturgy;
• unfair translation of certain texts from Greek into Russian, which, although slightly, began to differ from the previous Old Russian ones. The greatest indignation among believers was caused by changes in the meaning of the Creed prayer, where in the new edition the Kingdom of God is spoken of in the future tense, and not in the present, as it was before;
• lack of unity and agreement in the church environment on the issue of ongoing reforms. As a result, opponents of innovations appeared among the clergy, who became the spiritual leaders of the Old Believers.

The church schism in Russia is associated with the name of Archpriest Avvakum Petrov, a famous leader of the Old Believers. For disagreement with church reforms, he was exiled to Siberia for eleven long years. Having endured many hardships and adversities, he remained devoted to the “old faith.” As a result, according to the decision of the Church Council, Avvakum was sentenced to imprisonment in an earthen prison, and subsequently burned alive.

Miloradovich S.D. Avvakum's journey through Siberia. 1898.

The causes and consequences of the church schism can be briefly described as the rejection of Nikon’s reforms by a significant part of the believers, which then resulted in a religious war. The Old Believers were persecuted and persecuted by the government and were forced to seek salvation on the outskirts of the Russian state. The Old Believers' response to church policy was mass self-immolation, called "gari."

In historical literature, one often encounters the definition of a church schism as the starting point for massive popular unrest that periodically shook the Russian land throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Indeed, the Old Believers found strong support among the common people; it was around them that all those dissatisfied with the existing order in the country began to gather.

The meaning of church schism

• The church schism in Russia in the 17th century became a national tragedy. There was a division of the Russian people into those who remained in the bosom of the Orthodox Church, performing divine services according to the new rules, and into Old Believers, who continued to adhere to pre-reform church rites.
• As a result of the church schism, the spiritual unity of the Russian people ceased to exist. For the first time in the history of the state, hostility on religious grounds arises. In addition, social disunity among the population began to appear more clearly.
• The supremacy of royal power over church power is established. The church reform was initiated by the government and carried out with its support. And this was the beginning of the fact that the management of church affairs began to gradually move into a state department. This process finally ended under Peter the Great, who abolished the institution of the patriarchate.
• Russia's international position and its ties with the countries of the Orthodox world are being strengthened.
• If we talk briefly about the positive significance of the church schism, then the emerging Old Believer movement made a significant contribution to the development of Russian art. They created a number of spiritual centers, their own school of icon painting, and preserved the ancient Russian traditions of book writing and znamenny singing.

Ivanov S.V. In times of schism

The concept of church schism arose during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich and since then has repeatedly become a topic for historical research. Most historians argue that the real cause of the church schism in the 17th century was not a dispute over amendments to worship. It's all about one significant question - can secular and ecclesiastical authorities decide how and in what way the people believe in Christ or the people have the right to preserve intact the rituals and way of church life established many centuries ago.

Patriarch Nikon - who is he?

Patriarch Nikon is a controversial historical figure. On the one hand, this man organized a massacre of Old Believers. On the other hand, in his declining years Nikon became famous for his good deeds. His fans even petitioned for the patriarch to be canonized. Who really was the main church reformer?

Nikita Minov is the son of an ordinary peasant. A boy from a poor family studied prayers, rituals, and stories with great zeal. Nikita received a religious education and already at the age of 19 became a village priest. By the age of 30, the man moved to serve in the Novospassky Monastery. This event became fateful. It was in the monastery that Nikon met Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

The future patriarch was very literate, but at the same time cruel and power-hungry. He did everything to ingratiate himself with the king. To this end, even in 1650 he participated in the suppression of the uprising. As a result, Nikon achieved unlimited power over the sovereign. Alexei Mikhailovich begged him on his knees to accept the patriarchal rank.

The main goal of the clergy is to free the church from the influence of secular power. Moreover, Nikon considered himself superior to the king. Gradually he became the second person in the state. During the absence of Alexei Mikhailovich, his patriarch replaced him. He had the right to approve important state affairs and send letters to the governors. Romanov even allowed Nikon to sign documents as a great sovereign.

Church reform of Patriarch Nikon: reasons, beginning, essence

The church reform of Patriarch Nikon had a great influence on the spirituality of the Russian people and Russian history. To this day this question is open. Historical literature has not fully revealed the reasons for the schism and the presence of the Old Believers in the Orthodox Church in Rus'.

Church reforms found not only supporters, but also opponents. Each of them gives well-founded arguments that they are right and has their own interpretation of events. Wanderers are of the opinion that the reform led to the disappearance of church differences between the Russian and Byzantine Orthodox churches, and the confusion in rituals and books was eliminated. They also argue about the inevitability of the reform carried out by any patriarch of that time. Opponents believe that Orthodoxy in Rus' took its own path of development, and doubt the veracity of church books and rituals of the Orthodox Church in Byzantium, which were a model for Nikon. They believe that the Greek church should have been the successor to the Russian one. For many, Nikon became the destroyer of Russian Orthodoxy, which was at that time on the rise.

Of course, there are more defenders of Nikon, including the modern Orthodox Church. Most historical books were written by them. To clarify the situation, one should find out the reasons for the church reform of Patriarch Nikon, get acquainted with the personality of the reformer, and find out the circumstances of the schism of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Reasons for the church reform of Patriarch Nikon

At the end of the 17th century

The opinion has become established in the world that only the Russian Orthodox Church turned out to be the spiritual heir of Orthodoxy.
Until the 15th century, Rus' was the successor of Byzantium.
But later the Turks began to attack it frequently, and the country's economy deteriorated.
The Greek Emperor turned to the Pope for assistance in uniting the two churches with significant concessions to the Pope. In 1439

the Union of Florence
was signed , in which Moscow Metropolitan Isidore participated. In Moscow they considered this a betrayal of the Orthodox Church. The formation of the Ottoman Empire on the site of the Byzantine state was regarded as God's punishment for treason.

In Russia, the strengthening of autocracy was taking place; the monarchy sought to subordinate itself to church authority.

The church has long had a great influence on people's lives:
it helped get rid of the Mongol-Tatar yoke, united the Russian lands into a single state, was a leader in the fight against the Time of Troubles, and established the Romanovs on the throne
. However, Russian Orthodoxy has always been subordinate to state power, unlike the Roman Catholic one. Rus' was baptized by a prince, not a clergyman. Thus, the priority of the authorities was provided for from the very beginning.

Orthodox cathedrals left the lands they had, but in the future they could annex others only with the approval of the tsar. IN 1580

year, a ban was introduced on the acquisition of land by any means by the church.

The Russian Church developed into a patriarchate, which contributed to further prosperity. Moscow began to be called the Third Rome.

By the middle of the 17th century

changes in society and the state required the strengthening of church power, unification with other Orthodox churches of the Balkan peoples and Ukraine, and large-scale reform.

The reason for the reform was church books for worship. The differences in practical matters between the Russian and Byzantine churches were clearly visible. Since the 15th century, there have been debates about the “salt walk” and “hallelujah.”

In
the 16th
century, significant discrepancies in the translated church books were discussed: few of the translators were fluent in both languages, the monastic scribes were illiterate and made many mistakes while copying books.

IN 1645

year, Arseny Sukhanov was sent to the Eastern lands to take a census of the ranks of the Greek Church and inspect holy places.

The Troubles became a threat to the autocracy.

The question arose about the unification of Ukraine and Russia. But differences in religion were an obstacle to this. Relations between church and royal authorities began to heat up and required significant reforms in the religious field. It was necessary to improve relations with the church authorities. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich needed a supporter of the reform of the Russian church who could lead them. Bringing the Russian Church closer to the Byzantine Church was only possible through an independent and strong patriarchal government, possessing political authority and capable of organizing centralized government of the church.

The beginning of the church reform of Patriarch Nikon

A reform to change church rituals and books was being prepared, but it was discussed not by the patriarch, but by those around the tsar. Avvakum Petrov was an opponent of church reform

, and his supporter is
Archimandrite Nikon,
the future reformer. Also participating in the discussion were Kremlin archpriest Stefan Vonifatiev, Tsar Alexei, bed guard F.M. Rtishchev with his sister, deacon Felor Ivanov, priests Daniil Lazar, Ivan Neronov, Loggin and others.

Those present sought to eliminate official violations, polyphony, and discrepancies; increasing teaching elements (sermons, teachings, educational religious literature), the moral level of clergy. Many believed that gradually the self-interested shepherds would be replaced by a reformed clergy. All this should happen with the confident support of the king.

IN 1648

In the year Nikon was appointed Metropolitan of Pskov and Novgorod, many adherents of piety were transferred to large cities and appointed to the posts of archpriests. However, they did not find their followers among the parish clergy. Coercive measures to increase the piety of parishioners and priests led to outrage among the population.

Between 1645 and 1652

year, the Moscow Printing Yard published a lot of church literature, including books for reading on religious topics.

Provincial zealots of piety believed that the differences between the Russian and Byzantine churches arose as a result of the loss of the true faith by the Greeks due to the presence of Turks in Byzantium and rapprochement with the Roman church. A similar situation occurred with the Ukrainian church after the reforms of Peter Mohyla.

Those close to the king had the opposite opinion. For political reasons, they adhered to a refusal to evaluate the Greek Church, which had departed from the true faith. This group called for the elimination of differences in theological systems and church rituals, using the Greek church as a model. This opinion was held by a minority of secular authorities and the clergy, but which had a great influence on the life of the people. Without waiting for unification, the tsar and the capital's zealots of piety began to independently lay the foundation for future reform. The beginning of Nikon's reform began with the arrival of Kyiv scholar-monks with an excellent knowledge of the Greek language to introduce corrections to church books.

The dissatisfied Patriarch Joseph at a church meeting decided to put an end to the intervention. He rejected “unanimity,” explaining that parishioners could not endure such a long service and receive “spiritual food.” Tsar Alexei was dissatisfied with the decision of the council, but could not cancel it. He transferred the solution to the issue to the Patriarch of Constantinople. Through 2

A new council was assembled in the year, which overturned the decision of the previous one. The Patriarch was dissatisfied with the interference of the royal authorities in church affairs. The king needed support to share power.

Nikon came from a peasant family. Nature endowed him with a good memory and intelligence, and the village priest taught him to read and write. At the age of 20 he was already a priest. The Tsar liked Nikon with his solidity and confidence. The young king felt confident next to him. Nikon himself openly exploited the suspicious king.

The new Archimandrite Nikon began to actively participate in church affairs. IN 1648

year he becomes metropolitan in Novgorod and shows his dominion and energy. Later, the king helped Nikon become patriarch. This is where his intolerance, harshness and harshness manifested themselves. Exorbitant ambition developed with a rapid church career.

long-term plans included ridding church power from royal power.

He strove for equal governance of Russia together with the Tsar.
The implementation of plans began in 1652
. He demanded the transfer of Philip’s relics to Moscow and the royal “prayer” letter for Alexei. Now the tsar was atoning for the sins of his ancestor Ivan the Terrible. Nikon significantly increased the authority of the Patriarch of Russia.

The secular authorities agreed with Nikon to carry out church reforms and resolve pressing foreign policy issues. The tsar stopped interfering in the affairs of the patriarch and allowed him to resolve important external and internal political issues. A close alliance between the king and the church was formed.

Nikon eliminated previous interference in the affairs of the church of his colleagues and even stopped communicating with them. Nikon's energy and determination determined the nature of the future church reform.

The essence of church reforms of Patriarch Nikon

First of all, Nikon started correcting books

. After his election, he organized a systematic correction not only of errors, but also of rituals. It was based on ancient Greek lists and consultations with the East. Many perceived the change in rituals as an unforgivable attack on faith.

In the church books there were many typos and clerical errors, small discrepancies in the same prayers.

The main differences between the Russian and Greek churches were:

• implementation of proskomedia on 5

prosphora instead of 7;

• a special hallelujah replaced a three-part hallelujah;

• walking was with the sun, and not against it;

• there was no release from the royal doors;

• two fingers were used for baptism, not three.

The reforms were not accepted by the people everywhere, but no one had yet decided to lead the protest.

The church reform of Patriarch Nikon was necessary. But it should have been carried out gradually so that the people could accept and get used to all the changes.

The essence of church reform

From 1653 to 1656, Patriarch Nikon streamlined the dogmas of Orthodoxy. The reform was fast and tough. Therefore, it caused resistance both from parishioners and from the priests themselves. Nikon demanded from his subordinates knowledge of all church books. The clergy were required to understand the Holy Scriptures. In addition, according to the patriarch, they were supposed to become an example for parishioners, promoting a righteous life.

Nikon personally took up the task of correcting church books. The written sources of the old religion were burned. The patriarch removed all opponents of the reform from office. The main changes affecting the church:

• Baptism was performed exclusively with three fingers.
• Bows were made to the waist, and not to the ground.
• The term “Orthodoxy” was introduced instead of “God’s faith” or “immaculate faith.”
• The name Jesus was changed to Jesus, in accordance with the worldwide spelling.
• The cross became four-pointed.
• The religious procession took place counterclockwise, and not in the direction of the sun.

The first Christian manuscripts were lost. Therefore, the Nikonians rewrote church books, taking modern Greek and Roman sources as a basis. This caused strong protest. It turned out that the Greek church was higher than the Russian one. Everything that people sacredly believed in suddenly became wrong. Their icons were destroyed, and during rituals they were forced to walk against the sun. Many perceived this as the machinations of darkness.

Progress of reform

In 1656, a council of Russian bishops was created in Moscow. It was decided to excommunicate those who were baptized with two fingers. A little earlier, in February 1656, Patriarch Macarius of Antioch visited Moscow. During his visit to the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, supporters of two-finger baptism were excommunicated from the church.

It is logical to consider 1666-1667 as the date of the church schism. In April 1666, a Great Church Council was held in Moscow. The opponents of the renewed Orthodoxy were then called schismatics. In May, an opponent of the reform, Archpriest Avvakum, spoke before this council. Soon he was sent into exile to the Pustoozersky prison on the Pechora River. By the beginning of 1667, supporters of the old rituals were declared schismatics and heretics. This led to an outflow of the population to the outskirts of the state and even beyond its borders.

One of the consequences of the church schism was armed conflicts with schismatics. For example, the Solovetsky Monastery resisted from 1668 to 1676. In 1687, tsarist troops stormed the Paleostrovsky monastery on Lake Onega.

Rice. 3. Church schism.

Destruction of an ancient religion

In his defense, Nikon stated that he was making the Orthodox Church enlightened. But the patriarch simply played with terms, realizing that the vast majority did not know their meaning. “Orthodox” is translated from Greek as “correct opinion.” In the old days, this was the name given to a person who carried ancient knowledge and science. The Orthodox direction is ready to defend the true faith and preserve it in its original form.

Behind Nikon’s general phrases lay one thing - the desire to destroy the ancient religion. For this purpose:

• All old texts were replaced by new ones, rewritten from Greek sources. The descendants of the patriarch also burned books. Thus, it is known that under Peter I, after the burning of Orthodox literature, 650 kg of copper fasteners were collected.
• Ancient icons were destroyed. New images appeared that corresponded to the laws of the Greek Church. Some rituals were changed at someone's whim, without proper justification. A striking example is the need to perform the procession against the movement of the sun.
• The terms familiar to believers have been replaced.

Orthodox religion was as close as possible to the original source. Any changes were perceived as heresy. Therefore, church reform did not find support among people. She was forced into the masses.

History of the Russian schism of the Old Believers

The concept of the Russian schism of the Old Believers and brief information about its origin.

The name of the schism of the Old Believers refers to a part of Russian society that separated from the Orthodox Church in the middle of the 17th century due to corrections of church liturgical books and rituals.

The highest degree of development of the exclusively religious way of Russian life in the 15th and 16th centuries became the beginning of its decomposition in the 17th century.

Society lacked an education that would impart to it the proper consciousness, intelligence and inner strength, and without which religion itself turned into one blind adherence to forms and rituals. Moreover, the spirit of semi-pagan sorcery merged with ritual piety and produced a well-known popular view of the ritual, not as an expression of internal piety, receiving strength only from the latter, but as something independent, having some kind of power of its own, saving in itself. Worship, according to this view, lost all its power from the slightest change in it. This extremely harmful phenomenon for Orthodoxy was revealed with particular force in connection with the ritual corrections of Patriarch Nikon.

As is known, many errors gradually crept into the liturgical books of the Orthodox Church, which occurred very freely in the absence of printing and the ignorance of copyists. Irregularities in worship became very noticeable by the 17th century, and they were pointed out especially by the Greeks who came to us. Some of them even worked themselves to correct the books and rituals of the Russian Church, such as Maxim and Arseny.

The name of Maximus is especially famous in the history of corrections of books of the Orthodox Church of the 16th century. But this most learned monk of his time was not appreciated by his contemporaries and, accused of unprecedented heresy, was exiled to prison. The work he began went on in a quiet and imperceptible stream and, under the Patriarchs Joseph and Josaph, began to take on greater proportions. Although the corrections made under these patriarchs cannot be called successful, as they were made not from Greek originals, but from Slavic ones, which were not without errors, they, however, prepared the correction begun under Nikon, and proved its necessity, as it was carried out from Greek originals.

Recognizing the need to correct liturgical books and rituals, Nikon convened a council in Moscow in 1654, which decided to begin the correction from the Greek originals, which decision was approved in Greece at the Council of Constantinople. In the same 1654, the Serbian Patriarch Gabriel came to Moscow, and in 1655 the Patriarch of Antioch, Macarius, took part in the corrections. Patriarch Macarius, together with other eastern hierarchs who were in Moscow, at the Assumption Cathedral during the rite of Orthodoxy (1656), pronounced a condemnation on the two-finger and anathematized its stubborn adherents. Meanwhile, ancient books were brought to Moscow from everywhere for guidance in book corrections. Arseny Sukhanov brought up to 500 ancient books from the east, and about 200 were sent by various eastern hierarchs. The Kiev learned monk Epiphanius Slavenitsky was appointed as the first person to correct the books, and Nikon made Arseniy the Greek, who was summoned from prison, his assistant. The printing yard was in full swing with activity; Not a year passed without several newly revised and translated books being published.

Finding themselves in the offensive position of backward people, the old leaders meticulously monitored the actions of the new ones and condemned them. They were joined by various other visitors to Moscow, their acquaintances, archpriests Avvakum from Yuryev, Daniil Kostromskoy, Loggin Muromsky. Some of them submitted petitions to the tsar, begging him to protect the Church from heresies, others went to the printing yard to scold the inquiry officers and at every opportunity; they openly and rudely blasphemed the patriarch, themselves asking for a dangerous clash with the tough high priest. Arrests, torture and exile began. One of the bishops, Pavel Kolomensky, was defrocked for contradicting Nikon and exiled to the Novgorod region; John

Neronov was deprived of his skufia and exiled to the Kamensky monastery, Daniil and Loggin were disrobed and exiled, the first to Astrakhan, the second to Murom, Avvakum and Lazar were exiled to Tobolsk. The Patriarch did a lot of harm to his business by conducting it too abruptly, without explanation, with the mere authority of his power and arousing a lot of irritation against himself. Even among the horse breeders of the Old Believers, there was a man who turned out to be an enemy of the patriarch out of one personal grudge; it was Neronov. When the work of corrections was approved at the Moscow Council of 1556 and a curse was pronounced on those who disobeyed the Church of God, Nero brought repentance, admitting that he had hitherto considered corrections a personal matter of the patriarch alone, but that he did not want to be an opponent of the church. The protest against innovations then spread among the masses and reached dangerous proportions. Unusual changes in the text of church readings and new singing, the prohibition of two fingers, the four-pointed cross - all this greatly confused the people. By that time, national disasters had arrived and, of course, were attributed to the wrath of God for apostasy from the faith. From Moscow, the excitement spread to the regions, where the exiled opponents of the patriarch contributed a lot to it. Newly corrected books were not accepted in many places. Severities against disobedient people only increased the excitement, developing in the fanatics thoughts about martyrdom for the faith and about the last times. The long-standing thought about the end of the world has now found the most convenient time for its development. A year was also set for which the Orthodox must wait with trepidation, the year 1666, according to the date of the Antichrist. During the 8-year absence of the patriarch, the Old Believers became so strong that they managed to return their leader Avvakum from exile, who began to act against the corrections with even greater fanaticism.

Finally, the terrible year 1666 came, marked by the actions of the great Moscow Council. Having approved the church corrections made so far, the council carried out a trial of their opponents. Some of them repented and were forgiven; the unrepentant - Habakkuk, Lazarus, Theodore - were anathematized and exiled. Then the eastern patriarchs arrived, and in 1667 the great council, in their presence, again confirmed the previous decrees and sealed them with an oath against those who would not accept them and would be opponents of the church. The council revoked Stoglav's oath of three fingers and three-fingered hallelujah, and also condemned the life of Euphrosynus of Pskov.

After these definitions, the stubborn Old Believers became schismatics, and their decisive separation from the church took place. This is how the schism appeared - one of the most expressive phenomena of Russian religious life. Revitalized after a long stagnation, church life began to correct rituals, introduce spirit and thought into them, and raised the question of religious education. The zealots of ancient piety rebelled against all this, putting on their banner the unconditional denial of all innovations. They separated from the church not as a result of moving in any direction from the flow of the general historical life of the church, but precisely as a result of their inertia, their inability to follow the life of the church.

Following ecclesiastical condemnation, the schism was immediately persecuted by ecclesiastical and civil governments. Hiding from persecution, he filled with his secret hermitages all the forests of the interior regions of Russia, Kostroma, Vyaznikovsky, and especially Kerzhensky. The North Sea coast became his favorite hangout.

Dividing the schism into clericalism and non-priestlyism: characteristics of both.

Having rejected the authority of the Church, the schism, left to its own devices, began to disintegrate into rumors. First of all, a difficult question arose among him: where to get priests from? Some began to take them from the Orthodox Church, luring drunken and poor priests to themselves and in various ways purifying in them the grace of ordination from Nikon’s filth, for example, through rebaptism in sacred robes. Others decided that they could do without the priesthood, leaving the required corrections to the laity. This is how two main schools, or two halves in the schism, arose - priesthood and bespopovschina, which in turn began to disintegrate into many new schools, divided among themselves either by ritual differences, or by the degree of their negative attitude towards the church.

Talk of priestlessness.

At the end of the 17th century, sexton Danilo Vikulov founded the famous bespopovshchina hermitage on the Vyga River in the Northern Pomerania, which later became a hotbed of bespopovshchina Pomeranian consent for the entire northern outskirts of Russia. From the seaside, the schism spread to the Novgorod and Pskov regions, from here it spread to Poland, where a certain Theodosius founded two monasteries from fugitive Russian schismatics - a male and a female one, in which he performed priestly duties. The Fedoseev sect spread to Poland and the lands of Novgorod and Pskov, and since 1771, thanks to the activities of the wealthy merchant Ilia Alekseev Kovylin, it established itself in Moscow. A certain Philip, who had ambitions to become the abbot of the Vygovsky monastery, when Semyon Denisov was chosen as abbot, with several like-minded people separated from the brethren and, having built a new monastery, founded the Philippian sect. The teaching of this sect differs little from the teaching of the Pomeranians. The founder of Adam's Concord was the shepherd Denisov. Netovshchina was founded by the illiterate peasant Kuzma, who taught that there is no grace or sacraments in the world at all, and that one can only resort to the Savior, which is why this agreement is otherwise called Spasov. This sect is widespread in the Nizhny Novgorod province. The founder of the sect of wanderers, or runners, is considered to be the fugitive soldier Euthymius. This sect, in addition to the general non-priest teaching, requires withdrawal from the world into forests and deserts, it does not recognize any authority. All non-priestly rumors, divided in particulars, teach that the dominant Great Russian Church since 1666, i.e., since the time of Patriarch Nikon, having fallen away from Christ, became the kingdom of the Antichrist, began to serve instead of the Lord Jesus some other “Jesus”, all its sacraments are not what other than the defilements of the Antichrist, since in the time of the Antichrist, according to their teaching, there can be neither the true priesthood nor the true sacraments of Christ. Bespopovtsy consider themselves those chosen ones who, according to the testimony of the word of God and St. fathers, will be saved even in the time of the Antichrist.

Clerical talk

according to their church structure, they are divided into Beglopopovites and those who accept the Belokrinitsky, or Austrian priesthood; but in their origin and nature the teachings are identical to each other. The first have absolutely no episcopal rank and are content with priests who fled from the Orthodox Church, and the second, after 180 years of existence without a bishop, accepted the fugitive Metropolitan Ambrose in 1846 and thus brought, as they themselves put it, their society “ to the fullness of church statutes."

Brief information about the so-called Austrian priesthood. The concept of a district message.

Using the services of priests who had run away from the Orthodox Church, clerical societies were aware of the necessity of having their own bishop who would freely ordain priests for them. They clearly insisted that their societies existed only due to the priests running away from the Orthodox Church: but if these runaways stopped, their societies would have to cease to exist. Therefore, the priests more than once turned to the government with a request to give them their own bishop, but each time they received a refusal. Having no hope of getting a bishop for themselves in Russia, the priests sent several people abroad, led by Paul of Prussia, for such a search.

These latter managed to find in Constantinople Metropolitan Ambrose of Bosnosaraje, who had been banned from serving as a patriarch. Ambrose was little familiar with the teachings of our Old Believers, but still for a long time did not agree to be their bishop, fearing whether this would be a betrayal of the Orthodox Church. The schismatics assured him that no renunciation of Orthodoxy would be required of him and seduced him with promises of money and material support. Finally, Ambrose agreed to be an Old Believer bishop and was secretly taken by the Old Believers to Belaya Krinitsa, a monastery on the Austrian border. Here, contrary to his expectations, he had to renounce Orthodoxy, and the Slavic text of the renunciation was written for him in Greek letters. Reading this renunciation, he did not even understand what he was saying, since he did not know the Slavic language. This was followed by the reception of Ambrose through chrismation, which was performed on him by the fugitive hieromonk Jerome. Having settled in Belaya Krinitsa, Ambrose began to ordain priests for both Austrian and Russian schismatics; He cooked myrrh for them and single-handedly dedicated Cyril to himself as his successor.

But not all the schismatics of the Beglopopovites accepted the Ambrosian, or Austrian, priesthood; some of them, considering all the actions of Ambrose and his very reception of office to be incorrect, remained the same fugitive priests as they had been before.

To reconcile the Beglopopovites and those who accepted the Austrian priesthood among themselves in doctrine, councils were convened more than once, but all of them did not achieve the goal.

At one of the councils of priests of the Austrian consent, a “district message” was published, previously written by a private person. The essence of this message lies in the fact that it sets forth the teaching of the priests, by virtue of which, if they are consistent with themselves, the Old Believers-priests must come to unity with the Orthodox Church. It says that the teaching of the ruling Great Russian Church, diverging from the Old Believer in small details, is not a heretical teaching, but a true one; that the sacraments of the Great Russian Church are true sacraments, just as the Old Believers are true; that the Jesus it preaches is one and the same person as the Jesus preached by the Old Believer Church; that the four-pointed cross she revered is as holy as the eight-pointed one, revered by the Old Believers, is holy, and so on... This district message was not accepted by everyone and divided the Old Believers of the priesthood of the Austrian priesthood into circlers and anti-councilers, having not yet come to an agreement.

The concept of unity.

Having refused to give the schismatics an independent bishop, the Holy Synod suggested that they have priests who would be ordained for them by bishops of the Orthodox Church and, performing divine services and services according to old printed books, in their actions would be entirely dependent on the Orthodox bishops who appointed them and the Holy Synod. Many of the schismatics gladly agreed to have legitimate priests and, thus, a church of the same faith was established.

Protest sentiments of believers

Popular uprisings swept across the country. The bravest ones openly protested to the Nikonians. Others simply abandoned their homes and went to neighboring countries or formed separate settlements in deserted places. The Old Believers movement expanded. Soon the number of schismatics grew so much that the authorities had to intervene.

Neither Alexey Mikhailovich nor the patriarch could refuse innovations. Therefore, they used violent methods against the schismatics. The fugitives were intercepted and returned home. The most active were tortured and burned at the stake. A wave of Inquisition swept across the country. A new religion was imposed on people through fear and force.

Nevertheless, many Old Believers managed to escape from the Nikonians’ networks. They founded communities. The schismatics carefully preserved ancient knowledge and rewrote texts. Old Believers revered family principles and condemned smoking and drunkenness. As a protest, opponents of the new religion carried out mass self-immolations. The authorities managed to suppress the uprising only after 8 years.

Nikon and the great schism

On January 7, 1649, Metropolitan Afoniy of Novgorod, due to his old age, retired and settled in the Varlamievo-Kutyn Monastery. The metropolitan see was vacant.

The news of Afonius's abdication from the metropolitan see greatly excited the spiritual circles of Moscow. The Metropolitan of Novgorod is the second person after the patriarch. It is not surprising that both the clergy and the boyars were not indifferent to who would be the Metropolitan of Novgorod. Patriarch Joseph, after consulting with his entourage, compiled a list of candidates and presented it to the king: of course, Nikon was not on it. Alexey Mikhailovich, having looked at the list, rejected it and wished that Nikon be elected Metropolitan of Novgorod. The Patriarch and his supporters least of all wanted Nikon's election: they were naturally afraid of increasing his influence. The Patriarch began to object to Nikon’s appointment and, of course, did not think that his objections would be met with resistance. But to his surprise, he heard:

– I decided that Nikon will be Metropolitan of Novgorod, that’s how I want it and that’s how it should be.

Joseph was amazed at such unexpected persistent interference in the affairs of the church on the part of the king and said:

“Sir, it’s hard for me to anger you, but I refuse to ordain Nikon as metropolitan.”

With these words the patriarch left.

But the king did not give up his desire. He turned to Patriarch Paisius of Jerusalem, who was then visiting the court, with a request to ordain Nikon as metropolitan of Novgorod. The obsequious Greek, hoping for generous gifts for his service, agreed. On March 11, 1649, Nikon was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of Novgorod.

While talking with Nikon, the patriarch involuntarily became convinced that he was facing a strong, talented person. The impression from the conversations with Nikon was so strong that Patriarch Paisius even issued a letter under his seal. In this letter, he praises Nikon’s virtues and, as a sign of his special favor, allows him to wear a robe with red “sources,” that is, stitching.

But for Nikon, the conversation with the patriarch did not pass without a trace. Paisius decisively condemned the two-fingered folding of the cross that we used, declaring that it was heresy. Nikon, who himself so zealously performed the rituals of the church and always crossed himself with two fingers, was embarrassed. In excitement, he told the patriarch’s opinion to the king. Alexei Mikhailovich, who saw the whole meaning of Orthodoxy in the observance of rituals, was no less embarrassed than Nikon and immediately ordered the cellarer of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Arseny Sukhanov, to be sent to the east to verify this opinion and provide information about the truth.

Nikon went to Novgorod, but on the way he stopped for a blessing from Metropolitan Arseny of Novgorod, who was then almost dying.

Entering his cell, Metropolitan Nikon bowed at the elder’s feet and asked for his blessing.

“It’s not for me to bless you,” answered the elder, “but you bless me, Patriarch Nikon!”

- No, Holy Father! - Nikon objected, - I am a sinful metropolitan, not a patriarch.

“You will, Patriarch,” answered the elder, “bless!”

Then Nikon blessed the elder, and the elder blessed Nikon.

Dear Nikon thought for a long time about the elder’s prediction. And he remembered another prediction, a sorcerer, to whom he went along with the monks of the Makaryevsky Monastery.

“Everything is in God’s hands,” Nikon thought and crossed himself earnestly.

Arriving in Novgorod, Nikon began to manage not only spiritual affairs, but actually became the head of secular power, for he had to report everything that was happening in Novgorod to the sovereign, and Alexei Mikhailovich was in active correspondence with him, constantly consulting about all sorts of more or less less important government affairs. Knowing this, it is not surprising that the civil authorities of Novgorod consulted Nikon about everything.

First of all, Nikon took up charity work. When famine began in the Novgorod land, and the hungry flocked to the city in droves, asking for bread, Nikon set aside a separate room in his “sovereign” courtyard, where he fed the hungry every day. Every morning they served a piece of bread to the poor, and on Sundays they distributed money. In addition, Nikon established several almshouses for the care of the poor.

All this activity of Nikon, however, did not prevent a rebellion from breaking out in Novgorod, in which Nikon himself suffered.

Although the Novgorod Republic fell and submitted to Moscow, the free spirit of its citizens remained. That is why the Novgorodians treated with deep distrust any person appointed from Moscow. Nikon was like that for them, despite all his charitable activities.

Added to this was the hostile attitude towards Nikon on the part of the Novgorod clergy. Nikon was a cool and energetic person. As soon as he arrived, he began to establish new orders, replacing polyphonic singing with unanimity, and he himself performed divine services with great correctness and solemnity. He demanded the same from others. Thanks to these changes, the service was significantly lengthened, which caused displeasure on the part of both the clergy and parishioners.

Ignorant priests had to serve in a new way, and the parishioners, although they considered themselves Orthodox, wanted the fulfillment of their religious duties not to interfere with their commercial affairs.

The new patriarch energetically pursued drunken and depraved priests, regardless of their age or their marital status. The metropolitan's severity caused the clergy to become embittered. Some of Nikon’s innovations seemed heretical; he organized a choir, ordered a regent and experienced singers from Kyiv. All this was such an innovation that it should have caused the murmur of the ignorant clergy. This explains the dissatisfaction with Nikon in Novgorod.

But this was not what caused the unrest. Their immediate reasons lay in dissatisfaction with the patronage that the Moscow tsars provided to foreign merchants to the detriment of the Russians. More than once petitions were submitted to the Moscow kings outlining complaints, but all of them remained unanswered.

Riots began in Pskov. The immediate reason for them was the following. According to the Stolbovo Peace Treaty, concluded between Moscow and Sweden, both sides pledged to hand over defectors.

Over the course of several decades, many Russians fled from the Russian regions ceded to the Swedes to the Moscow kingdom, who did not want to live under the rule of the Swedes. Then Sweden demanded the extradition of the defectors. The pious tsar was faced with a difficult question: to hand over the Orthodox Russians to the Lutherans, this means, as he thought, to commit a great sin, for they were forced to convert to the Lutheran faith; not to hand over would mean breaking the agreement. We decided to ransom the defectors. Part of the ransom amount in the amount of 20,000 rubles was paid to the Swedish agent Nummens, and he went with them to Sweden via Pskov. At the same time, to offset the redemption amount, it was ordered to release 11,000 quarters of grain from the Pskov royal granaries to Sweden.

On February 24, at Maslenitsa, a royal letter came to the Pskov governor Sobakin with an order to give the Swedes bread in the specified amount. The news of the received letter immediately spread throughout the city. The people began to worry; it was not clear why they wanted to give Russian bread to the Swedes?

- Treason! - the people said, - the boyars handed us over to the Germans!

About thirty chosen people came to Bishop Macarius and began to ask him to persuade the governor not to give bread until he received an answer to their petition from the sovereign.

The excited father Macarius sent the commander Sobakin. Sobakin declared that he could not resist the royal order and would give out the bread.

“And you can, if you want, submit a petition,” Sobakin said to those who came, “But you are not interfering in your own business, the sovereign himself knows what he is doing.” And you rushed in a crowd to the bishop, sowing confusion like whoopers1.

Those who came became agitated.

“You, Nikifor Sergeevich, are scolding us in vain, you yourself are more lawless,” was heard from the crowd, “Why are you letting the Germans into the city for a feast with Fyodor Emelyanov?”2

“Well, I’ll let you in, I won’t deny it,” Sobakin answered, “Fyodor Emelyanov is sick, he has trade deals with the Germans - so he let me in!”

– You have no right! - those who came shouted, “I sold myself to the Germans!”

A dispute and mutual bickering began.

“I’ll show you how I sold myself to the Germans!” - shouted the angry Sobakin, - Hey, clerk, copy everyone!..

Those who came rushed in different directions and it was not possible to rewrite them.

On February 28, a huge crowd of people gathered near the city's hut. There were people of all ranks here: both poor people and rich merchants. The crowd was excited and noisy.

– Don’t release bread to the Germans! - shouted in the crowd.

“It has long been known that the boyars sold themselves to the Germans and are deceiving the young Tsar. But he doesn’t understand or know anything!

– If they take it, don’t give it by force! - the hot heads shouted.

But the townspeople and archers did not want things to come to the point of arbitrariness. They began to persuade him to end the matter peacefully.

“You can’t do anything by arbitrariness,” they told the people; you can’t resist the royal decree. Let's submit a petition to the sovereign, we'll hit him with our foreheads, then we'll see.

Their speeches had an impact and the crowd began to calm down. They were already starting to go home. Suddenly the archers came running from the Petrovsky Gate.

- The German is coming, carrying the treasury from Moscow! – they shouted from afar.

- You're lying!..

- You saw it yourself!

The crowd rushed in the indicated direction.

Nummens rode leisurely along the Great River fence, heading towards the German Gostiny Dvor, with the money he had received in Moscow. He was accompanied by bailiff Timashev.

The German did not expect trouble and drove calmly.

Suddenly he was surrounded by a crowd of people.

“Stop,” they shouted in the crowd, “get off your horse!”

The bailiff began to explain that the German’s pass had the Tsar’s paper.

- You're lying, what kind of paper is there from the tsar - the boyars are making everything up! - shouted in the crowd.

- Beat the German!

- Into the hole!

Nummens realized that his situation was becoming dangerous. He began to explain what he was bringing with him for the money and asked them to let him go to see Fedor Emelyanov.

Emelyanov's name infuriated the crowd.

– He’s going to the traitor Emelyanov!

– Torture the German, torture Fedor!

They immediately took the treasury away from the German, sent it to the courtyard of the Svyatogorsk Monastery, locked it there and sealed it. Nummens was searched, all his papers were taken, he was also taken to the Svyatogorsk courtyard, and a guard was assigned to him.

Hearing the alarm bell and screams, Voivode Sobakin galloped into the square. Having learned what was the matter, he began to persuade the Pskovites to hand over the treasury and release Nummens.

– You don’t care about the sovereign’s treasury!

But the Pskovites did not listen to the governor.

- How do you know that this is the will of the sovereign? - they asked him. If all this was done with the knowledge of the sovereign, then the German would not have entered stealthily backwards, but would have driven through the city.

Bishop Macarius soon arrived with the clergy and began to persuade them to stop the riot.

“The will of the sovereign,” answered the Pskovites, “but we must not give bread to the Germans until the sovereign’s decree!”

On March 1, the “Gilevists3” gathered in the square and elected a government to govern the city. They chose three: area clerk Tomilka Vasiliev-Slepy, archers: Proshka Koza and Sorokouma Kopyto.

News that there was a riot in Pskov immediately reached Novgorod. Novgorodians, dissatisfied with the Moscow government, began to worry dully. The unrest in Moscow and other cities involuntarily suggested the idea that the Novgorodians should also try to regain at least part of the rights that they had enjoyed before. A pretext for unrest was soon found. A certain Nikita Peterin returned from abroad and began to tell the Novgorodians that the Germans were waiting for the treasury from Moscow, and as soon as the treasury arrived, they, using this money, would go to Novgorod and take it. And from the Pskovites they learned that the Germans were ordered to give up the grain reserves that were in Pskov.

The Novgorodians became worried.

– What will happen to Novgorod?

They began to say that if Moscow not only does not want to defend Novgorod, but even lends money to the enemy, then the Novgorodians should rely only on themselves.

The townsman's Wolf was especially excited.

- Previously, we ourselves chose mayors and rulers, but now they began to appoint strangers to us without asking us! What do they understand about our affairs?

On March 15, the Danish envoy Grab arrived in Novgorod. He was accompanied by the Russian interpreter Nechai Dryabin.

In Novgorod they began to say: “The Germans have arrived, they are bringing the treasury!..”

Trofim Volk, having talked with Dryabin, learned that, indeed, a large treasury was coming from Moscow to the Germans.

The wolf immediately rushed to the zemstvo hut and began shouting that the Germans were taking the treasury!

A crowd gathered, and Wolf explained to those running that the traitorous boyars in Moscow had handed over the treasury to the Germans, which they were now transporting through Novgorod.

- We won’t let you take the money out! - shouted the Wolf, let's go and take them away from the German.

The crowd rushed after the envoy Grab, who was leaving Novgorod just at that time.

They surrounded Grab with a shout and demanded that he get off his horse and go to the zemstvo hut.

“I am the Danish ambassador,” said Grab, “and I enjoy immunity.” Whoever touches me will be executed!

But Grab's statement had no effect on the crowd.

“Ambassador or not, we don’t care about that,” they answered him, “but get off the horse and go to the hut!”

Then Grab declared that he would defend himself and grabbed his sword. At this time, the Wolf jumped up from behind and knocked him off his horse. The messenger fell, and the Wolf sat on him and hit him in the face several times, so that Hornbeam lost consciousness.

After the successful attack on the ambassador, the crowd rushed to plunder rich houses.

The attack on Grab was only the beginning of the unrest. The next day, March 16, a solid bell rang in the morning. People began to gather in crowds at the zemstvo hut.

- The Moscow boyars sold us to the Germans! - shouted in the crowd.

– Moscow’s proteges only oppress the people! Why is the Metropolitan keeping Zheglov and the Negodyaev brothers in prison?

- Let's go free Zheglov! - shouted in the crowd.

The crowd moved to the metropolitan chambers. No one resisted those who came, and Zheglov and the Negodyaev brothers were released. The Novgorodians celebrated. The whole crowd went to the zemstvo hut, with Zheglov and the Negodyaevs at their head.

“Now we don’t need the Moscow government,” said the townsman Elisey Lisitsa, “we will choose our own, from our people.”

- That's right, there needs to be order! - responded in the crowd.

The elections began immediately. They chose 8 people, including Zheglov and the Negodyaevs, who stood at the head of the movement.

We didn’t sleep in the metropolitan’s chambers for a long time that night. There, Prince Khilkov consulted with Nikon on how to put out the rebellion that had broken out. Some of the archers went over to the side of the Novgorodians, but there were few who remained faithful. In this state of affairs, Khilkov was powerless. Then Nikon decided to try spiritual weapons: he decided to curse the leaders of the movement as rebels.

March 17, the day of Alexy the man of God, the day of the king's angel. Usually the service on this day was especially solemn. There were a lot of people in the church. At the end of the service, Nikon delivered a sermon on the dangers of unrest and then cursed all the leaders of the movement by name. The Metropolitan thought this would frighten the others. But Nikon was wrong: the curse had the opposite effect; it only armed even those who treated him impartially against Nikon.

“The Emperor bestows an angel on him, releases guilty people from prison, and the Metropolitan curses him on such a holiday!” - said the Novgorodians, going home after mass.

-Who is he cursing? - others were indignant, not Zheglov and Lisitsa, but all of us, Novgorodians, because we all have the same thought.

Excitement against Nikon grew.

On the 19th, on the trading side, the bailiff of the Congress House, Gavrila Nesterov, nicknamed “Kolcha,” in a conversation called the patriarch and Prince Khilkov traitors. Khilkov found out about this and ordered his arrest. Nesterov was brought to the Sofia Metropolitan House and beaten there with batogs. His father and wife found out about this. They rushed to the zemstvo hut and began shouting:

- Laymen, intercede! The Metropolitan and the okolnichy are torturing my son, beating him and burning him with fire!

The crowd became agitated.

- Go to the Metropolitan!

- It’s not enough that he cursed, he still tortures! - shouted in the crowd.

They rushed to the Sophia courtyard, the gates were locked. They started knocking and breaking down the door. Then Nikon ordered to unlock it. The crowd headed to the prison and freed Nesterov.

When Nesterov left prison, he showed his bloody back.

- That's how they tormented me!..

The accumulated irritation finally spilled out. The crowd rushed to the metropolitan mansions. Nikon appeared towards them in full regalia.

“Here are the Metropolitan’s chambers,” he said, “how dare you enter here?”

– That’s what we need! – the crowd shouted when they saw Nikon.

- Beat him, he’s had enough of raping us!

The crowd rushed at the Metropolitan. With several blows he was knocked down. They kicked him, broke his face, and tore his clothes.

- Take him to the zemstvo hut, let him give us the answer there! – someone shouted in the crowd.

And the beaten Nikon, who could barely move his legs, was taken to the zemstvo hut.

Nikon walked among the crowd, torn to pieces, in torn clothes. But when they reached the Golden Gate, his strength began to leave him, and Nikon sat down on a bench.

“Today,” he said to the Novgorodians surrounding him, “I must serve the Liturgy at the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos.” It will be a sin for you, if because of you I cannot fulfill this, let me go.

Those around him consulted among themselves and released Nikon.

Nikon served the liturgy and went home in a sick sleigh. About his condition, he wrote to the king: “and now I’m lying at the end of my stomach, coughing up blood, and my stomach is all swollen: I feel like I’m about to die, I’ve taken unction with oil.” But Nikon’s good health saved him: he soon recovered.

After Nikon was beaten, the movement began to noticeably subside. The wealthier classes, nobles and boyar children, seeing that the movement had gone far, began to think about reconciliation with Moscow.

“We shouldn’t bring upon ourselves the same misfortune for the current turmoil that happened under Tsar Ivan!” - they said to each other.

Anticipating the possibility of Moscow troops appearing in Novgorod and suppressing the movement, Zheglov called together all the “Gilevists” and began to convince them to stand for each other and not betray anyone:

“If the sovereign sends to Novgorod to search and execute them by death,” he said, “then all stand for one thing and do not hand over anyone to execution.” Execute, so execute everyone!

– We will all stand behind each other with our heads!

In this sense, a record was drawn up, to which all those present signed.

There were no signatures of nobles and boyar children. Realizing that without their participation it was difficult to count on success, Zheglov decided to try to win them over to his side and sign the general record. For this purpose, on the evening of March 20, he summoned the nobles and the boyars’ children and began to persuade them so that the sovereign would not order the grain and monetary treasury to be released abroad.

The children of the boyars and nobles, when they found out why they were invited, they made noise and shouted:

– Don’t put your hands on the recording!

“We will sign the petition to the sovereign, but will not put our hands to the record.”

I had to come to terms with the fact that the nobles and boyar children signed only the petition.

The petition explained in detail why the Novgorodians were dissatisfied: they would forgive the sovereign not to give the treasury and bread to the Germans. They complain about Nikon for his tough temper, accuse him of encroaching on Novgorod shrines: he wants to destroy the Church of St. Sophia.

While the Novgorod petitioners went to Moscow, a detachment of Moscow troops under the command of Prince Khovansky was approaching Novgorod. The detachment was small, and therefore Khovansky did not dare to enter the city, but camped nearby.

The approach of the Moscow army caused great commotion in Novgorod. The moderate elements who stood for the central Moscow government confidently raised their heads and began to say that they needed to submit to the Tsar and meet Khovansky with bread and salt. The irreconcilables with Zheglov at their head were at a loss. Moreover, all those who wavered quickly began to fall away from the movement and the number of supporters of reconciliation began to grow every day. And one of the leaders of the movement, Negodyaev, fled from Novgorod, came to Khovansky with the news that the Novgorodians were ready to meet him peacefully and persuaded him to let him go to Moscow in order to achieve forgiveness for himself.

Seeing that everything was lost and the movement would be suppressed, Zheglov sent Khovansky a letter in which he wrote: “They are expecting you in Veliky Novgorod, but they want to meet you outside the city with bread and salt; I ask for mercy from you, my sovereign, not as a reproach to you, my sovereign, I hit you with my forehead and write - ease yourself to Veliky Novgorod as a quick custom, not with many people and act mercifully, but the worldly people of the sovereign's mercy are expecting you soon; From now on, sir, please send Novgorodians to Novgorod, and not non-resident people, because non-resident people don’t know anything, they say many extravagant speeches, but they don’t know the Novgorod excess.”

Indeed, the Novgorodians came out to meet Khovansky with banners and bread and salt. The Novgorodians were led by Metropolitan Nikon and the clergy. The Metropolitan blessed Khovansky and sprinkled him with holy water.

From the Cathedral of St. Sophia, Khovansky went to the metropolitan courtyard and immediately sent detachments to take possession of the cannon yard and the zemstvo hut. By the evening, all the leaders were arrested, then from April 24 to May 17, the arrests of the remaining participants continued. A total of 212 people were arrested.

“Gil” was destroyed, order was restored, and the massacre began.

On May 13, many archers with their wives and children appeared at the patriarchal court and asked to call Nikon.

- What you need? – asked Nikon.

- Father, intercede, ask for the release of those arrested, they are our archers, they will be on bail.

Nikon told them to wait and went to Khovansky.

“That’s it, prince,” he told him, “the people came there and with tears asked for the release of those arrested.” In Moscow they told you to consult me ​​in everything, so here is my opinion: with the exception of the main culprits, everyone should be released. This will be important for calming down Pskov: if the Pskovites find out that everyone is being held in prison, they will think that they too are facing a heavy punishment, and will never surrender, and those arrested will still not run away if they are released.

Khovansky agreed, and all those arrested, excluding the main culprits, were released.

The next day, Prince Khovansky began an investigation. First of all, they blamed the Wolf. He did not deny that he had beaten the Danish ambassador. He explained that he was drunk. He also did not deny that he had participated in the rebellion, defending the liberties of Novgorod, but at the same time he added that all real Novgorodians think and act like him.

The wolf was sentenced to death.

The Novgorodians were amazed by the verdict: Novgorod had not seen the scaffold for a long time. They gathered in groups, shook their heads, everyone sympathized with the Wolf.

The execution was to take place the next day, according to the custom of that time, in public. In the morning the square was full of people. The crowd stood depressed and silent.

Soon the Wolf was brought in; he was pale, but seemingly calm. Entering the scaffold, the Wolf earnestly crossed himself three times and, bowing in all directions to the standing people, said:

- Farewell, Orthodox people; I lay my head for Veliky Novgorod.

After the execution, everyone went silent and gloomy to their homes and for a long time afterwards remembered the deceased Wolf.

Regarding the rest, the verdict came from Moscow. Five of the main culprits, including Zheglov, were sentenced to death, the rest to punishment with whips or batogs and to exile to various Russian outskirts.

The Novgorodians were depressed by the severity of the punishment. Nikon himself was dissatisfied with the verdict. The execution of the sentence was postponed, and the Metropolitan began to work to mitigate the punishment. As a result of his efforts, a verdict was obtained in which the sentences of some of the minor defendants were commuted.

The Metropolitan was upset by the failure and doubly upset: he felt sorry for the Novgorodians who would be executed, and on the other hand, in the response from Moscow, he felt that his influence was falling.

“When everything calms down in Novgorod, we need to go to Moscow,” he decided. He.

After the punishment of the main participants in the “gil”, Novgorod calmed down. But in Pskov, even after this, the unrest continued and ended only at the end of July.

Power and the church. Church schism outline of a history lesson (grade 7) on the topic

TOPIC: Power and the Church. Church schism.

Objectives: to highlight problems in relations between church and state. Identify during the work the causes and consequences of church schism.

Plan:

1. Church after the Troubles
2. Patriarch Filaret
3. Church reform of Patriarch Nikon. The beginning of the split.
4. Church Cathedral
5. Archpriest Avvakum
6. Consolidation.
7. Homework.

Basic concepts: schism, Old Believers.

The most important dates: 1654 – the beginning of Nikon’s church reform.

Equipment: map of Russia in the 17th century.

DURING THE CLASSES.

Survey: 1. Make a genealogical diagram of the “First Romanovs” (at the board). 2. Answer the questions on the cards. 3. Detailed answer:

1. What goals did the policy of the first Romanovs pursue?

2. Name the newly formed government bodies and describe their functions.

Learning new material.

There are many periods in the history of our country that are very instructive. One of these periods was the time of the split. The word “schism” retained horror in the hearts of people for many centuries and left its mark on the fate of many families. Our task today is to deal with this phenomenon in the life of the country, to learn lessons from what happened in order to prevent a repetition of these terrible events. During the lesson, we will fill out the table: “The main changes that have occurred in church rituals and worship.” Was the church reform justified in the eyes of the people? Was it needed by the country or individuals?

Church after the Time of Troubles.

The Troubles became a severe test for the church. Some of the clergy, led by Patriarch Ignatius, supported False Dmitry 1, and the patriarch himself crowned him king. However, most of the clergy showed examples of high service to the Fatherland and the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Poles who were in Moscow during the Time of Troubles not only plundered church utensils and desecrated the relics of saints, but also destroyed almost all 450 Moscow churches during their retreat. The killing of church ministers and taking them hostage were a widespread phenomenon. Among the prisoners was the actual head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Filaret. But all this did not break, but on the contrary, strengthened the spiritual strength of those who believed in the clergy.

Patriarch Filaret.

After an 8-year stay in Polish captivity, Tsar Michael’s father, Metropolitan Philaret, returned to Moscow in 1619. Participants in the Church Council elected him as the new Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Under him, the role and importance of the church in the life of the state increased significantly. Why? (page 56.3 paragraph). He was, in essence, a second tsar: the tsar and the patriarch heard all reports on state affairs jointly, and Mikhail never made decisions without the consent of his father. It also happened that on purely state issues, orders were given by one patriarch.

The main thing that Filaret managed to achieve was to strengthen the authority and power of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. However, many issues of a church nature were never resolved under him. Among them, the main one was the issue of updating church books and rituals.

Reform of Patriarch Nikon.

In the middle of the 17th century, it became clear that in Russian church books, copied by hand from century to century, there were many clerical errors and distortions of the text in comparison with the original. The customs of polyphony during church services, when everyone prayed using different prayers and finger baptisms, raised a lot of doubts. The opinions of believers are divided on this issue.

Some suggested correcting church books and rituals by returning to ancient Russian rituals.

Others believed that one should turn not to books a hundred years ago, but to the Greek sources themselves, from which they once copied.

Nikon, Metropolitan of Novgorod, was elected the new head of the Russian Orthodox Church. He was entrusted with carrying out church reform.

Let's get acquainted with the biography of Patriarch Nikon. pp.57-58.

In 1653-1655, church reform began. Was entered:

1. Three finger baptism;
2. Waist bows instead of bows to the ground;
3. Icons and church books were corrected according to Greek samples.

These changes caused protest among wide sections of the population. In addition, the outbreak of war with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the sacrifices and losses associated with it, were regarded by ordinary people as God's punishment for violating church traditions. The Church Council convened in 1654 approved the reform, but proposed to bring the existing rituals in accordance not only with Greek, but also with Russian tradition.

Increasing disagreements between church and secular authorities.

The new patriarch was a willful, strong-willed and even fanatical man. Having received immense power over the believers, he soon came up with the idea of ​​​​the primacy of church power over the royal one and invited Alexei Mikhailovich to share power with him, following the example of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and Patriarch Filaret.

The Tsar did not want to endure these statements and moral teachings of the Patriarch for long. He stopped going to patriarchal services in the Assumption Cathedral and inviting Nikon to state receptions. This was a serious blow to the patriarch’s pride. During one of the sermons in the Assumption Cathedral, he announced his resignation from patriarchal duties and retired to the Resurrection Monastery. There Nikon began to wait for the king to repent and ask him to return to Moscow. However, Alexey Mikhailovich acted completely differently. He began to prepare a church trial of Nikon, for which he invited Orthodox patriarchs from other countries to Moscow.

Church Council of 1666-1667.

A church council was convened to try Nikon in 1666. The defendant was brought to him under the guard of soldiers. The Tsar stated that Nikon “arbitrarily and without the Tsar’s command left the church and renounced the patriarchate.” Thus, the king made it clear who exactly was the boss and who owned the real power in the country. The present church hierarchy supported the tsar and condemned Nikon, blessing his deprivation of the rank of patriarch and eternal imprisonment in a monastery.

At the same time, the council supported church reform and cursed all its opponents (Old Believers). The participants of the Council decided to transfer the leaders of the Old Believers into the hands of secular authorities. According to the Council Code of 1649, they were threatened with death at the stake.

The Council of 1666-1667 deepened the schism in the Russian Orthodox Church.

Archpriest Avvakum.

Archpriest Avvakum was an outstanding leader of the Old Believers. Devoted to the church from a young age, he was an active supporter and righteous man of godly living. He perceived Nikon's reforms sharply negatively. For his views, he was deprived of his place in the Moscow Kazan Cathedral, and then arrested and imprisoned in a monastery. Later Avvakum was exiled with his family to Siberia.

Wherever fate took him, Avvakum actively promoted Old Believer ideas and principles. In 1664, he returned to Moscow, where the Tsar and other acquaintances tried in vain to convince him to come to terms with church reform. For his refusal at the Church Council of 1666-1667, Habakkuk was condemned by the church and removed from the priesthood, and then again imprisoned. For his disobedience and intransigence, Avvakum was sentenced to execution by the Church Council of 1681-1682. On April 11, 1862, the “furious archpriest” and his associates were burned alive.

Conclusion: thus, the church, which strengthened its position after the Time of Troubles, tried to take a dominant position in the country’s political system. However, in conditions of strengthening autocracy, this led to a conflict between the authorities and the church. The defeat of the church in this clash paved the way for its transformation into an appendage of state power.

4. Lesson summary: what did the attempt to reform the church lead to? (students' answers). 5. Grading, homework: read paragraph No. 7.