The confessional policy of the state in relation to the Old Believers' chapels in the second quarter of the 19th century (on the materials of Vyatka Province)

The article examines the state policy in relation to the Old Believer religious centers in the second quarter of the 19th century. The source of the research is archival materials extracted from the funds of the Russian State Historical Archive and the State Archive of Kirov Oblast, as well as regulatory and legal acts presented, first of all, in the Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire. The main objective of this research is to review the implementation of the all-Russian legislation that regulated the attitude of the authorities to the Old Believers' chapels in Vyatka Province. At various stages of Russian history in the field of the confessional policy of the authorities in relation to the Old Believers, both exhorting and forceful methods of influencing its adherents were used. During the reign of Nicholas I, a system of restrictions and prohibitions was developed, which was applied to the Old Believers. This involved all aspects of the life of representatives of this religious group. In particular, in the localities where the Old Believers lived, the city and zemstvo police were intensified. Persons who performed spiritual rites and religious rites among the Old Believers were not recognizes as priests. Their liturgical activity was severely suppressed. The authorities observed strictly that representatives of the Old Believer clergy did not influence the adherents of the Russian Orthodox Church and did not engage in the propaganda of the Old Believers. At the legislative level, not only the functioning, but also the presence of chapels of the "ancient piety" adherents was regulated. Thus, prayer houses built before September 17, 1826 were recommended to be left as they were at the time of the discovery, but after this period it was not allowed to build new chapels. Repair of the deteriorated Old Believers' chapels was forbidden. If the Old Believers transgressed the law and illegally opened a chapel previously sealed by the authorities, it was, as a rule, subject to destruction. In all official documents, religious buildings of the Old Believers were to be called only "prayer house or chapels", but not churches. Finally, the use of the Orthodox Church symbols - domes, crosses and door icons - was not allowed for Old Believers' prayer houses. Based on the documents studied, the authors come to a conclusion that during the period under review, administrative, forceful measures of influence on the Old Believers dominated, with the help of which the authorities sought to eradicate the old faith and reunite its adherents with the official church. However, the restrictive-prohibitive policy towards the Old Believers did not achieve the goal the authorities desired: the Old Believers continued to exist as a religious, cultural and social phenomenon. Mutual support, unity, assistance of wealthy community members from among entrepreneurs allowed the Old Believers to survive even in the conditions of strict punitive measures applied to the "ancient piety" adherents.

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