Administrative Coercive Methods to Convert the Old Believers into the Community of Religion in the Tomsk Province

Abstract

Using archival sources, the author examines the urgent problem of the spread of common belief and, accordingly, the transition conditions of the Old Believersin it. Common Faith Church was one of the most common methods of struggle of the government and the official Orthodox Church with "developing a split." In the 19th century the Tomsk province was able to create 13 Churches of Common Faith. However, the conversion of the Old Believers in the Church of Common Faith as well as keeping people there often wore a voluntative character. Active use of administrative and police apparatus allowed local officials and clergy of the Synod of the Church to quickly form the Parish of Common Faith, to achieve official recognition, honors and state cash prize. Common Faith Church was supposed to exist in the alien to it official Orthodoxy system with its anti-split” paradigm. The Common Believers were severely restricted in their rights. They resented their dual status: they were neither nikonians, nor Old Believers. Accordingly, the Common Faith did not receive the expected wide- scaled spread. On unconditional rights only a small part of the Old Believers accepted the Common Faith.

DOI 10.14258/izvasu(2017)5-08