Old Believers in Altai in the second half of the 19th — early 20th centuries

Abstract

The author studied a rich complex of unique archival data about the Altai Old Believers in the period under review. The territory of Altai was one of the centers of the Old Believers, both quantitatively and qualitatively. In the course of the research, it was concluded that the Old Believers were limited in their religious and civic opportunities, despite some legal indulgences. According to the firm conviction of the imperial authorities, Old Believer marriages contributed to the “growth of schism”, and accordingly, in their opinion, were subject to dissolution. This process was carried out often with the use of harsh police measures. The presence of Old Believer prayer houses, as well as the conditions for their functioning, were also strictly regulated at the legislative level. Violation of the prescribed norms entailed legal prosecution, the houses of worship themselves were closed or they were subject to destruction. At the same time, there were illegal Old Believer prayer houses on the territory of Altai, both newly built and unauthorizedly opened. Ultimately, the imperial officials and clergymen were forced to admit that the measures taken to combat the Old Believers did not bring the expected results.