ESCHATOLOGICAL DISPUTES OF THE CHASOVENNYYE OLD-BELIEVERS IN THE LAST THIRD OF THE XX CENTURY AS AN INSTRUMENT OF SELF-IDENTIFICATION
N.D. Zolnikova
Institute of History SB RAS, 8, Nikolaeva Str., Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
Keywords: Siberia, Chasovennye Old-Believers, exegetics, Antichrist, Judgment Day, eschatology, «ours» and «alien»
Abstract
The article considers mechanism of accumulation of novelties in interpretation of signs of the Day of Judgment made by the Old-Believers fr om the lower reaches of the Yenisey River; it also attempts at determining when a high threshold of such novelties was reached letting individual polemicists or authoritative communities make a decision about their canonicity or heterodoxy. The article presents results fr om an analysis of original writings of Fr. Symeon, hegumen of a skete, who died in 1954 in one of the concentration camps and was regarded as a saint by the Chasovennye (Chapeliers) Old-Believers; works of an outstanding popular writer A.G. Murachev, scribe K. Pleshakov and monk Fr. Timothy. It is proven that the starting points of all theological interpretations were the innovative works of Fr. Symeon who considered proletarians as servants of Antichrist surrendering to his will under the slogan “Proletarians of all countries, unite”. Establishment of the block of socialist countries in Europe in the wake of the World War II convinced his disciples in the truth of his words. Self-identification of the Chasovennye theologists as “true Christians” further included referring to loyalty to the teaching of Fr. Symeon. However, the skete ideologists believed that A.G. Murachev’s new scenario of Judgment Day moved so much away from the original concept that it came close to the line wh ere “ours” turns into “alien”. This was probably due to the fact that eschatological ideas were dominant in the system of Old-Believers’ teaching (as a rule, occasional deviations from the eschatological system that was acclaimed as canonical did not result in accusations of heresy). On the other hand, the fact that in the 1990s sketes identified bar-codes as marks of Antichrist made A.G. Murachev think that the inhabitants of the sketes fell into heresy. However, the line wh ere “ours” irrevocably turns into “alien” has never been crossed by both polemizing parties, apparently, because of their high authority along with fears of a major schism in the church.
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