The beginning of the church schism in the Russian Orthodox Church. What caused the church schism in the middle of the 17th century

Church reform of Patriarch Nikon in 1653.

In 1652, Nikon was elected patriarch. 1589 - Patriarchate introduced. In the world Nikita Minov. Nikon was on good terms with the king. Therefore, I wanted to change church dogmas:

Correction of books according to Greek patterns

Changing the rites of worship

Elevation of ecclesiastical power over royal

Avvakum opposed! The archpriest spoke for the Old Believers. Led by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the Church Council of 1666-67 decided to deprive Nikon of his post, but to start fulfilling his orders.

1681 - Nikon died.

Henceforth, the church was divided into state and Old Believers.
Consequences church schism:
1) the Old Believers considered the church reform an attack on the faith of their fathers and ancestors. They believed that state power and church leadership were in the power of the Antichrist;
2) Old Believers fled to the outskirts of the country, to dense forests, abroad, and when government troops approached, they resorted to collective self-immolation;
3) the social motive that lay at its foundation, namely the return to antiquity, the protest against centralization, serfdom, and the domination of the state over the spiritual world of man, gave great scope to this movement;
4) dissatisfaction with the new order in the country also explained the rather motley composition of the Old Believers, this included both the "bottom" and the boyar leaders, priests.
The results of the church reform:
1) Nikon's reform led to a split in the church into the dominant and the Old Believers;
2) the church reform and schism were a major social and spiritual upheaval that reflected tendencies towards centralization and gave impetus to the development of social thought.

32. Expand the content of the reforms carried out in the era of Peter I, indicate their significance for the modernization of Russia.

The main directions of transformations in Russia. Causes:

1. An external threat to the state, which posed a serious danger to national independence.

2. Russia's backwardness from European states.

Direction of transformations:

1. It is necessary to develop industry and trade.

2. Improvement of the state structure.

3. Creation of a strong army.

4. Strengthening Russia on the shores of the Baltic Sea.

5. Administrative-territorial transformation.

6. Reorganization of education and change in culture.

Peter's transformations. In economics:

1. There was a development of manufactories. (the number of manufactories was constantly growing. By the death of Peter there were 180)

2. Decrees on pesesional and registered peasants were issued in 1771. Pesesional - workers for the season.

3. A poll tax has been introduced to replace the household code (when you work - pay, when you don't work - don't pay)

4. A policy of Protestantism was carried out (barrier of foreign goods into the country, to promote the export of their products), to mercantilism.

5. Domestic and foreign trade developed. 1719-bergprivilege (I will find something - mine)

Social sphere:

1. A class of nobility was taking shape. 1714 - A decree on uniform inheritance was issued.

2. The urban population was divided into regular (permanently living), and not regular (for earnings)

3. Merchants were divided into guilds

4. 1724 - passport regime is set

5. A “table of ranks” was published

In the field of management:

1. In 1721, Pertre 1 becomes emperor. Russian Empire

2. The Boyar Duma was liquidated, and the ruling Senad was approved.

3. The institution of fiscals was created. 1771. 1772 - the prosecutor and the police were created.

4. Boards were established instead of orders.

5. The patriarchate was abolished in 1700. And the “Holy Senod” was formed -1721

6. The country is divided into provinces, counties, provinces.

7. Founded the new capital of Russia - St. Petersburg. 1713-1712

In the field of culture:

1. Western European culture was introduced.

2. A system of secular education was created

3. New printing houses opened

4. New textbooks were published

5. The first museum was created - the Kuntskamera

Military reform carried out:

1. Introduced a recruiting system

2. A system for training military forces has been created.

3. Created the Russian Navy.

4. Ordered the structure of the army.

5. Introduced a unified military reform.

6. A military charter was adopted.

7. Certain military rituals.

Outcome: Thus, a new type of army appeared in the state, the state acquired seaports, the state improved significantly. management and actively developed economic relations.

33. Expand the content of the reforms of Catherine II and indicate their significance for the development of Russia.

In 1762, Catherine the Great came to power. Rules from 1762 - 1796. She carried out the "policy of enlightened absolutism" - this is a policy of autocracy aimed at protecting feudal charters by creating a legitimate monarchy. The largest meeting was the “session of the laid commission”. In order to create new codes of laws of the Russian Empire. It was written by order of 1767. Policy transformations:

Resumed the work of the Senate 1763

Eliminated the autonomy of the rights of Ukraine 1764

Subordinated the church to the state (secularization of the lands 1764)

Carried out self-government reform

Russia was divided into 50 provinces in 1775

· In 1775, she reformed the judicial system. For the nobles their own courts, for the peasants their own, for the city their own.

Economic transformations:

· In 1765, a free economic society was created for nobles and merchants.

Customs tariffs have been introduced

Increases duties on foreign imported goods

1765 bestowed charter

· Introduces a new form of trading

Growing number of manufactories

Social area:

· 1765 permission for landlords to exile their peasants without trial to Siberia for hard labor.

· 1775 the nobility receives a letter of commendation.

In fact, Catherine II made the 18th century "the century of the nobility." Conclusion: in general, Catherine's reforms strengthened the monarchy and serfdom in Russia.

One of the most significant events of the 17th century. there was a schism in the church. He seriously influenced the formation of cultural values and worldview of the Russian people. Among the prerequisites and causes of the church schism, one can distinguish both political factors that were formed as a result of the turbulent events of the beginning of the century, and church ones, which, however, are of secondary importance.

At the beginning of the century, the first representative, Michael, ascended the throne. He and later his son Alexei, nicknamed the Quietest, gradually restored the domestic economy, ruined in. Foreign trade was restored, the first manufactories appeared, and state power was strengthened. But at the same time, serfdom was legally formed, which could not but cause mass discontent among the people.

Initially, the foreign policy of the first Romanovs was cautious. But already in the plans of Alexei Mikhailovich there is a desire to unite the Orthodox peoples who lived in Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

This put the tsar and the patriarch, already in the period of the annexation of the Left-Bank Ukraine, before a rather difficult problem of an ideological nature. Most of the Orthodox peoples, having accepted the Greek innovations, were baptized with three fingers. According to the tradition of Moscow, two fingers were used for baptism. One could either impose one's own traditions, or submit to the canon accepted by the entire Orthodox world.

Alexei Mikhailovich and Patriarch Nikon chose the second option. The centralization of power taking place at that time and the emerging idea of Moscow's future dominance in the Orthodox world, the "Third Rome", demanded a unified ideology capable of uniting the people. The subsequent reform split Russian society for a long time. Discrepancies in the sacred books and the interpretation of the performance of rituals required changes and the restoration of uniformity. The need to correct church books was noted by the authorities not only spiritual, but also secular.

The name of Patriarch Nikon and the church schism are closely connected. The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' was distinguished not only by his intelligence, but also by his tough character, determination, lust for power, love of luxury. He gave his consent to stand at the head of the church only after the request of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The beginning of the church schism of the 17th century. put the reform prepared by Nikon and carried out in 1652, which included such innovations as three fingers, serving the liturgy on five prosphora, etc. All these changes were subsequently approved for 1654.

However, the transition to new customs was too abrupt. The church schism in Russia was aggravated by the cruel persecution of opponents of innovations. Many refused to accept changes in rituals, to give away the old sacred books, according to which their ancestors lived. Many families fled to the forests. An opposition movement formed at court. But in 1658 Nikon's position changed dramatically. The royal disgrace turned into a demonstrative departure of the patriarch. Nikon overestimated his influence on Alexei. He was completely deprived of power, but retained wealth and honors. At the council of 1666, in which the patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch took part, the hood was removed from Nikon. The former patriarch was sent into exile in the Ferapontov Monastery on the White Lake. However, Nikon, who loved luxury, lived there far from being a simple monk.

The church council, which deposed the masterful patriarch and eased the fate of opponents of innovations, fully approved the reforms carried out, declaring them not a whim of Nikon, but a matter of the church. All who did not obey the innovations were declared heretics.

The final stage of the church schism was the Solovetsky uprising of 1667-1676, which ended for the dissatisfied with death or exile. Heretics were persecuted even after the death of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. After the fall of Nikon, the church retained its influence and strength, but not a single patriarch laid claim to supreme power.

The main reason for the split of the Russian Church lay in the spiritual sphere. Traditionally, Russian religiosity attached great importance to rituals, considering them the basis of faith. According to many Orthodox, the Greeks "shook" in faith, for which they were punished by the loss of the "Orthodox kingdom" (the fall of Byzantium). Therefore, "old Russian antiquity", they believed, is the only correct faith.

Nikon reform

The reform of Patriarch Nikon mainly concerned the rules for conducting a church ceremony. It was prescribed that the worshiper make the sign of the cross with three fingers (fingers), as was customary in the Greek church, instead of two, as previously existed in Rus'; waist bows were introduced during prayer instead of earthly bows; it was prescribed during the service in the church to sing "Hallelujah" (praise) not two, but three times; during the procession, move not according to the sun (salting), but against; write the name Jesus with two "and", and not with one, as before; new words were introduced into the process of worship.

Church books and icons were corrected according to newly printed Greek models instead of Old Russian ones. Uncorrected books and icons were publicly burned.

The council supported Nikon's church reform and cursed its opponents. That part of the population that did not accept the reform began to be called Old Believers or old believer mi. The Council's decision deepened the schism in the Russian Orthodox Church.

The movement of the Old Believers became widespread. People went to the forests, to the deserted places of the North, the Volga region, Siberia. Large settlements of Old Believers appeared in the Nizhny Novgorod and Bryansk forests. They founded sketes (remote settlements in remote places), where they performed rituals according to the old rules. The tsarist troops were sent against the Old Believers. At their approach, some Old Believers with their whole families closed themselves in houses and burned themselves.

Archpriest Avvakum

The Old Believers demonstrated firmness and adherence to the old faith. Archpriest Avvakum (1620/1621-1682) became the spiritual leader of the Old Believers.

Avvakum advocated the preservation of the old Orthodox rites. He was imprisoned in the monastery prison and offered to renounce his views. He didn't. Then he was exiled to Siberia. But he did not relent there either. At the Church Council he was defrocked and cursed. In response, Avvakum himself cursed the Church Council. He was exiled to the polar prison Pustozersk, where he spent 14 years with his associates in an earthen pit. In captivity, Avvakum wrote an autobiographical book, Life (before that, they wrote only about the lives of saints). On April 14, 1682, he, along with "fellow prisoners ... for great blasphemy," was burned at the stake. material from the site

Feodosia Morozova

Boyar Theodosia Prokopyevna Morozova was a supporter of the Old Believers. She made her rich house a refuge for all those persecuted "for the old faith." Morozova did not succumb to persuasion to move away from the old faith. Neither the persuasion of the patriarch and other bishops, nor cruel torture, nor the confiscation of all her vast wealth had any effect. Boyar Morozova and her sister Princess Urusova were sent to the Borovsky Monastery and imprisoned in an earthen prison. There Morozova died, but did not deviate from her convictions.

Monks of the Solovetsky Monastery

Among the Old Believers were the monks of the Solovetsky Monastery. They refused to read the traditional Orthodox prayer for the tsar, believing that he had submitted to the Antichrist. The government could not bear this. Government troops were sent against the recalcitrants. Mona Styr resisted for eight years (1668-1676). Of the 500 of his defenders, 60 survived.

In the 17th century Russian Orthodox Church survived the schism caused by the reforms of the rites and the correction of liturgical books. was a mass religious and social movement that gave rise to its own ideology and culture. Simultaneously with the split, a sharp conflict occurred between the secular and spiritual authorities, which ended with the assertion of the primacy of the power of the king over the power of the patriarch.

Church orders of the middle of the XVII century. caused discontent among ordinary believers and among the clergy. For example, polyphony, when, in order to shorten the time of the church service in the temple, they simultaneously read the Gospel, sang and prayed. A circle of "zealots of piety" opposed this form of worship. Among the members of this circle were archpriest Habakkuk(1620-1682) and archbishop Nikon(1606-1681).

In 1652, the Church Council elected Nikon as the new patriarch. It was not enough for Nikon to be elected to the patriarchal throne. He refused this honor, and only after Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich fell on his knees before him, agreed to become patriarch.

Church reform

Patriarch Nikon's first step was to hold 1653 d. church reform.

Nikon sent instructions to all churches to change the norms of worship traditional for Russian Orthodoxy. The double-fingered sign of the cross was replaced by a three-fingered one. Earth bows were replaced by waist ones. Religious processions were ordered to be held against the sun, and not along the sun, as it was before. The exclamation of "Hallelujah" during the service was prescribed to be pronounced not twice, but three times. At the same time, the verification of Russian liturgical books began. Greek originals were taken as a basis. The old liturgical books were ordered to be destroyed.

The situation was complicated by the fact that Nikon, ignoring Russian traditions, emphasized his commitment to Greek rites . The patriarch banned icons that were not painted according to Greek patterns. He ordered his servants to gouge out the eyes of the collected icons and carry them around the city in this form.

Those who refused to recognize the innovations were called by the official authorities schismatics. The schismatics themselves considered themselves followers of true Orthodoxy, and Nikon and his followers were branded with the name of "anti-Christ's servants." The most ardent opponent of Nikon was the archpriest Habakkuk, who was arrested in 1653 and exiled to Siberia . The persecution of Avvakum's supporters began.

In July 1658 Mr. Nikon was given the order of the king to behave more modestly. Nikon decided on a desperate step - he wrote a letter to the king with a renunciation of the patriarchal dignity. To stop the attempts of the former patriarch to return to power, it was decided to deprive him of power. For this, a church council was convened, which condemned and deposed Nikon, the main initiator of church reforms, but at the same time approved the reforms themselves. Nikon was sent to exile at the Ferapontov Monastery on the White Lake.

Return and execution of Habakkuk

AT 1666 The main leaders of the split were brought from various places of detention to Moscow. The Church Council betrayed them to anathema and damnation. Adherents of the old religious traditions were persecuted and punished up to and including the death penalty. This policy has led to Old Believers(schismatics, Old Believers) fled with their families from the central regions of Russia.

In April 1682, Avvakum and other participants in the schismatic movement were burned at the stake . However, the execution of the leaders of the schism led many opponents of religious innovations to voluntarily set themselves on fire. Church reform of Patriarch Nikon split the country into two camps - supporters of the official religion and adherents of old traditions.

Removal of anathemas from the old rites

In 1800, a special co-religious structure was created for a part of the Old Believer priests who were seeking rapprochement with the Moscow Patriarchate: while retaining the pre-reform rite, they came under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church, thereby recognizing that ritual differences do not affect the general dogmatic teaching.

In 1905, Nicholas II, by decree on religious tolerance, removed all restrictions on the rights of the Old Believers, and in 1971 the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted a resolution on removal of oaths and anathemas from the old rites .

Church schism (briefly)

The church schism was one of the major events for Russia in the seventeenth century. This process had a rather serious impact on the future formation of the worldview of Russian society. As the main reason for the church schism, researchers name the political situation that developed in the seventeenth century. And the disagreements of a church nature themselves are classified as secondary.

Tsar Michael, who was the founder of the Romanov dynasty, and his son Alexei Mikhailovich sought to restore the state, which had been devastated in the so-called Time of Troubles. Thanks to them, state power was strengthened, foreign trade was restored, and the first manufactories appeared. During this period, there is also a legislative registration of serfdom.

Despite the fact that at the beginning of the reign of the Romanovs they pursued a rather cautious policy, the plans of Tsar Alexei included the peoples living in the Balkans and in Eastern Europe.

According to historians, this is what created a barrier between the king and the patriarch. For example, in Russia, according to tradition, it was customary to be baptized with two fingers, and most other Orthodox peoples were baptized with three, according to Greek innovations.

There were only two options: to impose their own traditions on others or to submit to the canon. Patriarch Nikon and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich took the first path. A common ideology was needed due to the ongoing centralization of power at that time, as well as the concept of the Third Rome. This was the prerequisite for the implementation of the reform, which split the Russian people for a long time. A huge number of discrepancies, various interpretations of rituals - all this had to be brought to uniformity. It should also be noted that the secular authorities also spoke about such a need.

The church schism is closely connected with the name of Patriarch Nikon, who had a great mind and love for wealth and power.

The church reform of 1652 was the beginning of a split in the church. All the changes outlined were fully approved at the council of 1654, but too abrupt a transition entailed many of his opponents.

Soon Nikon falls into disgrace, but retains all the honors and wealth. In 1666, the hood was removed from him, after which he was exiled to the White Lake to the monastery.