Spiritual centers of the Old Believers.

On May 31, 2017, the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church, Rogozhskaya Sloboda, was visited by the President Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The purpose of this visit is to get acquainted with the Old Believer spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church, to inspect its temples and territory. During the meeting, the head of state visited the exhibition "", which tells about the contribution of the Old Believers to the preservation cultural heritage. The exhibition presents unique monuments XVI-XX centuries stored in the Metropolis of the Old Believer Church and .

Around noon, 70 journalists from the central media arrived at Rogozhskoye. They toured the exhibition Fortitude and loyalty to tradition”, which opened behind closed doors for the press in. Then the representatives of the press proceeded to the House of the clergy, where the exhibitions opened on the eve of the Week of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women are being held at the same time. Dmitry Gusev « Earth Reserve», Alena Bokareva « Quiet my homeland" and Evgenia Datsko « Russian Alaska».

At 14:20 V.V. arrived at Rogozhskoe to the sound of bells. Putin.

During the meeting, Vladimir Vladimirovich asked Metropolitan Kornily whether the ataman really M.I. Platov was an old man. Recall, a monument dedicated to the hero Patriotic War 1812 to the ataman of the All-Great Donskoy Army, to the general from the kafalery count Matvey Ivanovich Platov, was opened in the South-Eastern Administrative District on December 7, 2013. Also V.V. Putin became interested in the ancient icons of the Intercession Cathedral and marching liturgical accessories.

Vladimir Putin became the first head of the Russian state to visit the Rogozhsky Old Believer Center.

For the Old Believers it is historical event: For the first time in history, the head of state visits the temple of the Old Believers. For 350 years, the Old Believers have preserved the original Orthodox foundations that came to us from Byzantium, through persecution and thorns they carried them to the present. Therefore, the Old Believers are the living bearers of the original Christian culture. And of course, all the Old Believers, the Old Believer Church are pleased that they turned their faces to us, the head of state honored us with his attention. We must not forget that since ancient times, Orthodox Christians have been patriots of their country and bearers of the spiritual and moral values ​​​​of the family and the state, - said the head of the press service of the Metropolis of Moscow and All Russia of the Russian Orthodox Church Roman Atorin.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the visit of V.V. Putin to Metropolitan Kornily, said:

This is far from the first meeting, and they communicated with Cornelius at various ceremonies and events, that is, this is multiple communication. Even in my memory this is not the first meeting.

In the Pokrovsky Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Rogozhsky choir sang the long anniversary of the President of Russia.

Old Believer Metropolitan (Titov) over the course of several years gradually builds his relationship with the government. On the different levels, with small steps, the metropolitan asserts his authority in society, and, accordingly, the authority of the entire Old Believers. This is especially important, because before Metropolitan Kornily, there was a certain period in the Russian Orthodox Church when relations with the authorities and society were not a priority for the Old Believers. However, the ministry of Metropolitan Cornelius coincided with the readiness of the Old Believers to build new relations with the state, to re-assert themselves in society in a new way. In addition, Metropolitan Cornelius turned out to be the only representative of the Old Believers who was able to communicate with the authorities.

So, on February 22, 2013 for the first time in 350 years chapter Russian state primate of the Old Believer Church. In the Catherine's Hall of the Kremlin, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin awarded Metropolitan Kornily of Moscow and All Russia with the state award - Order of Friendship. This high state award is given for special merits in strengthening peace, friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding between peoples; fruitful activity for rapprochement and mutual enrichment of the cultures of nations and nationalities; active work to preserve, increase and popularize the cultural and historical heritage of Russia.

We also recall that on February 26, 2013 inthe first in the history of Russia head . President V.V. Putin received Metropolitan Kornily at his residence. At this meeting, Metropolitan Kornily invited the President to visit the Spiritual Center of the Old Believers in Rogozhskaya Sloboda in Moscow. To which Putin agreed and offered to agree on the format of this visit. Such attention to the Old Believers was expressed for the first time at such a high level.

On March 16, 2017, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church, Metropolitan Kornily (Titov) with the head of state. During the meeting, issues of the existence and development of modern and the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church in particular.

The President confirmed his support for the project of commemorative events dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the birth of the archpriest , revered by the Old Believers as a holy martyr, and in secular culture recognized as one of the first Russian writers. At the end of the conversation, Metropolitan Kornily invited the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin to visit the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church, which is on Rogozhsky. All of these developments are indicative of a change domestic policy states to the Old Believers.

Where they settled, now monasteries and sketes were created in that area, which became a source of spiritual life. From here came the leadership of the church, from the monasteries the priests were sent to the parishes. It was from here that St. peace, here all kinds of messages to Christians were compiled, essays were written in defense of the Old Believers, and the very defenders and preachers of the ancient Orthodox faith were brought up. In some places, many sketes and monasteries arose - several dozen, with many hundreds of monastic ascetics. They united under the leadership of the largest and most authoritative monastery. There were several such spiritual centers in the Old Believers. The following centers became most famous for their church activities: Kerzhenets, Starodubye, Vetka, Irgiz and the Rogozhskoe cemetery in Moscow.

Kerzhenets is the name of a river flowing in the Semenovsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region and flowing into the Volga. The name of the river is also called the whole area covered by its course. In the 17th century there was a dense, almost impenetrable forest, which made it possible for the persecuted Christians to hide from merciless enemies. By the end of the XVII century. on Kerzhenets already existed up to a hundred cloisters, male and female. Under Peter I, their ruin began. The main persecutor of the Old Believers in this area and throughout Nizhny Novgorod province was Nizhny Novgorod archbishop Pitirim. He set the king against the Old Believers. Many Kerzhensky Old Believers at that time were exiled to hard labor, tortured, and others were executed. In Nizhny Novgorod, the popularly known Kerzhensky deacon Alexander was executed, who compiled a wonderful book of answers to Pitirim's questions. They cut off his head, burned his body, and threw the ashes into the Volga. As a result of such persecution, many Old Believers fled from here to Perm region, in Siberia, in Starodubye, on Vetka and in other places.

Starodubye - an area located around the city of Starodub, which in the past united several counties of the northern part of the Chernihiv province (Starodubsky, Novozybkovsky, Surazhsky). And at present there are cities and villages where numerous descendants of the Old Believers live: Klintsy, Svyatsk, Klimov; Mitkovka, Voronok, Luzhki, Novozybkov (currently belong to the Bryansk region). Local natural conditions allowed to hide from persecution and persecution, and the local authorities treated the newly arrived Christians tolerantly and condescendingly. However, the tsarist authorities did not leave the Old Believers alone here either. When persecution began in these places, the priests who were there, together with the flock, went to Poland to Vetka.

Branch. In Poland, the Old Believers enjoyed freedom, no one persecuted them here. Old Believers fled here not only from Starodubye, but also from other places in Russia. Soon, in the vicinity of the first settlement of the Old Believers in Poland, about twenty new settlements grew up, each with its own name. But the whole area inhabited by the Old Believers began to be called by one common name - Vetka. For a long time it served as the leading center of the spiritual life of the Old Believers. The tsarist government paid attention to this spiritual nursery of the Old Believers, but could not do anything with it, since it was abroad. But as soon as the Kingdom of Poland weakened, the Russian government hastened to ruin Vetka. It happened in 1735, during the reign of Anna Ioannovna. By order of this queen, Russian troops suddenly surrounded all the Vetka settlements. The Old Believers were taken by surprise, no one could escape. A general search of monasteries, sketes, houses, and cells was carried out. Everything found has been taken away. All buildings were burned to the ground. Of the inhabitants of Vetka, more than 15 thousand people were captured - men, women and children. More than a thousand people were captured in monasteries - monks and nuns, who were sent to numerous Russian monasteries under strict supervision. All the civilians were settled in different cities and villages of the Russian state. This defeat of Vetka is known as "forcing". Soon, settlers reappeared in the incinerated place, settlements and sketes arose again. Under Catherine II, the second “forcing” of Vetka followed, and later there was a third. But Vetka was reborn every time.

The Irgiz is a large tributary of the Volga, flowing in the southeastern half of the Saratov and Samara regions. In the reign of Catherine II, the Old Believers settled here in in large numbers and founded many sketes and monasteries, which united under the common name Irgiz. Both the monasteries and their surroundings were inhabited by Old Believers invited by the queen from abroad. During the brutal persecution of the Old Believers, many people fled outside their native fatherland: to Poland, Sweden, Romania, Turkey, Prussia, China, and even Japan. Having ascended the throne, Catherine II issued a manifesto, which called on foreign Old Believers to return to Russia and promised them a quiet life. The Old Believers joyfully responded to this call and rushed to their homeland in large masses. The government gave them a place within the Irgiz a. The Irgiz monasteries quickly acquired great importance in the church and public life of the Old Believers. But during the reign of Nicholas I, the Irgiz monasteries were completely destroyed.

Rogozhskoye cemetery in Moscow was founded under Catherine II. In 1771, a terrible plague raged in Moscow. The Moscow Old Believers were given a place for the burial of the plague dead behind the Rogozhskaya Zastava. A large spiritual haven gradually arose here with cells, almshouses and churches. First, a temple was built in the name of St. Nicholas. Then the construction of a huge summer church in the name of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos began. In terms of vastness, there was no equal in Moscow, but the Moscow Old Believers were not allowed to complete its construction according to the plan. Metropolitan Gabriel of St. Petersburg informed the empress about the construction of the temple. He claimed in a denunciation that the Old Believers are a dangerous people and that by building a large temple they humiliate the dominant church. An investigation began, and as a result, the temple was completed in a truncated and surrounded form: instead of five chapters, only one was left - a small one; they broke off the ledges for the altars, lowered the building itself. From the outside, the temple began to look like a huge, simple house. But inside the temple is striking splendor wall painting and rare in antiquity icons.

During the invasion of Napoleon, the French also visited the Rogozhsky cemetery. But the Rogozhans managed to leave the cemetery in advance and hide the main shrines of the temples. After the expulsion of Napoleon from Moscow, the capital was occupied by the Don Cossacks, at that time mostly Old Believers. The famous hero of the Patriotic War Ataman Platov (from the Don Cossacks) was also an Old Believer. He donated his field church to the Rogozhsky cemetery.

Rogozhsky temples were often subjected to encroachment by spiritual and secular authorities. Under Alexander I, all the churches of the Rogozhsky cemetery were closed, but soon opened again. In 1854, the St. Nicholas Church was taken away from the Old Believers and handed over to fellow believers, and two years later the altars in the Intercession Church were sealed. The unsealing of the altars followed only 49 years later (in 1905).

Throughout its existence, the Rogozhskoye cemetery has been the leading center of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church. It remains so to this day.

Spiritual centers became places where the opportunity to conduct spiritual activity remained. Mostly these were monasteries and sketes.

From Moscow and others major cities Christians fled to the outskirts of Russia, often to completely remote, uninhabited places. Where they settled, monasteries and sketes were soon created, which became the stronghold of spiritual life. From here came the leadership of the Church, priests were sent from the monasteries to parishes, exhortations and letters to Christians were compiled here, essays were written in defense of the Old Believers, defenders and preachers of the true faith were trained and educated.

In some places, several dozen sketes arose with hundreds of monastic ascetics. There were several such spiritual centers in the Old Believers.

Kerzhenets- a river flowing in the Nizhny Novgorod region and flowing into the Volga. The whole area was named after the river. In the 17th century it was thick here, virgin forest which gave Christians shelter from persecutors. By the end of the 17th century, up to a hundred monasteries, male and female, already existed on Kerzhents. Under Peter I, their systematic ruin began. The most cruel persecutor of the Old Believers in this area was Archbishop Pitirim of Nizhny Novgorod. At that time, the Kerzhensky Old Believers were exiled to hard labor, tortured, and others were executed. In Nizhny Novgorod, the famous Kerzhensky deacon Alexander was publicly executed, having compiled answers to the polemical questions of Pitirim, the so-called "Deacon's answers". They cut off his head, burned his body, and scattered the ashes over the Volga.

Starodubye- the area around the city of Starodub, uniting several counties of the northern part of the Chernihiv province. And now there are cities and villages where the descendants of the Old Believers live: Klintsy, Klimovo, Mitkovka, Voronok, Luzhki, Novozybkov, Zlynka, Dobryanka (currently they belong to the Bryansk and Chernihiv regions). The local natural conditions made it possible to hide from persecution, and the local authorities treated the newly arrived Christians with tolerance. However, the government never left the Old Believers alone. When, at the end of the 17th century, persecution reached these places, the priests, together with their flock, went to Vetka, to the lands that then belonged to Poland.

Branch. In Poland, the Old Believers enjoyed greater freedom, they were not persecuted here. Old Believers fled here from all over Russia. Soon about twenty new settlements grew here. The area inhabited by the Old Believers began to be called by one common name - Vetka.

The tsarist government paid attention to this spiritual nursery of the Old Believers, but could not do anything with it, since it was abroad. But as soon as the Kingdom of Poland weakened, the Russian government hastened to disperse Vetka. It happened in 1735, during the reign of Anna Ioannovna. By order of the queen, the troops suddenly surrounded all the Vetka settlements. The Old Believers were taken by surprise, no one could escape. A general search of monasteries, sketes, cells, residential buildings was carried out. Everything found has been taken away. The buildings were burned to the ground. Of the inhabitants of Vetka, more than 15 thousand men, women and children were captured. More than a thousand monks and nuns were captured in monasteries. All secular residents were settled in different cities and villages of the Russian state. This defeat of Vetka is known as "forcing". Soon, settlers reappeared in the incinerated place, settlements and sketes arose again. Under Catherine II, the second “forcing” of Vetka followed.

Irgiz- a tributary of the Volga, flowing in the southeast of the Saratov and Samara regions. Under Catherine II, the Old Believers settled here in large numbers and founded several sketes and monasteries, which were collectively referred to as Irgiz. Both the monasteries and their environs were inhabited by Old Believers, returned by the queen from abroad. During the brutal persecution of the Old Believers, many people fled outside their native fatherland: to Poland, Sweden, Romania, Turkey, Prussia, China, and even Japan. Having ascended the throne, Catherine II issued a manifesto, which called on the Old Believers to return to Russia and promised them a quiet life. The Old Believers joyfully responded to this call and rushed to their homeland in large masses. The government gave them a place of residence within the Irgiz. The Irgiz monasteries soon acquired an outstanding importance in the church and social life of the Old Believers. But in the reign of Nicholas I, they were defeated.

Rogozhskoye cemetery in Moscow founded under Catherine II. In 1771, a plague epidemic raged in Moscow. The Moscow Old Believers were given a place for the burial of the dead behind the Rogozhskaya Zastava. A large spiritual settlement with cells, almshouses and churches gradually arose here.

First, a temple was built in the name of St. Nicholas. Then the construction began under the official name - the chapel, in fact - a huge summer church in the name of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. In terms of vastness, there was no equal to it in Moscow. But the Moscow Old Believers were not allowed to complete its construction according to the plan. Metropolitan Gabriel of St. Petersburg informed the empress about the construction of the temple. He argued that the Old Believers with their construction humiliate the dominant church. An investigation began, and as a result, the temple was completed in a truncated and rounded form: instead of five chapters, only one, the central one, was left, ledges for altars were broken off, and the building itself was lowered. From the outside, the temple began to look like a simple house. But inside the temple impresses with the splendor of wall paintings and rare icons in antiquity. During the invasion of Napoleon, the French also visited the Rogozhsky cemetery. But the Rogozhans managed to leave their homes in advance and hide the main shrines of the temples. After the expulsion of Napoleon from Moscow, the capital was occupied by the Don Cossacks, at that time mostly Old Believers. The famous hero of the Patriotic War Ataman Platov (from the Don Cossacks) was also an Old Believer. He donated his field church to the Rogozhsky cemetery.

In 1854, the St. Nicholas Church was taken from the Old Believers and handed over to fellow believers (see below for fellow believers), and two years later the altars in the Pokrovsky and Nativity churches were sealed. The printing of the altars followed only in 1905.

FROM early XIX century Rogozhskoye cemetery becomes the leading center of the Old Orthodox Church of Christ. Then a saying was born: “Whatever they lay on Rogozha, Gorodets stands on it, and on what Gorodets, Kerzhenets stands on it.”

But all foreign Old Believers, in comparison with the total number of them remaining in Russia itself, make up a very small percentage. No prohibitions, no persecution could destroy them: they hid in cities and villages, hid in forests and deserts, but remained ancient Orthodox Christians. And as such, they had to somehow build up their spiritual life, be organized, united, have their own pastors, leaders, receive the sacraments of the Church, nourish themselves spiritually and grow, according to the Apostle, "to the measure of the full stature of Christ." Spiritual centers of the persecuted Church were needed. And such were created in the very first years of her flight. Its spiritual centers were such Old Believer settlements where the spiritual forces of the Church were concentrated and where it was possible to perform spiritual deeds. These were mainly monasteries and sketes. A distinctive feature of the fleeing Old Believers was the creation of monasteries and sketes, they became the source and guide of spiritual life. From here came the leadership of the Church, from monasteries sent priests to parishes, from here St. worldly, all kinds of epistles to Christians were compiled here, essays were written in defense of the Church, here the very defenders and preachers of the ancient patristic faith were brought up. In some places, several sketes and monasteries were concentrated - several dozen each, with many hundreds of monastic ascetics and ascetics. They united under the leadership of the most prominent and distinguished monastery. From these concentrated places something like hierarchal pulpits was created. There were several such spiritual centers in the history of the Old Believers. The most famous for their church activities are Kerzhenets, Starodubye, Vetka, Irgiz and the Rogozhskoye cemetery in Moscow.

Kerzhenets. This is the name of the river flowing through the Semenovsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod province, and flowing into the Volga. It is also called the whole area covered by the course of the river. In the 17th century here grew a dense, almost impenetrable forest. It was an opportunity for persecuted Christians to hide from their merciless enemies. By the end of the XVII century. on Kerzhents there were up to a hundred monasteries - male and female, more than seven hundred monks and about two thousand nuns were saved and labored in them. The entire vicinity of the Kerzhenets River was exclusively Old Believer, since here, as in almost everything Nizhny Novgorod region, Old Orthodox Christians did not accept the Nikon reform. Numerous Old Believer cathedrals took place in the Kerzhensky monasteries; priests who left the Nikonian church were received here, from here they were sent throughout Russia to correct church requirements, here compositions were compiled in defense of the old faith, its apologists and preachers were brought up, icons, books, notebooks, etc. were written.

Under Peter I, the ruin of this spiritual center of the Old Believer Church began. The main persecutor of the ancient Orthodox Christians in this area, as well as in the entire Nizhny Novgorod province, was Archbishop Pitirim of Nizhny Novgorod. It was he who aroused the tsar against the Old Believers. Many of the Kerzhensky Old Believers at that time were exiled to hard labor, tortured, and others were executed. In Nizhny Novgorod, the famous Old Believer deacon Alexander, who compiled the wonderful book of Answers to the Questions of Pitirim, was publicly executed: they cut off his head, and burned his body and threw the ashes into the Volga. Archbishop Pitirim, for his diligent activity, received from Peter himself the title of Equal-to-the-Apostles. As a result of such persecution, huge crowds of Old Believers fled from here to the Perm Territory, Siberia, Starodubye, Vetka and other places.

Starodubye is located in the northern part of Little Russia (in Starodubsky, Novozybkovsky and Surazhsky districts of the Chernihiv province). And in our time, Old Believer settlements are known here: Klintsy, Svyatsk, Klimov, Mitskovka, Eleonka, Voronok, Luzhki, Zybkaya (which became the city of Novozybkov) and other settlements inhabited by almost the same Old Believers. These settlements were founded by the Old Believers in the 17th and 18th centuries. Starodubye is distinguished by an abundance of rivers, marshes and forests that were impenetrable in the past. It then bordered on Poland and Lithuania. This made Starodubye a convenient place for refuge from persecution and persecution. The local authorities treated the newly arrived Christians with tolerance and condescension, and sometimes even patronizing. But the Moscow government did not leave the Old Believers alone here either. Already in the reign of Sophia, they began to be crowded. At that time, the above settlements had not yet been founded. At first, Fr. Kozma, a Moscow priest who fled here immediately after the Council of 1667, and Belevsky priest Fr. Stephen. During their ascetic life, they enjoyed great respect among the people as righteous people and as true, exemplary shepherds. When persecution began in Starodubye, these priests, together with their flock, went beyond the Polish border and settled on Vetka. Later, however, the Old Believers firmly settled in Starodubye. By the end of the 18th century, there were three male monasteries, the main one being Pokrovsky, and one female - Kazan; in the suburbs - 17 churches, 16 open chapels and many home "prayer" and skete cells.

Vetka is located in the Gomel district, Mogilev province. Now, under this name, a place is known, located opposite the island, washed by a small strait that looks like a branch (which is why the name of the settlement itself was obtained) and flowing into the Sozh River. Within the Polish borders, the Old Believers enjoyed freedom, no one persecuted them here. The Old Believers fled here, except for the Starodub ones, and from other places in Russia. Soon, in the vicinity of this first settlement of the Old Believers in Poland (in an area of ​​30-40 versts), about twenty new settlements were established, each with its own name. But this whole area, inhabited by Old Believers, received and common name- Branch. For a long time it served as the leading center of the spiritual life of the Old Believers. The priestly monk Theodosius, a very active, well-read and intelligent pastor, greatly contributed to the rise and strengthening of Vetka, a pious and ascetic life. The Moscow government drew attention to this spiritual and hierarchical nursery of the Old Believers, but could not do anything with it, since it was abroad - in Poland. However, as soon as the Kingdom of Poland weakened, the Russian government hastened to defeat Vetka.

In 1734, the Vetka Old Believers accepted the second rank, i.e. under chrismation from the Nikonians Bishop Epiphanius. But he stayed with them for less than a year, managing to appoint only fourteen priests. The Russian government, having learned about this, hastened to send an army to Vetka in the summer of next year, in the amount of five regiments, under the command of Colonel Sytin, who suddenly surrounded all the Vetka settlements. The Old Believers were taken by surprise, no one could escape. A general search of monasteries, sketes, houses, and cells was carried out. Everything that was found was arrested and taken away. All houses, cells and other buildings were burned to the ground. Immediately, neither the bishop nor Vetka herself died. Epiphany was imprisoned in Kyiv in the Pechersk fortress, where he soon died. In the hermitages and monasteries of Vetka, about 300 monks and more than 800 nuns were captured. They were sent to numerous monasteries of the New Believer Church under strict supervision: here they were forcibly taken to churches for church services, exhorted to accept "Orthodoxy", kept in chains, sent to overwork. All the inhabitants of Vetka were captured forty thousand people - men, women and children. They were sent to Zabaykalsky Krai, in Eastern Siberia, seven thousand kilometers from Vetka. They took with them imperishable relics its first four priests. But when the authorities found out about this, they committed these bodies to burning. Despite the fact that the government did not give these exiles any help, but simply left them on a bare field - do whatever you want, and settle down - they soon settled down in a new place quite well, thanks to their industriousness, and lived quite well.

This defeat of Vetka is known in history as the "first forcing". In the incinerated place, new populations soon appeared again, settlements and sketes arose again. Within five years, Vetka has definitely risen from the ashes. There were already 1,200 monks alone in it, and up to 1,000 nuns. All the inhabitants amounted to more than 40,000 souls. In the reign of Empress Catherine II, who received the title of humane, Vetka's "second forcing" followed. Later there was a third "distillation". But every time Vetka was settled again. It exists to this day.

The Irgiz is a large tributary of the Volga, flowing in the southeastern half of the Saratov and Samara provinces. During the reign of Catherine II, the Old Believers settled in this region in large numbers and founded many hermitages and monasteries here. Of these, three men's monasteries were especially famous: Avraamiev, Pakhomiev and Isaaciev and two women's: Margaritin and Anfisin. All of them were united by one common name - Irgiz. Both the monasteries and their surroundings were inhabited by Old Believers, called by the Empress from abroad.

Having ascended the throne, Empress Catherine II issued a manifesto, which called on foreign Old Believers to return to Russia and promised them "mother's generosity" and a calm and prosperous life. The Old Believers responded to this call very joyfully and poured in huge masses into their native country, for which they yearned so much abroad. The government gave them a place within the Irgiz. The Irgiz monasteries quickly acquired extraordinary importance in the church life of the Old Believers. The strict ascetic life of the Irgiz monks and nuns attracted the attention of the entire Old Believer Russia, for stories and rumors about the holiness of hermits reached the very last corners of the great country. Irgiz became the head of the Old Believer parishes. As many as hundreds of priests who served in numerous Old Believer parishes depended on him. There were periods in the history of the Irgiz when more than two hundred priests were in charge of it. The glory and importance of the Irgiz surpassed Kerzhenets, Vetka, and Starodubye. The churches built on the Irgiz were distinguished by the splendor and richness of the interior decoration. For the Irgiz St. Nicholas Church, Empress Catherine sent a brocade priestly robe as a gift, on which she embroidered her name with her own hand. In the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, all the Irgiz monasteries were destroyed and taken away from the Old Believers.

Rogozhskoye Cemetery in Moscow was founded in the reign of the same empress - Catherine the Great. In 1771, a terrible plague epidemic raged in the capital of Russia. The Moscow Old Believers were given a place for the burial of the plague dead behind the Rogozhskaya Zastava. A large spiritual haven gradually arose here with cells, almshouses and churches. First, a temple was erected in the name of St. Nicholas. Then they began to build a huge temple in the name of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. In terms of the vastness of this temple, there is no equal in Moscow (with the exception of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, erected later than Rogozhsky). But he was not allowed to finish according to the plan drawn up by the famous architect M. Kazakov. Metropolitan Gabriel of Petrograd informed the empress about the construction of the temple. He claimed in a denunciation that the Old Believers are a dangerous people and that by building their large temple they humiliate the dominant church. An investigation followed - and as a result, the temple was completed in a mutilated form: instead of five chapters, only one small one was placed, the ledges for the altars were broken off, and for them, already in the temple itself, the front part was fenced off; the whole body of the church was also belittled. From the outside, the temple turned out to be huge, but it looked like a simple house. But inside the temple shines with a wonderful decoration and icons, rare in antiquity, and all other splendor. The third Rogozhsky temple (winter) was erected already in 1804, consecrated in the name of the Nativity of Christ.

During Napoleon's invasion of Moscow, the French also visited the Rogozhsky cemetery. But the Rogozhians managed to leave the cemetery in advance and remove the entire shrine of the temples. After the expulsion of Napoleon, the capital was occupied by the Don Cossacks, which consisted mainly of Old Believers, and their commander, the famous hero of the Patriotic War, Count Platov (from the Don Cossacks), was also an Old Believer. He donated his field church to the Rogozhsky cemetery.

Rogozhsky temples were often attacked by the secular and even more so by the spiritual authorities of the dominant church. At the end of the reign of Emperor Alexander I, all the churches of the Rogozhsky cemetery were closed. But soon, however, were reopened. In the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, when the persecution of the Old Believers was rampant everywhere, the Rogozhsky Old Believers, at the insistence of the famous Moscow Metropolitan Philaret, were taken away the St. Nicholas Church with all its shrines. This happened in 1854, and two years later, already in the reign of Emperor Alexander II, under the personal petition of the same Philaret, the altars of the Lord were sealed in the remaining two churches. From the surviving correspondence of M. Philaret, it is clear how he rejoiced evilly at this event: he recognized the cessation of the Divine Liturgy among the Old Believers in the very center of their spiritual life as the greatest triumph of Orthodoxy. This "triumph" lasted for almost half a century, during which many other disasters were experienced by the Rogozhskoe cemetery. Only in the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, precisely on April 16, 1905, on the eve of Easter matins, were the altars of the Rogozhsky cemetery finally unsealed. It was truly an Easter celebration - the victory of Christ Himself, risen from the dead.

Throughout its existence, the Rogozhskoe cemetery was the leading center of the Old Believers. It remains so to this day.

In the history of the Old Believers, the so-called Vygovskaya Hermitage, based on the Vyg River, which flows into the Vygozero (Olonets province), was of great importance. The glory of this first skete, and then - a cenobitic monastery was created by the famous Denisov brothers, Andrei and Simeon, from the family of princes Myshetsky. They were the main creators and leaders of the Vygovskaya Hermitage. It started in 1694. It grew rapidly and later turned into a leading center of priestlessness.

Vygovskaya Hermitage had large arable land, was engaged in cattle breeding, fishing; had mills, factories: brick, leather, sawmill; conducted extensive trade with many cities, even had its own merchant fleet on the White Sea. Peter I treated the Vygovtsy condescendingly and even allowed them free and open worship services according to old printed books. Such a gracious attitude of Peter is explained by the fact that the Vygovites agreed to work at the Povenets factories built by him. Vygovtsy disposed of royal power to themselves by sending various gifts to the palace: the best deer, factory horses, bulls, various birds, etc.

The internal life of the Vygovskaya monastery was conducted according to the monastic charter and order: services were sent there daily, all the property of the brethren was considered common, everyone had one common meal. At first, the Vygovtsy preached a celibate life for everyone, and then turned into marriages. In the first years of its existence, the Vygovskaya Hermitage had a priesthood and communion: the Solovetsky priest Pafnuty lived and served here; the last monk on Vyga died at the beginning of the 18th century. And after the termination of the priesthood on Vyga, the Vygovtsy for a long time took communion with the spare Lamb. The leaders of the Vygovskaya Hermitage, the Denisov brothers themselves, resolutely professed faith in the eternity of Christ's bloodless sacrifice. In their famous "Answers" to the synodal missionary Neophyte, written in 1723, called "Pomeranian", they declare: "We believe in the holy Apostle Paul, we believe in the holy teachers of the Church, who proclaim the sacrifice in mystery to be brought in the remembrance of the Lord even until the end of the age" (answer 99th). And with sacrifice, the priesthood must also be eternal, for the first cannot exist without the last. Therefore, the Vygovtsy lived for a long time by faith that somewhere the Lord had preserved a pious priesthood. More than once they made attempts to acquire a bishop for themselves and thus restore in their midst sacred hierarchy. Three of these attempts are best known:

a) the Vetka Old Believers, long before Bishop Epiphanius joined them, were in active communication with the Yassky Old Believers about acquiring a bishop from the Yassky Metropolitan. They made a proposal to the Vygov Old Believers to take part in this matter with them. On this occasion, the Vygovites convened a council to discuss this issue with particular care. The Council unanimously and very sympathetically reacted to the proposal to acquire a bishop. Andrei Denisovich himself wanted to go with the Vetkovites to Iasi on this matter. The Vygovtsy, however, did not let him go, since they had an "imminent need" for him on the spot. Instead of him, one "zealous zealot Leonty Fedoseev" was authorized to conduct the business of acquiring a bishop together with the Vetkovites. Andrei himself wrote instructions to Leonty on what conditions it would be possible to receive a newly appointed bishop from the Iasi Metropolitan: the ordained one must be baptized and tonsured by the old Vetka priests - Dositheus, Theodosius or others; when performing the rite of ordination, the blessing and the sign of the cross must be with two fingers; the rite itself must be performed according to the "ancient Slavic-Russian books", the ordained person in his confession should not make promises to agree with the Eastern patriarchs, but only "I agree to be the Catholic Eastern Church or the ancient holy teacher of the East." For the "best work" Andrey Denisov advises to ordain "more decently than an archbishop, than a bishop": then he would independently ordain his successors - other bishops. Andrey concluded his instructions and instructions to Leonty Fedoseev with an earnest request: “And for the Lord’s sake and peace for the sake of the church, take the trouble to go to them (i.e., to the Vetkovites) and advise and peace-making about everything, in everything according to the old church rank and according to the flock right and in necessary cases with repentant cleansing. About all his elders and brothers, Denisov added that they all "pray to God, give us something useful, saving and undoubted to receive." So great was the thirst of the Vygovites to acquire a bishop for themselves, to have a lawful sacred hierarchy. The message of Andrey Denisov is dated, as it says, 7238, i.e. 1730

Nikon's innovations began in 1653, from that time 77 years passed to the described fact. The Vygovtsy perfectly understood that the Metropolitan of Yassa, whose ordination they were ready to accept on the above conditions, was, of course, a heretic, therefore Andrei Denisov considered it necessary to speak about "repentant cleansing." In the "Pomor" answers it is proved that the Eastern Church retreated from true Orthodoxy much earlier. Nevertheless, the Vygovtsy were glad to receive a bishop from her. It is clear that at that time they lived in the spirit of the priests. Due to the fact that in Iasi they demanded from the Old Believer candidate to confess "preserve the new-created dogmas", the ordination of the bishop for the Old Believers did not take place.

b) the independent attempt of the Vygovtsy to find a bishop belongs to the same year 1730. In their "Pomor Answers" they stated that they did not reject the hierarchical dignity of the Russian New Believer Church: "We are afraid of the communion of the current Russian church," they wrote, "not abhorring church meetings, not sweeping away the priesthood, not hating the secrets of the church, but new from Nikon's times we are afraid of the newcomers." But getting a bishop from her was unthinkable at that time. Therefore, the Vygovtsy and independent search for a bishop, just like the Vetkovites, were sent east - to the Greek-Eastern church. Went there, and it was to Jerusalem, the famous Vygov activist Mikhail Ivanovich Vyshatin. He, of course, was aware of Vyg's fraternal decision regarding the acquisition of a bishop, expressed in the authorization of Andrei Denisov to Leonty Fedoseev. He did not go to Palestine immediately, but first went to Poland, where at that time Vetka was intensely concerned about acquiring a bishop for herself; and then he visited the "land of Volosh", i.e. in Moldavia, where the Old Believers negotiated with the Metropolitan of Yassa on the ordination of a bishop for Vetka. Professor P.S. Smirnov suggests that it was Vyshatin who could be the initiator of the conversations that began in Iasi between the local Old Believers and the metropolitan of Iasi about the ordination of a bishop for them, and that, on his advice and instructions, the above-mentioned relationship with Vyg of the Vetkovites also took place. His journey to Palestine in order to find the same bishopric was, as one might suppose, the result of a failure in Jasna. As the Vygov bibliographer Pavel Curious (Onufriev) testifies, Andrey Denisov wrote "approving messages" to this episcopal seeker, "the traveling brother Vyshatin" and his companions. Vyshatin, however, was not successful in Palestine: the death that befell him there interrupted his work and thus deprived the Vygovtsy of the opportunity to acquire a bishop from the Jerusalem Patriarch.

c) 35 years after these searches for the bishopric, a council of the Old Believers was held in Moscow, precisely in 1765, all on the same issue - the restoration of the episcopal rank in the Old Believers. Representatives of the "pomortsy" also took part in this council. And then they still yearned to have a bishopric and, therefore, a legally ordained priesthood. However, the Moscow Cathedral did not give positive results. The Old Believers continued to be without bishops.

Over time, the "pomortsy" became not only actual bespriests (they became such after the death of the former priests), but also ideological, for they began to teach that the priesthood had ceased everywhere and there was nowhere to get it. Nevertheless, they still live by faith in the necessity of the priesthood in the church and demand that the sacraments of the church and spiritual services be administered not by the laity, but by clergy. They recognize their mentors, who send spiritual requests from them, not as worldly persons, but as sacred-hierarchical ones, although they are not ordained by anyone and do not have any dignity on themselves.

The All-Russian Council of Pomortsy, held in Moscow in 1909, which they even called universal, decided: “Our spiritual fathers should not be considered simpletons, since they receive, upon election by the parish and with the blessing of another spiritual father, the successively transmitted grace of the Holy Spirit to govern the church "( Cathedral Code. L. 2). These are sacred persons, like presbyters among sectarians. They also receive their "grace" in the same way. They are either ordained by the community, as with evangelical Christians, or they are blessed by previously elected presbyters. Bespopovtsy title their mentors really "spiritual fathers", that is, "clergy", "pastors", "priests", etc. names, having developed and established even the "Chin" of elevation to "spiritual fathers". Bespopovtsy in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia do not call themselves Bespopovtsy, but simply Old Believers. What kind of priestless people are they, if they have clergy as rulers of their church, who receive "successive grace" to govern the church and to perform the sacraments of church and spiritual needs? Yes, and in Russia, in 1926, in Nizhny Novgorod, a council of Pomeranian mentors, which decided to restore in their midst the real priesthood with all hierarchical names and rights, or by borrowing it from others Christian churches, or by proclaiming their mentors as actual priests and bishops. This decree of the priestless mentors gave rise to the Consecrated Council of the Old Orthodox Church, held in Moscow in 1927, to address all the priestless Old Believers with [...] the "Message", calling them to reconciliation with the Church of Christ. Unfortunately, this "Message" could not be printed and is stored in only one copy in the archives of the Moscow Old Believer Archdiocese. In some places, Pomeranian bespopovtsy already title their mentors "priests" and clothe them in robes during worship. Thus the priesthood turns into the priesthood. The hierarchical spirit of the former Vygovtsy did not die in their offspring, but only degenerated into the form of a self-made "clergy."

Vygovskaya Hermitage was famous not only as a spiritual center that led numerous parishes throughout Russia, but mainly as an educational center. The Denisov brothers were learned people and possessed extensive knowledge in the field of church history. In the Vygovskaya monastery there was a real academy with the teaching of academic sciences. She released long row writers, apologists for the Old Believers, preachers and other figures. Vygovskaya Hermitage brilliantly proved that it contains more knowledge than the capitals of St. Petersburg and Moscow of its time. The Old Believer apologetics created here is still of indestructible significance. "Pomor answers", containing the foundations of the Old Belief, remain unrefuted. In matters of the Old Believers, the Vygovskaya Hermitage was followed in the 19th century by the Moscow Theological Academy, at the departments of which professors Kapterev, Golubinsky, Belokurov, Dimitrievsky and others read their lectures in the spirit of the Old Believers. Thousands of essays on various topics have been compiled in Vygovskaya Hermitage, mainly on Old Believer issues.

Despite the repeated and persistent demands of the spiritual authorities of the dominant church to destroy the Vygovsky monastery, it almost peacefully existed until the reign of Nicholas I. Under the same emperor, the persecutor of the Old Believers, it was ruthlessly destroyed to the ground and all its priceless treasures were plundered and simply destroyed.

Rogozhsky settlement, or Rogozhskaya Sloboda, is a very peculiar and unexpected district of Moscow. This is the center of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church, the spiritual center of one of the branches of the Old Believers - the priesthood of Belokrinitsky consent. And a metropolis spread around: high-rise buildings, an industrial zone, an overpass of the Third Ring Road. The Old Believers settled here since the 17th century. During the plague of 1771, all cemeteries within the city were closed, and the dead were buried in mass graves outside the outposts. So, not far from the Rogozhskaya outpost, such a cemetery was created, where the Old Believers-priests were buried. After the epidemic, Catherine II, in gratitude to the Old Believers merchants who had done a lot to fight the plague, allowed the construction of two stone churches near the cemetery - summer and winter. Gradually, a whole Old Believer village with its own special way of life was formed and grew here, where, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, the customs and customs differed sharply from the rest of Moscow.

Temples of Rogozhskaya Sloboda

Initially, after the permission of Catherine II, a temple was erected in the Rogozhskaya Sloboda in the name of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos or the Pokrovsky Cathedral. This is the main cathedral church of the Rogozhskaya community. Most of the Old Believer churches in Russia were consecrated in the name of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, since it was believed that it was her patronage that helped the Old Believer Church overcome hardships and hardships.

The temple was built in 1790-1792 by the outstanding Russian architect Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov in the style of classicism. During the construction of the temple, it turned out that it surpasses the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin in terms of area. Therefore, at the direction of Empress Catherine II, the temple was “shortened”: instead of five domes, one was left on the church, the altar ledges were dismantled, and the spire was shortened. Interior decoration The cathedral was impressive: the walls and vaults were painted in the Old Russian style, the temple was decorated with huge candlesticks, lamps, chandeliers. The richest collection of ancient Russian icons of the 13th-17th centuries was stored in the cathedral.

For two centuries the Intercession Cathedral was the largest Orthodox church Moscow, accommodating up to seven thousand believers at a time. Only the construction and reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior twice moved it to second place among Christian churches in terms of area. However, it must be admitted that in terms of spiritual value and prayerfulness, this is, of course, one of the most significant churches in the capital and the country as a whole.

To this day, frescoes and icons have been preserved in the Intercession Cathedral almost in their original form, including an icon in the iconostasis attributed to the disciples of Andrei Rublev. Also, hundreds of authentic Orthodox shrines and relics, collected over many years, are stored in the temple. The Pokrovsky Cathedral is illuminated by silver chandeliers of Catherine's time, not converted to electric lighting (!!!). Before the start of the service, candles are lit manually (!) on the chandeliers using a special wooden stairs on wheels, triangular shape similar to a children's slide. And in the temple, wooden, unpainted, cleanly scraped floors (the last time I saw this was 20-30 years ago in countryside)! All this creates some kind of extraordinary, fabulous, and at the same time homely cozy atmosphere.

Next to the summer Pokrovsky Cathedral is the winter Church of the Nativity of Christ.

It was built in 1804 according to the project of the architect I.D. Zhukov. In the 1920s, the temple was closed, the dome and rotunda were dismantled. At various times, a canteen for workers, factory workshops, a bomb shelter and even a base for Soyuzattraction slot machines were located here. It is clear that the interiors have not been preserved. Now the service here is conducted infrequently.

Closer to the Rogozhsky cemetery there is a temple in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Nikola of Mirlikiy at the Rogozhsky cemetery). In this place, first in 1771, an Old Believer wooden chapel was built, later replaced by a church in the classicist style, later, in 1864, rebuilt in the pseudo-Russian style. In the same years, a three-tiered bell tower was built. AT Soviet time the temple was not closed. At present, the temple does not belong to the Old Believer community, it is a parish of the same faith, Russian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchy.

The restored temple can be viewed as a painted toy, as a bright fairy-tale fantasy from childhood. Here on each side of the bell tower there is such a porch ...

... the windows are so intricately decorated ...

... this is how the domes are intricately decorated and this is how the bell tower looks like in general

A truly pearl of the architectural ensemble of the Rogozhskaya Sloboda is the church-bell tower in the name of the Resurrection of Christ. Majestic and graceful, inexpressibly beautiful and harmonious, with its aspiration to heaven similar to spaceship at the start, with its silhouette evoking images of ancient Russian churches, the bell tower of the Rogozhskaya Sloboda is an undoubted masterpiece of religious architecture, it may not be so replicated and clearly underestimated from a tourist point of view

In 1856, the tsarist government sealed the altars of the summer and winter churches, and the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, built by that time, was turned into a common faith church. Only in 1905, on the basis of the tsar's manifesto on religious tolerance, the Rogozhsky churches were unpacked. It was in memory of the unsealing of the altars of local churches that the church-bell tower was erected in 1906-1913 in the name of the Resurrection of Christ (architect F. I. Gornostaev). In 1949, the temple was re-consecrated in the name of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, and in early 2015, back to the original dedication to the Resurrection of Christ. Initially, during construction, bells weighing 1000, 360 and 200 pounds were installed on the bell tower. In the 1920s they were removed and sent for melting down, the church was closed. After restoration in 1990, a bell weighing 262 pounds 38 pounds (4293 kg) was raised to the bell tower. This bell, cast in 1910, has been kept at the Moscow Art Theater since the 1930s.

The height of the bell tower is about 80 meters, which is only a meter lower than the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in the Kremlin, above which it was forbidden to build in Moscow for centuries. But, as the guide told us, there is a persistent opinion among the Old Believers that the bell tower of the Rogozhsky village is only one brick lower than Ivan the Great, or even lower than the Kremlin bell tower only according to documents, but in fact it is equal or higher. In addition to extremely harmonious proportions, the bell tower is remembered for its elegant carvings.

The arch of the belfry is decorated with relief images of a pelican. It used to be that the pelican feeds its chicks with its blood, so it served as a symbol of parental love.

AT Soviet period most of the territory of the Rogozhsky settlement was used for the construction of buildings for the plant of automatic lines and special machines. According to data gleaned from the Internet, in 1995 the Moscow government approved a plan for the reconstruction of the historical and architectural ensemble of the Rogozhskaya Sloboda, and in 2011 this plan was canceled. I can personally testify that before 2011 restoration work was carried out here, and recently, literally in 2014-15, noticeable changes took place. Compare these two photos here. Pay attention to the dome of the bell tower

This is just an illustration of the transformation of the temple in recent years: the first photo was taken in 2013, and the second - in 2016. Particularly noteworthy here next moment. Recently, in the construction of places of worship, they began to widely use modern technologies and materials. In particular, the domes of churches are often covered with titanium alloy, an example of this is the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. But the Old Believer community is true to the traditions of their ancestors - the domes of the bell tower of the Rogozhsky village were covered with gold leaf. So, when driving along the Third Ring Road, between Nizhegorodskaya Street and Entuziastov Highway, on the outside, pay attention to the slender, beautiful bell tower, unique in shape.

Old Believer Fair

From my own experience, I will say that it is most interesting to visit Rogozhskaya Sloboda on the feast of the Week of the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women, when the Old Believer fair is held here. You will get a double impression: both from the architectural beauties and from staying, I am not afraid of this comparison, in a different reality. See for yourself. On the day of the fair, a market unfolds on the territory of the village, where bearded men in shirts trade, and women and girls go exclusively in sundresses and headscarves - pay attention to the appearance of people in this photo and in the following photos.

At the fair, you can buy (or just look at)) just such clothes ...

... homespun (!!) canvases ...

…hand-embroidered towels…

… wooden Toys…

... various household utensils ...

... and even a cart!

In the shade, live geese brought for sale are waiting for their fate

Products from Altai are also widely presented at the fair: honey, herbal preparations and teas, balms, and so on.

This holiday is celebrated annually on the second Sunday after Easter, i.e. sometime in May. In addition, again from my experience, it is most advantageous to photograph here in the summer.

If you did not get to the fair, then you can use two year-round shops, which are located nearby, on the way to the village from Nizhegorodskaya Street. One shop sells different types bee products, herbal teas and other products. The other is clothing, footwear, literature, handicrafts and household items such as those presented at the fair. Below I will tell you how to find them.

How to get to Rogozhsky village

Getting to Rogozhsky village by public transport is somewhat problematic, because there are no metro stations nearby and you have to change to ground transport. When visiting the village on a guided tour a few years ago, we traveled from the Marksistskaya metro station by trolleybus. By the way, that's enough. profitable option, because here you can use several buses and trolleybuses, but it takes a long time to walk. From the metro station Aviamotornaya or Ploschad Ilyich, ground transport is much less. Favorable prospects open to us central ring: there are several buses and trolleybuses from the MCC Nizhegorodskaya station, and the ride is much closer, literally the next stop. Both from Marxistskaya and from Nizhegorodskaya transport goes along Nizhegorodskaya street and you will approach the village from the south. This is how to go from the "Modern University" stop if you are coming from the Marxistskaya metro station

This is how to go from the stop "Platform Kalitniki - Old Believer Street", if you are coming from the Nizhegorodskaya MCC station

Below, on the map of the Rogozhsky village, the South Gate is indicated (marked with the number 18). They are usually closed, the entrance gates are located to the left, that's why the route is laid to them on the maps above.

Scheme of the historical and architectural complex "Rogozhsky village"

On the left, along Staroobriadcheskaya Street, the number 17 marks the Holy Gates on the diagram. Near them there is a bus stop coming from the side of the Enthusiasts Highway, i.e. from the metro station Aviamotornaya or Ilyich Square. By the way, it is at these gates (inside) that the fair unfolds.

There are many parking lots for cars and, what is nice, many are free. So, there is parking along the Old Believer Street (as it is called on the diagram), it is also Rogozhsky Village Street (on the map). But during the fair, these parking lots are usually busy. There is a large parking lot at the corner of the Rogozhsky cemetery and Old Believer Street, where the number 1 is on the diagram. In addition, there is parking on the north side of the Rogozhsky cemetery, along Petrovsky Proyezd.

On the fence of the village near the gate there are rules that indicate that the time to visit the complex is from 7.00 to 22.00. That is, we can conclude that the gates are locked at night. Also on the territory of the village it is forbidden to smoke, swear, be with dogs and other animals, ride bicycles (except for preschool ones). Baby strollers are allowed.

IMPORTANT! The following announcements hang on the doors of the Old Believer churches of the Rogozhsky village:

“Visiting temples by non-Old Believers is possible if they observe the rules of dress and behavior adopted in ancient Orthodox churches:

Women must wear skirts below the knees, long sleeves and headscarves. Hats, scarves and makeup are not good.

Men must wear trousers and long sleeves. Everyone should have closed shoes on their feet, and for women - without high heels.

Some places of worship such as Divine Liturgy, the rules prescribe to be performed only among fellow Christians, so visitors will be asked to leave the temple for a while. Also, during some moments of the service, it is forbidden to enter and move around the temple, so those who are unfamiliar with the ancient Orthodox charter should stay close to the entrance and do not perform any prayer actions.

From my own experience, I will say the following. You can simply walk around the territory of the village without the above restrictions, i.е. women go around in trousers, hats and bare heads, and I have never heard any complaints. They are very loyal to outside visitors to the fair, this is generally the most secular event of the community. The only thing, all the same, it is necessary to exclude very open and provocative clothes: bare shoulders and stomachs, shorts, bermudas, etc. for both women and men.

BUT! If you plan to visit temples, then you must strictly follow all the requirements for appearance and behavior. I witnessed how a group of 20 people was not allowed into the temple because two women were wearing trousers, and judging by the reaction of the guide, this was predictable and inevitable. I would recommend visiting temples when there is no service there - it is more likely that you will not be asked to leave. It must be understood that belonging to a different confession will be determined immediately: there are a lot of nuances that are difficult for an outsider to observe, and it is not necessary, I think. If other confessions are allowed in the temple, then we must take the opportunity and show respect for the people we came to visit and whose shrines we want to see.

In the temple, one should not be baptized, kiss the icons, put candles, etc. Shooting is strictly prohibited, it is generally better to remove the camera so as not to attract too much attention. Personally, I stick to the tactics of restrained curiosity. Usually, inside, I first stand at the entrance in order to form an image of a respectful visitor among those around me, and to determine the features of the place where I got myself (for example, it happens that men and women pray in different halves of the temple or go active part ritual and it is better to eliminate). Then slowly, trying not to disturb anyone and not violate personal space, I move around the temple in stages. In my experience, the best and most profitable tactic of behavior is peacefulness and respect.

The approximate schedule of services is as follows. The morning service usually starts at 7:30, ends on weekdays around 10:30, and on weekends around 12:00. 20-21h.

How to get into the shops and refectory of the Rogozhsky village

From whatever public transport stop you come from Nizhegorodskaya Street, you will definitely have to go under two overpass bridges. As soon as you roll under them, on opposite side pass under the bridges you will see this building

According to the sign on the building, this is Rogozhsky village, 35, according to the Yandex map - Rogozhsky village, 29с9, and on the maps above this building is signed "Cossack hive". If you go around this building on the right, then the first door will be to the refectory of the Rogozhsky village. There are beautiful and tasty pastries, as well as many other dishes that I have not tried. If we go further, there will be another grocery store, we go around it and around the corner, in the courtyard, we see just such a tiny shop

Opening hours are approximately as follows: on weekdays from 10:00 to 19:00, on Saturdays from 10:00 to 17:00, on Sundays from 10:00 to 16:00.

Further in the courtyard behind it is a handicraft shop, where you can find traditional Russian clothes, Cossack uniforms, all kinds of utensils, and souvenirs. Please note that trading is not conducted here in the morning during Sunday and especially revered services, as well as in the evening on the eve church holidays. In general, the opening hours are daily from 10:00 to 18:00.

If you approached or drove up to the village from the other side, then you need to go beyond it through the gates of the southern part of the village.