Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2017 number

The article deals with historiographically unstudied work of a famous Ural and Siberian bishop of the Belokrinitskaya hierarchy, Antoniy (Paromov), which was published in one of the last issues of “Sibirskiy Staroobryadets” , a diocese journal that is edited in Barnaul. In the first place “Proclamation” of bishop Antoniy is interesting as it provides the direct reaction of the Old Believers’ bishop on the revolution developments of the year 1917. In the work under investigation, with the polemic attacks against ideological ex-opponents of the Belokrinitskie Old Believers - the supporters of not named priestless sects are kept to a minimum. The main accent is made on critics of the socialist parties, which was a reaction to their rise in August-September of 1917. For this purpose bishop Antoniy uses separate works and periodicals published by A. Bebel, M. Gorkiy. Originality of the author’s approach is seen in the updating of the above named texts, their extrapolation on the contemporary developments of the Russian life, and - not very characteristic for “Austrians” - an active use of the Old Testament - 3 Esdras (non-canonical). One can notice definite rigidity of the Belokrinitskiy bishop in the evaluation of different socialist parties’ leaders conduct. In our opinion, the published composition confirms conclusions of the researchers, who repeatedly pointed to both the acuteness of eschatological feelings initially inherent to the Old Believers’ movement, as well as the entwinement of social and religious motives in it. It testifies that politization of society in the period of “three revolutions” affected such conservative social groups as Old Believers. Foremost it refers to the Belokrinitskaya (“Austrian”) group of Old Believers. Revolutionary events of the year 1917 can be considered a definite period in political activities of the Belokrinitskie communities.