Pectoral crosses of Old Believers. Why do Old Believers never remove the cross? Prayer to the Life-giving Cross - examples of prayer texts for the Cross of Christ

Religious reading: Old Believer cross prayer to help our readers.

providenie.narod.ru

Foreword

Whether it is an Old Believer cross or one of those that are accepted in the official church - they are equally gracious. Their difference is purely external, and is due only to the prevailing tradition. Let's try to figure out how it is expressed.

The departure of the Old Believers from the official church

It is known that, having entered into irreconcilable contradictions with the official church and separated from it, the Old Believers did not remain a single movement for long. The disagreements that arose between its religious leaders led to the fact that it soon disintegrated into dozens of groups called "rumors" and "accords." Each of them had its own Old Believer cross.

Features of Old Believer crosses

It is an eight-pointed cross inside a four-pointed one. This form was widespread in the Russian Orthodox Church in the middle of the 17th century by the time the schism began and was in full compliance with the canonical requirements. It was her schismatics who considered it most consistent with the concepts of ancient piety.

Eight-pointed cross

The presence in them, in addition to the main horizontal bar, two more is explained as follows. The upper one - a small crossbar - should represent a tablet nailed to the top of the cross on which the Savior was crucified.

On it, according to the Gospel, there was an abbreviation of the inscription: "Jesus Nazarene, King of the Jews." The lower, inclined crossbar, depicting the footrest of the crucified Christ, is often given a very definite meaning.

According to the established tradition, it is considered to be a kind of "measure of righteousness" weighing human sins. Its slope, in which the right side is raised up and points towards the repentant robber, symbolizes the forgiveness of sins and the attainment of the Kingdom of God.

The left, lowered down, indicates the depths of hell, prepared for the robber who did not repent and blaspheme the Lord.

Pre-reform crosses

For example, a cross. Whether it is Old Believer or not, it is, first of all, a symbol that has existed since the beginning of Christianity, and the external changes that it underwent over the centuries did not change its essence.

The most ancient crosses are characterized by the absence of the image of the Savior's figure. For their creators, only the form itself, bearing the symbol of Christianity, was important.

It is not difficult to see this in the crosses of the Old Believers. For example, the Old Believer pectoral cross is often performed in just such an ancient tradition.

However, this does not differ from ordinary crosses, which also often have a strict, laconic look.

Copper-cast crosses

The main hallmark is the pommel - top part cross. In some cases, it depicts the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, while in others it depicts the image of the Savior or the God of hosts not made by hands.

These are not just different artistic solutions, these are their fundamental canonical attitudes. Looking at such a cross, a specialist can easily determine its belonging to one or another group of Old Believers.

So, for example, the cross of the Old Believers of the Pomor Consent or the Fedoseevsky style close to them, never carries the image of the Holy Spirit, but it can always be recognized by the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, placed in the pommel.

If such differences can still be attributed to an established tradition, that is, between agreements and purely fundamental, canonical differences in the design of crosses.

Pilat's inscription

In this regard, the Old Believers have a question: is it worthy for an Orthodox Old Believer to have an inscription on itself written by those who are forever cursed by the church? Its most ardent opponents have always been the aforementioned Pomors and Fedoseevites.

It is curious that the controversy over the "Pilate Inscription" (as the Old Believers call it) began in the early years of the schism. One of the prominent ideologues of the Old Believers - the archdeacon of the Solovetsky Monastery Ignatius - is known for having compiled several very voluminous treatises condemning this title, and even filed a petition about this to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich himself.

In his writings, he argued the inadmissibility of such an inscription and insistently demanded to replace it with the abbreviation of the inscription "Jesus Christ is the King of Glory." It would seem a minor change, but there was a whole ideology behind it.

The cross is a common symbol for all Christians

This is not surprising, since we have one faith, the Lord is one, and it seems incorrect to ask the question of how the Old Believer's cross differs from the Orthodox one. They are essentially one and worthy of universal worship, since, with minor external differences, they have common historical roots and equal blessed power.

The Old Believers' cross, the difference of which from the usual one, as we found out, is purely external and insignificant, is rarely an expensive piece of jewelry. Most often, he is characterized by a certain asceticism. Even the Old Believers' golden cross is not common. For the most part, copper or silver is used for their manufacture.

And the reason for this is not at all in economy - there were many rich merchants and industrialists among the Old Believers - but rather in the priority of internal content over external form.

Common religious aspirations

In the tradition of the Old Believers, to attach more importance not to outward appearance graves, but concern for the repose of the souls of the departed. This is fully consistent with what the official church teaches us and. We all equally pray to God for our relatives, loved ones and just brothers in faith who have completed their earthly journey.

Long gone are the times of persecution of those who, by their religious beliefs or due to current circumstances, ended up in the ranks of a movement that got out of the control of the supreme church administration, but nevertheless remained in the bosom of Christ's church.

Having officially recognized the Old Believers, Russian Orthodox Church constantly looking for ways to get closer to our brothers in Christ. And therefore, the Old Believer cross or an icon, painted according to the canons established in the old faith, have become in full measure the objects of our religious veneration and worship.

Prayer to the Life-giving Cross - examples of prayer texts for the Cross of Christ

Veneration of the Cross in Orthodoxy

At the same time, timid attempts to reduce the entire problem to the level of allegory and theological metaphor are not convincing due to the unshakable patristic rule: the law of prayer is the law of faith. That is, the prayer to the Life-giving Cross, practiced in Orthodoxy, implies faith in the personified existence of a certain consciousness-endowed Cross.

However, the purpose of this article is not to delve into the theological issues of cross worship, but to illustrate this practice with the example of several of the most popular prayers.

The main prayer to the honest Life-giving Cross

“May God rise, and his enemies be scattered! And let those who hate him flee from his face! As the smoke disappears, so they will disappear, as the wax melts in the face of the flame, so will the demons perish in the face of those who love God, who sign themselves with the sign of the cross and in joy exclaims: “Rejoice, revered by all the Life-giving Cross of the Lord! Cast out the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified on you, descended into hell and trampled the power of the devil and gave us you - his revered Cross to drive out every enemy. Oh, most venerable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord! Help me together with the holy lady the Virgin Mary and together with all the saints forever. Amen".

This prayer to the Life-giving Cross is part of the so-called evening prayer rule and is read every night by all believers. Her first verses are taken from Psalm 67, interpreted in the light of the dogma of the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ. There is another commonly used prayer to the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, not so well-known and, moreover, more extensive. You can get acquainted with it below.

Alternative prayer to the Cross

This prayer to the Life-giving Cross is not used in worship, but is distributed in prayer books and other collections of prayer texts intended for home use.

Brief proclamations

"Protect me, Lord, by the power of your venerable Life-giving Cross and save me from all evil."

There are other prayers to the Cross, sometimes very long - canons, akathists, which can be easily found in church shops.

How are Orthodox Christians baptized and why is it needed?

Types of the sign of the cross

Three fingers are the symbol of the Holy Trinity. Two-fingered is considered more ancient and dates back to the times of the Old Believers. With the sign of the cross with two fingers, the index and middle fingers are folded as a sign of the unity of the divine and human nature of Christ.

Only priests use the sign of the cross. It is called so because it symbolizes the name of Christ. So, how are Orthodox Christians baptized? Parishioners use three fingers. Two-fingered and nominative fingerprints are used by clergymen and are also depicted on icons. The latter is also used by priests during the consecration of objects.

How Orthodox Christians are baptized: features

In Catholicism, more attention is paid to secular life, and although many Orthodox traditions exist, they are either abolished or are carried out by parishioners according to the principle "whoever knows how." So, how are Orthodox Christians baptized?

Fingers should be folded into three fingers, after which the hand is brought first to the forehead, then to the navel, and then from the right shoulder to the left. But why are Orthodox Christians baptized in this way? This has a special meaning. The right side in Christianity has always been considered the side of salvation, and the left is the place of the perishing.

That is, in this way orthodox christian asks to count himself among the saved. Catholics do the opposite: from left to right. For them, such a gesture means that they open their hearts to God. Some Orthodox Christians decipher their sign of the cross as follows: they close their hearts from Satan.

So: why, after all, Orthodox Christians are baptized from right to left, and Catholics from left to right?

So, until 1570, Catholics were allowed to be baptized both from right to left and from left to right. But then Pope Pius V insisted on doing it from left to right and nothing else. “Blessing himself. makes a cross from forehead to chest and from left shoulder to right, ”said the great messenger of God.

The fact is that when you cross your hands in this way, the sign of the cross, according to Christian symbolism, comes from a person who turns to God. And when you move your hand from right to left - coming from God, who blesses a person.

Note: it is not for nothing that both Orthodox and Catholic priests baptize those around them from left to right (looking away from themselves). This is a kind of blessing gesture.

In addition, what is interesting is that moving the hand from left to right means the transition from sin to salvation, since the left side in Christianity is associated with devilish power, and the right side with divine power.

And with the sign of the cross from right to left, moving the hand is interpreted as a victory of the divine over the devil. So that's it! If this fact was interesting for you, then share the article with your friends.

Conscientious Accuracy

Any method of overshadowing yourself or other people with the banner of the cross must carry a semantic load, and then you yourself must choose what is more important for you: open your heart to the Lord or close it from Satan. Therefore, one should be interested not only in how the Orthodox are baptized, but also in why they do it.

Remember to impose on yourself symbolically Orthodox cross- means to bear great responsibility.

Church schism: a struggle for piety or power

Interpretation of church schism

Soviet scientists began to adhere to the same point of view. In Russia, especially in tsarist Russia, the church has always been assigned the role of a spiritual guardian and ruler of souls. Which, in fact, is quite understandable - then religion in the state was part of politics.

In Soviet times, it was generally accepted to interpret any events as a struggle of the oppressed masses.

Historical facts

Amendments were made to the service of the liturgy and to the Psalter. This is considered the main reason for the controversy. But the church split occurred later, when Patriarch Nikon received great preferences from Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the father of Peter the Great.

He could make decisions about church life for himself. Many modern historians believe that this is the real reason for the disagreement.

The attitude of the masses to the split

Studying the documents, scientists came to the conclusion that passions were seething among the clergy, who were looking for supporters from the very beginning in the representatives of the nobility, and only then the slaves went into action.

These have already been attempts to organize acts of disobedience. The bulk of the people remained indifferent to this process. Most likely, because I didn't even understand what all the fuss was about.

The protopopes, who were part of the community of zealots of antiquity, were arrested and exiled. A small part of the people who remained faithful to the previous canons were outlawed. Many of them fled and founded settlements of the Old Believers in Siberia.

There they remained until the revolution and many left the country during the years civil war... Most of them settled in South America.

Nikon's fate

This was not enough for him, he declared the ecclesiastical authority above the royal one, which led to a conflict with the ruler and to the loss of the highest mercy.

Nikon had to leave the patriarchal throne, by the cathedral of 1666-1667 he was defrocked and exiled to the Ferapontov monastery.

But the changes that he introduced in the conduct of divine services have survived to this day.

Related links

Have you read the article to the end? Please take part in the discussion, express your point of view, or simply rate the article.

Cross "GOLGOF CROSS. PRAYER TO THE CROSS "(Old Believer)

Availability: In stock

Manufacturer: Yuri Fedorov Workshops

Free shipping

The product is consecrated

Our cross reproduces the type of pectoral cross that is widely used in the Old Believer Church, which arose in Russia in the 17th century.

His characteristic features are a simple four-pointed shape with straight beams, where the vertical beam is longer than the horizontal one, and a fixed rounded head with a two-tier pyramid.

The central and main element of the composition of the obverse is the eight-pointed cross - the image of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, installed on Mount Calvary. Inside the mountain, a skull is depicted, denoting the head of Adam, because according to legend, the remains of Adam were buried in this place. In addition, the relationship between Christ and Adam is thus marked. The Church Fathers call Christ the New Adam, who atoned for original sin and opened the way to eternal life for man. On the sides of the Calvary Cross are depicted the instruments of the passions - a spear and a cane with a sponge. Along with the Cross, they are worshiped, therefore the spear and the cane are invariably present on all worn Old Believer crosses, making up a single composition with an eight-pointed cross and Calvary. According to the opinion of the Old Believers, the image of the Savior should not be depicted on pectoral crosses, since the cross is never allowed to be removed, but at the same time a person has to be in such places where it is indecent to bring the image of the Savior.

On the free field of the cross there are traditional inscriptions of doctrinal and glorifying character. In the upper part of the cross there is Tsr Slvy (Tsar of Glory), an inscription that appeared on Byzantine crosses no later than the 12th century. (ΒΑΣΙΛΥΣ ΤΗΕ ΔΟΞΗΣ), the opposite of the ironic Pilate inscription, which speaks of the Lord's Ascension in Glory. On the edges of the horizontal beam - I & C X & C (Jesus * Christ), confirming the promised Old Testament Messiahship of the Savior. Along the horizontal beam - NIKA (Winner), reminiscent of Christ's victory over hell and death.

The inscription I & С Х & С NIKA was first written on crosses made by order of Emperor Constantine immediately after the acquisition of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord by Queen Helena.

It is worth dwelling separately on the meaning of the eight-pointed cross, about which there was so much controversy in the history of the post-reform Church, and which today is not only especially revered among the Old Believers, but is also a symbol of the entire Russian Orthodox Church.

The eight-pointed cross as an image of the instrument of the Savior's execution is found in church art since the 9th century. And by the 16th century. in Russia, the image of the Calvary Cross became predominantly eight-pointed. Such a graphic form, which has developed over the centuries, is the best spiritual image of the true cross of the Lord - a symbol of the Savior's Sacrifice and Victory. The eight-pointed shape, in turn, consists of three parts - the four-pointed cross itself and two additional horizontal bars at the top and bottom.

The four-pointed cross graphically repeats the figure of the crucified Savior, “Who created and contains all that is higher and lower, Who united the higher with the earth, descended from above to earth, and then ascended from earth to heaven; He united everything in Himself and called all the ends of the earth to Himself. "

The upper bar denotes the title of Pilate, mentioned in all four Gospels. But Pilat's very inscription of the alleged guilt of the Savior "Jesus of Nazareth - King of the Jews" until the 16th century. it was not used on crosses, because its false content and mocking character were incompatible with the worship of the Cross. Instead it was written the true title of the Savior "Jesus Christ the King of Glory", and more often just the abbreviated name of the Lord I & С Х & С. After all, titles (titulus - lat.) In the Roman tradition were called "fees, meaning royal power with the image of emperors or writing their name."

On the Russian crosses of Pilatov there is an inscription on the title in the form of the Slavic abbreviation I.N.TS.I. appears from the 17th century. and is usually present only in conjunction with the figure of the crucified Christ. However, on the eight-pointed crosses themselves without the Crucifixion, the inscriptions are not depicted, but are written side by side.

Thus, the upper crossbar, crowning the cross, denotes the true dignity of the Savior in accordance with the inscriptions nearby.

The bottom bar marks the foot. Despite the fact that the Gospel does not say about the foot and there is no reliable archaeological data about its existence, it is mentioned by many Church Fathers and is found on Byzantine and Russian images of the Crucifixion since ancient times.

Most researchers believe that the foot, according to the Byzantine ceremonial, means the greatness of the person depicted. It shows the Cross as the throne of Christ, as the king, the King of Glory. In addition, the Cross is perceived as an altar, the indispensable attribute of which is the foot. Thus, the foot on the cross shows the crucified Christ not only as a sacrifice, but also as the High Priest offering it. We find confirmation of these meanings of the foot in many books of Holy Scripture (Isa. 60.13; Ps. 98.5; Ps. 131.7; Matthew 22.44; Hebrews 10: 12-13). Given the importance of the foot, the Cross itself is often called the foot, and not just a separate part of it.

In the context of these meanings, the foot on the ancient crosses had a three-dimensional cubic shape, sometimes decorated with ornaments and was similar to the foot depicted on the icons at the throne of the Almighty. Let us recall that the figure of the crucified Christ in those days also had features of royal dignity. Over time (from the 9th century), the voluminous foot in Byzantine and Russian art turned into a wide board. In Russian crosses of the XVI-XVII centuries. she began to be depicted as beveled with the right end up. The foot of such a form fell in love and became firmly established in Russian icon painting and acquired a new symbolic meaning - “the righteous measure”. The sloping foot on the cross reminds us of two robbers crucified on the sides of Christ, and denotes the balance beam of the Last Judgment. One end is lowered down under the weight of the sins of the unrepentant, bringing him down to hell, and the other, freed by the repentance of the prudent thief, is lifted up, lifting him, according to the Savior's promise, to heaven. Thus, the meaning of repentance as a path to salvation is symbolically highlighted.

In addition, the reminder of the crucified robbers recreates the complete picture of the Crucifixion with three crosses, the important symbolic meaning of such a composition is to show the restoration of the lost paradise with two trees in the center. And then the Cross of Christ is the image of the Tree of Life, and the crosses of robbers personify the dualism of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It is possible that, combining the symbolism of the trees of paradise, the eight-pointed cross with an oblique foot becomes the "Trinomial honest tree" sung in the canon to the Honest and Life-giving Cross (Canto 8).

On the reverse side of our cross is the text of the prayer to the Honest and Life-Giving Cross in the pre-reform spelling: May God rise again, and disdain him, and let those who hate him flee from the face of him: as if the smoke disappears, and disappears, as if wax melts from the face of fire, so yes demons will perish on behalf of those who love God and knowledge.

* This spelling of the name of Christ was used before the church reform of 1651-1685, and to this day it is accepted in the Old Believer Church.

Our cross can be executed in silver with blackening and fragmentary gilding (Art. KS109) or decorated with hot enamel of various colors (Art. KS109 / 1).

For most contemporaries, the concept of "Old Believer" is associated with something very ancient, dense, left far in the past.

The most famous Old Believers are the Lykov family, who at the beginning of the last century went to live in the deep Siberian forests. Several years ago, Vasily Peskov spoke about them in a series of essays "Taiga Dead End" on the pages of "Komsomolskaya Pravda".

My school years were spent in Naryan-Mar, a city founded in 1935 just 10 km from Pustozersk - the place where the "main Old Believer" of Russia, Archpriest Avvakum, was burned. Throughout the Pechora River, from the headwaters to the mouth, Old Believers lived, there were villages where they made up the bulk of the inhabitants, for example Ust-Tsilma. They also lived in Naryan-Mar, next to us, secretly gathered in houses for prayer meetings, and we did not know anything about them. Having already become a student, I learned that my school friend, with whom they had been sitting at the same desk for three years, had a true Old Believer mother, almost the most important in their community. And the girlfriend had to cry a lot, so that she was allowed to join the pioneers, and then the Komsomol.

I learned more about Old Believers when I came to live in Klaipeda. There was a large community there - Old Believers settled in Lithuania from the 17th-18th centuries, there was a prayer house in the city. Long-bearded men and women in long skirts and kerchiefs tied under their chins walked along our street. As it turned out, my husband's parents were Old Believers! The father-in-law, of course, did not go to prayer house, did not wear a beard, considered himself an atheist, smoked and drank, like most men who went through the war. And the mother-in-law considered herself a believer, although she also violated the precepts of the old faith. True Old Believers are forbidden to shave their beards, smoke, they must refrain from alcohol, especially vodka, everyone must have their own mug, bowl, spoon, for outsiders there must be separate dishes, etc.

Later I read a wonderful novel by PI Melnikov-Pechersky "In the woods" and "On the mountains", dedicated to the description of the life of Old Believers in the Urals region. I learned so much new for myself, the book just shocked me!

What is the difference between the old Orthodoxy and the new, Nikonian? Why did the champions of the old faith endure so much persecution, suffering and execution?

The schism took place under Patriarch Nikon, who undertook church reform in 1653. As you know, an integral part of Nikon's "reforms", supported by the "quietest" Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, was the correction of liturgical books according to Greek models and the conduct of church rituals according to the canons of the Greek Orthodox Church, which led to the church schism. Those who followed Nikon, the people began to call "Nikonians", new believers. Nikonians, using state power and strength, proclaimed their church the only Orthodox, dominant, and called those who disagree with the insulting nickname "schismatics." In fact, Nikon's opponents remained faithful to the ancient church rituals, having in no way changed the Orthodox Church that came with the baptism of Rus. Therefore, they call themselves Orthodox Old Believers, Old Believers or Old Orthodox Christians.

Between the old and the new, Nikonian faith, there are no differences in teaching, but only purely external, ceremonial. Thus, Old Believers continue to be baptized with two fingers, and new believers - with three fingers. On old icons, the name of Christ is written with one letter "and" - "Jesus", on new ones "Jesus". Old Believers answer the priest's prayer in honor of the Holy Trinity with two "Hallelujah" (augmented hallelujah), and not three times, as in the new Orthodoxy. The Old Believers perform the religious procession clockwise, while Nikon ordered counterclockwise. The ideal form of the cross among the Old Believers is considered to be eight-pointed, and the four-pointed, as borrowed from the Latin Church, is not used in the course of worship. There is a difference in bowing ...

Of course, the goal pursued by Nikon, starting the reform, was not only to change the external attributes of worship. V. Petrushko in his article “Patriarch Nikon. On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his birth. Liturgical Reform ”writes: The Church reform of Patriarch Nikon, which entailed the emergence of the Old Believer schism, is often perceived as the main goal of his activities. In fact, it was rather a means. First, through the reform, the Patriarch pleased the tsar who hoped to become an ecumenical Orthodox sovereign - it was with this that Nikon's rise began. Secondly, thanks to the transformations Nikon strengthened his position and could hope, over time, to become the same Ecumenical Patriarch, " strict autocracy of the patriarch, independent of the king, and through the exaltation of the priesthood over the kingdom. " (Those interested can read the entire article: http://www.sedmitza.ru/text/436332.html).

Nikon failed to rise above the Tsar, he led the Church for only six years, then he lived for eight years in the New Jerusalem Monastery near Moscow, in fact, in a disgraced position, and spent another 15 years in exile in the Ferapontov and Kirillov - Belozersky monasteries.

After the split, several branches arose in the Old Believers. One of them is priesthood, which differs least of all in dogma from the new Orthodoxy, although the old rituals and traditions are observed. According to some reports, there are about 1.5 million of them in the post-Soviet space, and they form two communities: the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church (RPSTs) and the Russian Old Orthodox Church (RDC). The second branch of the Old Believers - unpopularity, arose in the 17th century after the death of the priests of the old ordination, but they did not want to accept the new priests, since there was not a single bishop left who supported the old faith. They began to be referred to as "ancient Orthodox Christians who do not accept the priesthood". Initially, they were looking for salvation from persecution in wild uninhabited places on the coast of the White Sea, and therefore began to be called Pomors. Bespopovtsy are united in the Old Orthodox Pomor Church (DOC). There are many supporters of the WOC in the Nizhny Novgorod region and in Karelia, and they are found in other places as well.

The age-old persecution by the official religion and the authorities developed a special one among the Old Believers, strong character... After all, defending their innocence, their whole families went into the fire, subjecting themselves to self-immolation. According to archival data, in the 17th-18th centuries, more than 20 thousand Old Believers subjected themselves to self-immolation, especially during the reign of Peter I. Under Peter, by a decree of 1716, Old Believers were allowed to live in villages and cities, subject to payment of a double tax, the Old Believers had no right to occupy public positions and be witnesses in court against the Orthodox. They were forbidden to wear traditional Russian clothes, they were taxed for wearing beards, etc. Under Catherine II, Old Believers were allowed to settle in the capital, but a decree was issued on collecting a double tax from Old Believer merchants. Apparently, the obligation to pay extra taxes contributed to the cultivation of the habit of hard work among the Old Believers, and the Old Believers had a noticeable influence on the business and cultural life of Russia. The Old Believers have always tried to stick together, supporting each other. Some of them became successful merchants, industrialists, patrons of art - the families of the Morozovs, Soldatenkovs, Mamontovs, Shchukins, Kuznetsovs, Tretyakovs are well known to most Russians. The famous master-inventor I. Kulibin also came from a family of Old Believers.

Old Believers in St. Petersburg

On the streets of St. Petersburg you do not often see men with a thick beard and a special haircut "like a potty", as it can be called, and women in long skirts with kerchiefs tied under the chin are unlikely to be seen. Modernity naturally left its mark on the appearance of the Old Believers. But there are adherents of the old faith in St. Petersburg, and there are many of them.

The first official mention of the Old Believers of St. Petersburg appeared in 1723. Tsar Peter, having laid the new capital, demanded artisans from everywhere, and the Old Believers - carpenters, blacksmiths and other artisans, fulfilling the royal decree, went to build a new city, and settled mainly outside the city, on the Okhta river.

Under Catherine II, the Old Believers received official permission to settle in the capital, however, subject to the payment of a double tax. In 1837, the Old Believers' Gromovskoye cemetery was even opened in St. Petersburg, the name of which was given by the names of the Gromov brothers - Old Believers and the largest timber merchants. This allows us to conclude that there were many Old Believers in St. Petersburg by that time. In 1844, the first Old Believer Church of the Assumption was consecrated at this cemetery. Holy Mother of God... The rapid growth of the Old Believers began after 1905, when the Decree on Freedom of Conscience was adopted. Nicholas II allowed the Old Believers to practice their faith, gave them the right to build new churches and officially register their communities. Before the revolution of 1917, 8 Old Believer churches operated in St. Petersburg, there were many internal closed prayer houses created during the time of persecution.

And after the revolution, persecution began again. From 1932 to 1937 all communities were liquidated by the authorities, their buildings were nationalized. They blew up the Intercession Cathedral at the Gromovskoye cemetery, which was built and consecrated only in 1912. In 1937, the last Old Believer church at the Volkov cemetery was closed. After that, the Old Believers went underground: not a single priest remained, and not a single temple.

The Old Believers managed to get out of the "underground" on the wave of signing The Soviet Union Helsinki agreements. In 1982, after five years of difficult correspondence with the authorities, an initiative group of believers led by hereditary Old Believer Boris Alexandrovich Dmitriev succeeded in registering the community of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church (RPSTs) of Belokrinitsa Consent. In the spring of 1983, an abandoned temple was handed over to the community on the outskirts of the city, at the “Victims of January 9th” cemetery. The transferred building was in a dilapidated state and required major repairs. Many people responded to the call to help in the restoration of the temple. Thanks to the united efforts of both St. Petersburg Christians and other parishes, the temple was rebuilt from the ruins in just 9 months.

On December 25, 1983, the solemn consecration of the church in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos took place, in memory of the Intercession Cathedral of the Gromovsky cemetery destroyed by the Bolsheviks. This is the only church of the RPSTs in St. Petersburg and the region, in which services are constantly held on Saturday evenings and on Sunday mornings.
True, it is not very convenient to get to it, it is located on Aleksandrovskaya Fermy Avenue, closer to its intersection with Sofiyskaya Street. The church has a Sunday school for children, which has been operating since 1995; classes are held every Sunday after the service. Here they teach reading and writing in Old Church Slavonic, prayers, znamenny singing, talk about divine services and church sacraments.

The largest community of Old Believers in St. Petersburg is the community of the Pomor Consent, which is part of the Old Orthodox Pomeranian Church (DOC). Now this community has two functioning churches. The first is the Cathedral Church of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos (architect D.A. Kryzhanovsky) at 8 Tverskaya Street, not far from the Tauride Garden. It was built and consecrated on December 22, 1907, and is very much revered and visited by Old Believers-Pomors. But in 1933, the temple was closed, production premises were located within its walls. Only 70 years later the church was returned to the believers, and in 2005 restoration work began in the church on Tverskaya. The builders spent days and nights there, giving all their all out in order to have time to prepare him for the patronal feast of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos. The craftsmen managed to restore the church in the form as close as possible to the original. On December 10, 2007, on the day of the celebration of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos, a hundred years after the initial opening, parishioners, mentors, and clergy again entered the temple. With amazement, the parishioners looked at the three-tiered chandelier and the iconostasis, especially its central gate, recreated from photographs.

And again, as a hundred years ago, the church was resounded by the harmonious singing of the Old Believers. After the prayer, a procession of the cross took place. Christian Old Believers solemnly walked around the temple, carrying banners. It is easy to get to this temple, by metro to the Chernyshevskaya station, and then on foot through the Tavrichesky Garden.

And on the former outskirts of St. Petersburg, in the modern residential area Rybatskoye, against the background multi-storey buildings, not far from the metro station, you can see a small three-story building with a turret that looks like a tiny fortress. Behind it is a small cemetery, more precisely, the remains of the oldest Kazan cemetery, and a church. The fortress-building, as it were, covers the cemetery and the church, as if it protects them. The building has a name - "Nevskaya monastery". After the war, a group of Leningraders who survived the blockade, who remembered the closure of pre-war prayer houses, began efforts to register the community. In 1947, the authorities agreed to register the Old Believers' Pomor community in Leningrad. This building, the Nevskaya Abode spiritual and charitable center and the Church of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos, belong to the Nevskaya Old Orthodox Pomor community. Both the construction of the building and the restoration of the church were carried out by the efforts of the Old Believers with the financial assistance of the trustees.

In the building of the "Nevskaya Abode" there is a small church, a refectory, a baptismal room, cells for the execution of requirements, a greenhouse, a carpentry workshop, utility rooms. There is a Sunday school, courses for the training of church officials, a library, an archive, a newspaper and church calendar, annual meetings of ancient Orthodox youth are held. It was nice to know that young Old Believers from Naryan-Mar took part in the last meeting. And in Naryan-Mar, with the assistance of the Neva Pomor community, the Old Believer church is being completed.

In December 2008, the Russian Museum hosted the "Images and Symbols of the Old Faith" exhibition. At the exhibition, in addition to the icons of old writing, there were many exhibits that characterize the way of life, traditions of the Old Believers. Things more suitable for the Ethnographic Museum were exhibited here: birch bark beetroots used for picking berries, spinning wheels painted with horses and birds, Old Believer rosary-ladders, women's costumes decorated with sewing and embroidery. The exhibition helped to conclude that although the Old Believers live next to us, speak the same language with us, they are still different from us in some way. Although they also enjoy all the modern benefits of technological progress, they are more careful about antiquity, their roots, their history.

Old Believers' world and copper-cast plastic

Copper-cast products were very popular in the Old Believer world, since, firstly, they are more functional in Old Believer wanderings, and secondly, they were made "not with filthy hands," but were baptized by fire. Additional popularity of the copper icons was added by Peter's decrees prohibiting them (the Decree of the Synod of 1722 and the Decree of Peter I of 1723). After these decrees, objects of artistic casting become a necessary accessory for everyone. Old Believer House, they were placed in the iconostasis, they were carried with them, they could be seen even on the street gates of the houses of the Old Believers.

Copper-cast plastic is most widespread among representatives of non-popovschina beliefs and accords (wanderers, Fedoseevites, Netovites), i.e. where the demarcation from the "antichrist world" was especially strict, where the importance of individual prayer was great. “Apart from especially respected shrines and their home icons, [the Old Believers - A.K.] do not pray to anybody or anybody,” wrote State Councilor Ivan Sinitsyn in 1862, “and wherever they go, even for a short time and even prayer, they always carry their icons with them and pray only to them. For this reason, their icons and crosses are almost always small, cast from copper, most of them in the form of folding "1.

Old Believer copper-cast crosses and icons usually ranged in size from 4 to 30 cm and were often made of bright yellow copper, the reverse side of icons and folds was often filed, and the background was filled with blue, yellow, white and green enamel. In addition to the signs characteristic of Old Believers' art objects (two-finger, titlo, inscriptions, etc.), vegetative and geometric patterns were widespread on them.

Copper icons, according to the observations of the hereditary master I.A. Golyshev, are divided into four categories: "Zagarsky (guslitsky), Nikologorsky (Nikologorsky churchyard), old or Pomorian (for the schismatics of the Pomor sect) and new ones, intended for the Orthodox ... This craft is mainly occupied by the Oeni, taking a schismatic appearance, that is, pretending schismatics, ofenya, who sells with schismatics, takes his cup and spoon with him on the road, puts on a schismatic costume and cuts his hair, too "2. Especially for Old Believers copper icons and the crosses are old. To do this, the manufactured product was immersed in salt water for two hours, then taken out and held over the vapors of ammonia, "which is why the green copper turns into the color of red copper and the image, in addition, takes on a smoky old look."

In Mstera, the trade in copper icons was so great that it supplanted the production of Mstera icon painters - their icons "dropped in prices against the previous half." In the 60s. XIX century. in Mstera alone, there were about 10 copper foundries. And there was also a sufficient number of industries around the center. So, in the Nikologorodsky churchyard, which is 25 versts from Mstera, copper foundry was put on stream. "They make it as follows: they take the Guslitsky icons, which are imprinted in clay, from which they get the so-called form, melt copper, poured into a mold, when the metal hardens, take out; then, as rear part comes out rough, then they clean it with a file and the icon is ready ", - wrote the same IA Golyshev.

In the first quarter of the XX century. Great and well-deserved fame in the Old Believers' world was enjoyed by the Sopyrevo (village of Sopyrevo, Krasnoselskaya Volost, Kostroma Gubernia) workshop of art casting of Pyotr Yakovlevich Serov (1863-1946). The workshop produced quite a variety of products: crosses different shapes, folds, icons. The most popular product was cross-vests made of brass and silver, which were made 6-7 pounds a month. The owner of the Moscow Old Believer printing house of the middle merchant G.K. Gorbunov (1834 - c. 1924) ordered from P.Ya. Serov book clasps and squares with the image of the Evangelists and centerpieces with the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The activities of the workshop continued until 1924, until the prohibition of the production of all types of jewelry in the Krasnoselsky handicraft workshops. After that, Pyotr Yakovlevich dismissed his masters, buried the equipment, divided the house between his sons, and left to wander around Eastern Siberia. How his further fate developed is unknown3.

A variety of copper-cast icons are Old Believer folds, three- and four-winged. "The iconostasis-folding was indispensable for opponents of the reform, hiding from persecution, moving for missionary and commercial purposes over long distances across the endless northern expanses," 4 wrote the researcher L.A. Petrov. A typical criminal case: on July 8, 1857, the mayor of the city of Glushkov, Vasily Efimov, in the village of Sosunov (Yuryevets district, Kostroma province), detained a fugitive man of the pilgrim sect Trofim Mikhailov, four copper images are embedded on one board, and copper image crucifixion of Jesus Christ, still small panels about three plates with a copper rim, in which there are three images "5.

Three-leaf folds (the so-called "nines") carried the image of the Deesis or the crucifixion with those who were to come. Both stories were widespread in the Old Believer world. There is a version that the tricuspid folds originated from the Solovetsky folds. The classic Solovetsky "nines" looked as follows: in the center - Jesus, Mary, John the Baptist; on the left - Metropolitan Philip, Nikola, John the Theologian; on the right - the guardian angel and St. Zosima and Savvaty Solovetsky. The reverse side of the Solovetsky "nines" was smooth.

Four-winged folds (the so-called "fours", Large festive folds) represented the image of the twelveth holidays, another common type of Pomor folds. For the similarity of forms and solid weight, such a form received the unofficial name "iron".

As for the Old Believer crosses, the Old Believers recognized the cross as "eight-pointed", "three-part and four-part". It was understood that the cross on which Christ was crucified was eight-pointed in shape, consisted of three types of wood, and had four parts: a vertical, "the shoulders of the cross", a foot and a titlo with a name. According to another interpretation, the three parts of the cross (vertical, horizontal and foot) form the three faces of the Holy Trinity. All other forms of the cross (first of all, the four- and six-pointed crosses) were categorically rejected by the Old Believers. The four-pointed cross was generally called a canopy, i.e. Latin cross. The Old Believers Ryabinovites (Netov's consent) developed the doctrine of the cross in their own way. They believed that the cross should not be decorated with carvings, images of a crucifix and unnecessary words, so they used smooth crosses without inscriptions. Old Believers-wanderers preferred a wooden cypress cross lined with tin or tin as a pectoral cross. On the back of the cross, the words from the Sunday prayer were often carved: "May God rise and be scattered around him."

V Orthodox world there are three main types of crosses: vest crosses, analogue crosses and grave crosses. The front side of the cross usually depicts a scene of a crucifixion (on the vest crosses - the attributes of the crucifixion, on the analogue crosses - a crucifixion with the ones to come), on the back side - the text of a prayer to the cross. On the crosses of the Old Believers, instead of the Sabaoth, the image of the Savior not made by hands was often placed at the top, on the edges of the large crosshair - the sun and the moon.

Great controversy in the Old Believer world was caused by the titlo pilatovo - an abbreviated inscription on the Cross of the Lord INTSI, i.e. "Jesus of Nazareth is king of the Jews". Disputes about whether the Cross should be worshiped if the Pilate inscription is depicted on it began in the Old Believers immediately after the cathedral of 1666-1667. Archdeacon of the Solovetsky Monastery Ignatius made a teaching that it is correct to write the title of IKhTsS ("Jesus Christ the King of Glory", cf. 1. Cor. 2.8), since Pilate's title is mocking and does not reflect the truth. Opposing him, other Old Believers argued that not only the title, but the cross itself, on which Christ was crucified, was an instrument of shameful death, which does not at all prevent Christians from worshiping the Cross. The opinions of the Old Believers were divided. Some currents in the Old Believers (for example, the Titlovites, a sense of Fedoseev's consent) adopted the Nikonian title "IНЦI", the majority did not, preferring the inscription "IХЦС" or "Tsar of Glory IC XC", "IC XC". The Popovtsy historically took little part in this discussion, considering both versions of the title acceptable for themselves, not finding any heresy in either of them. The title of the "Old Church Signing", adopted by the Pomors, has the following form: "TSR SLVY IX CHN BZHI NIKA".

The Old Believer Orthodox cross has a slightly different shape from the four-pointed cross that is widespread in our time. It has two crosshairs at an angle of ninety degrees, where the upper crossbar means a plate attached above Christ with the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews”, and a slanting lower crossbar, which symbolizes the “yardstick” that evaluates the good and bad deeds of all people. Its inclination to the left means that the repentant robber was the first to go to heaven.

What feature does such a cross have? The Old Believer model is sometimes included in a larger four-pointed cross and never has a figurine of a crucified Jesus. This is interpreted as the fact that this symbol should mean the Crucifixion, but not depict it. If the figure of Christ was present on the cross, then the cross would become an icon, which is not intended for wearing, but for prayer. Wearing the icon in a hidden form (the Old Believers never wear it in sight) means for this group of believers to use it for other purposes (like an amulet, which is an unacceptable action).

The Old Believer cross differs in its shape for wearing by men and women. For the stronger sex, it has clear quadrangular borders, while believing ladies wear this symbol, surrounded by additional space in the shape of a petal with flowing shapes. On the back side of the cross, there is a prayer "May God rise and his enemies be scattered ..." or the troparion to the Cross.

When did this cross appear? The Old Believer version in Russia has existed since ancient times. But during the reforms of Patriarch Nikon in the 1650s, they began to condemn him, along with other symbols of those who refused to accept church innovations. In particular, many people did not accept the three-fingered instead of the two-fingered, as well as the threefold proclamation of "Hallelujah" instead of the twofold. The Old Believers believed that the threefold kathisma contradicted the will of the Mother of God.

What did the split in Russia lead to, one of the symbols of which was the cross? In the middle of the seventeenth century, the Old Believers were forced to flee from the central regions of the country to the outskirts, where communities and sects were formed. The latter had many wonderful customs. For example, the Ryabinovsky religion worshiped only a cross made of mountain ash. All the adherents of the old church traditions were united by the isolation of existence and the exceptional strictness in the observance of the primordial, in their opinion, ceremonies. In a number of cases, when trying to convert a settlement to a new faith, people resorted to mass self-immolation. The number of victims in some years was in the tens of thousands.

Where can you see Old Believer crosses today? Photos of settlements where such believers live are quite widespread. Such settlements can be found both in the center of Russia and in Altai. There are even excursions to get acquainted with the life and life of this cultural layer. However, when you visit the village, you most likely will not see it. Old Believers still wear them strictly under their clothes.

3.7 (73.15%) 111 votes

Which cross is considered canonical, why is it unacceptable to wear a pectoral cross with the image of the crucified Savior and other images?

Every Christian, from holy baptism to his death hour, must wear on his chest the sign of his faith in the crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. We wear this sign not over clothes, but on our body, which is why it is called wearable, and it is called eight-pointed (eight-pointed) because it is similar to the Cross on which the Lord was crucified on Calvary.

The collection of pectoral crosses of the 18-19th centuries from the settlement area of ​​the Krasnoyarsk Territory indicates the presence of stable preferences in form against the background of a rich variety of individual craftsmanship by craftsmen, and the exceptions only confirm the strict rule.

The unwritten traditions contain many nuances. So, after the publication of this article, one Old Believer bishop, and then the reader of the site, indicated that the word cross as well as the word icon, does not have a diminutive form. In this regard, we also appeal to our visitors with a request to respectfully treat the symbols of Orthodoxy and monitor the correctness of their speech!

Male pectoral cross

The pectoral cross, which is always and everywhere with us, serves as a constant reminder of the Resurrection of Christ and that at baptism we promised to serve Him, renounced Satan. Thus, the pectoral cross is able to strengthen our spiritual and physical strength, to protect us from diabolical evil.

The oldest surviving crosses are often in the form of a simple, equilateral, four-pointed cross. This was the custom at a time when Christians venerated Christ, the apostles, and the holy cross symbolically. In ancient times, as you know, Christ was often depicted in the form of a Lamb surrounded by 12 other lambs - the apostles. Also, the Cross of the Lord was depicted symbolically.

The rich imagination of the masters was strictly limited to the unwritten concepts of the canonicity of pectoral crosses

Later, in connection with the acquisition of the authentic Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, St. Queen Elena, the octagonal shape of the cross begins to be depicted more and more often. This is reflected in the underwear crosses. But the quadruple did not disappear: as a rule, the octagonal cross was depicted inside the quadruped.

Along with the forms that have become traditional in Russia, in the Old Believer settlements of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, one can also find the legacy of an older Byzantine tradition

In order to remind us of what the Cross of Christ means to us, it was often depicted on the symbolic Calvary with a skull (the head of Adam) at the base. Next to him you can usually see the instruments of the Passion of the Lord - a spear and a cane.

Letters IНЦI(Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews), which are usually depicted on larger crosses, are brought to memory of the inscription mockingly nailed over the head of the Savior during the crucifixion.

Under the titles, the inscription ЦРЬ СЛВИ ИС ХС СНЪ БЖИЙ says: “ King of Glory Jesus Christ Son of God”. The inscription “ NIKA”(Greek word means Christ's victory over death).

Individual letters that may be on the pectoral crosses mean “ TO"- copy," T"- cane," Yy"- Mount Golgotha," GA”- the head of Adam. " MLRB”- Place Skull Paradise Existence (that is: Paradise was once planted on the place of Christ's execution).

We are sure that many do not even realize how perverted this symbolism is in our usual deck of cards ... As it turned out in, the four card suits are a hidden blasphemy against Christian shrines: baptize- this is the Cross of Christ; diamonds- nails; peaks- a copy of the centurion; worms- this is a sponge with vinegar, which the torturers mockingly gave to Christ instead of water.

The image of the Crucified Savior on pectoral crosses appeared quite recently (at least after the 17th century). Pendant crosses with the image of the Crucifixion non-canonical , since the image of the Crucifixion turns the pectoral cross into an icon, and the icon is intended for direct perception and prayer.

Wearing an icon hidden from the eyes is fraught with the danger of using it for other purposes, namely as a magical amulet or amulet. The cross is symbol and the Crucifixion is image ... The priest wears a cross with the Crucifixion, but he wears it in a visible way: so that everyone sees this image and is inspired to prayer, inspired to a certain attitude towards the priest. The priesthood is the image of Christ. And the pectoral cross that we wear under our clothes is a symbol, and the Crucifixion should not be there.

One of the ancient rules of Saint Basil the Great (IV century), which entered the Nomokanon, reads:

"Anyone who wears an icon on himself as an amulet must be excommunicated for three years."

As you can see, the ancient fathers very strictly followed the correct attitude to the icon, to the image. They stood guard over the purity of Orthodoxy, in every possible way protecting it from paganism. By the 17th century, it was customary to place a prayer to the Cross on the back of the pectoral cross (“May God rise and swell to foil Him…”), or just the first words.

Women's pectoral cross

In the Old Believers, the external difference between “ female" and " male”Crosses. The “female” pectoral cross has a smoother, rounded shape without sharp corners. Around the “female” cross, a “vine” is depicted with a plant ornament, reminiscent of the words of the psalmist: “ Your wife, as the vine is fruitful in the countries of your house ”(Ps. 127: 3).

It is customary to wear a pectoral cross on a long gaitan (braid, woven thread) so that, without removing it, you can take the cross in your hands and sign yourself with the sign of the cross (this should be done with appropriate prayers before going to bed, as well as when performing the cell rule).

Symbolism in everything: even three crowns above the opening symbolize the Holy Trinity!

If we talk about crosses with a crucifixion more broadly, then a distinctive feature of canonical crosses is the style of depicting the body of Christ on them. Widespread today on New Believer crosses the image of the suffering Jesus is alien to the Orthodox tradition .

Antique medallions with a symbolic image

According to the canonical ideas, which are reflected in icon painting and copper plastics, the body of the Savior on the Cross was never depicted as suffering, sagging on nails, etc., which testifies to His divine nature.

The manner of "humanizing" the suffering of Christ is characteristic of Catholicism and borrowed much later than the church schism in Russia. Old Believers consider such crosses unfit ... Examples of canonical and modern New Believers' casting are given below: the substitution of concepts is noticeable even with the naked eye.

The stability of traditions should also be noted: the collections in the photographs were replenished without the goal of showing only ancient forms, that is, hundreds of types of modern “ Orthodox jewelry ”- the invention of the last decades against the background of almost complete oblivion of the symbolism and meaning of the image of the honest Cross of the Lord.

Related illustrations

Below are illustrations, selected by the editors of the site "Old Believers Thought" and links on the topic.

An example of canon body crosses from different times:

An example of non-canon crosses from different times:

Unusual crosses, presumably made by Old Believers in Romania

Photos from the exhibition "Russian Old Believers", Ryazan

A cross with an unusual back that you can read about

Male cross of modern work

Catalog of ancient crosses - online version of the book " Millennium of the Cross "- http://k1000k.narod.ru

A well-illustrated article on Early Christian Pendant Crosses with quality illustrations in color and additional material on the topic on the site Culturology.Ru - http://www.kulturologia.ru/blogs/150713/18549/

Comprehensive information and photos about cast kioto crosses from Novgorod manufacturer of similar products : https://readtiger.com/www.olevs.ru/novgorodskoe_litje/static/kiotnye_mednolitye_kresty_2/

The cross - a symbol of Christ's atoning sacrifice - not only marks our belonging to Christianity, but through it the saving grace of God is sent down to us. Therefore, it is an essential element of faith. Whether it is an Old Believer cross or one of those that are accepted in the official church - they are equally gracious. Their difference is purely external, and is due only to the prevailing tradition. Let's try to figure out how it is expressed.

The departure of the Old Believers from the official church

In the middle of the 17th century, the Russian Orthodox Church experienced a tremendous shock caused by the reform carried out by its Primate, Patriarch Nikon. Despite the fact that the reform affected only the outer ritual side of worship, without touching on the main thing - religious dogma, it led to a schism, the consequences of which have not been ironed out to this day.

It is known that, having entered into irreconcilable contradictions with the official church and separated from it, the Old Believers did not remain a single movement for long. The disagreements that arose between its religious leaders led to the fact that it soon disintegrated into dozens of groups called "rumors" and "accords." Each of them had its own Old Believer cross.

Features of Old Believer crosses

How does the Old Believer cross differ from the usual one, which is accepted by the majority of believers? It should be noted here that the concept itself is very conditional, and we can only talk about one or another of its external features, adopted in the religious tradition. The Old Believer cross, the photo of which is presented at the beginning of the article, is the most common.

It is an eight-pointed cross inside a four-pointed one. This form was widespread in the Russian Orthodox Church in the middle of the 17th century by the time the schism began and was in full compliance with the canonical requirements. It was her schismatics who considered it most consistent with the concepts of ancient piety.

Eight-pointed cross

The very same eight-pointed shape of the cross cannot be considered the exclusive accessory of the Old Believers. Such crosses are common, for example, in the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches. The presence in them, in addition to the main horizontal bar, two more is explained as follows. The upper one - a small crossbar - should represent a tablet nailed to the top of the cross on which the Savior was crucified. On it, according to the Gospel, there was an abbreviation of the inscription: "Jesus Nazarene, King of the Jews."

The lower, inclined crossbar, depicting the footrest of the crucified Christ, is often given a very definite meaning. According to the established tradition, it is considered to be a kind of "measure of righteousness" weighing human sins. Its slope, in which the right side is raised up and points towards the repentant robber, symbolizes the forgiveness of sins and the attainment of the Kingdom of God. The left, lowered down, indicates the depths of hell, prepared for the robber who did not repent and blaspheme the Lord.

Pre-reform crosses

The part of the believers who broke away from the official church did not invent anything new in religious symbolism. The schismatics only retained those elements of it that existed before the reform, while abandoning any innovations. For example, a cross. Whether it is Old Believer or not, it is, first of all, a symbol that has existed since the beginning of Christianity, and the external changes that it underwent over the centuries did not change its essence.

The most ancient crosses are characterized by the absence of the image of the Savior's figure. For their creators, only the form itself, bearing the symbol of Christianity, was important. It is not difficult to see this in the crosses of the Old Believers. For example, the Old Believer pectoral cross is often performed in just such an ancient tradition. However, this does not differ from ordinary crosses, which also often have a strict, laconic look.

Copper-cast crosses

The differences are more significant between the Old Believers' copper-cast crosses belonging to different religious accords.

The main distinguishing feature of them is the pommel - the upper part of the cross. In some cases, it depicts the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, while in others it depicts the image of the Savior or the God of hosts not made by hands. These are not just different artistic solutions, these are their fundamental canonical attitudes. Looking at such a cross, a specialist can easily determine its belonging to one or another group of Old Believers.

So, for example, the cross of the Old Believers of the Pomor Consent or the Fedoseevsky style close to them, never carries the image of the Holy Spirit, but it can always be recognized by the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, placed in the pommel. If such differences can still be attributed to an established tradition, that is, between agreements and purely fundamental, canonical differences in the design of crosses.

Pilat's inscription

Often the text of the inscription on the upper, small crossbar is a cause for controversy. It is known from the Gospel that the inscription on the tablet attached to the cross of the Savior was made by Pontius Pilate, by whose order Christ was crucified. In this regard, the Old Believers have a question: is it worthy for an Orthodox Old Believer to have an inscription on itself written by those who are forever cursed by the church? Its most ardent opponents have always been the aforementioned Pomors and Fedoseevites.

It is curious that the controversy over the "Pilate Inscription" (as the Old Believers call it) began in the early years of the schism. One of the prominent ideologues of the Old Believers - the archdeacon of the Solovetsky Monastery Ignatius - is known for having compiled several very voluminous treatises condemning this title, and even filed a petition about this to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich himself. In his writings, he argued the inadmissibility of such an inscription and insisted on replacing it with the abbreviation of the inscription "Jesus Christ the King of Glory". It would seem a minor change, but there was a whole ideology behind it.

The cross is a common symbol for all Christians

Today, when the official church has recognized the rule of law and equality Old Believer Church, in Orthodox churches you can often see the very crosses that previously existed only in schismatic sketes. This is not surprising, since we have one faith, the Lord is one, and it seems incorrect to ask the question of how the Old Believer's cross differs from the Orthodox one. They are essentially one and worthy of universal worship, since, with minor external differences, they have common historical roots and equal blessed power.

The Old Believers' cross, the difference of which from the usual one, as we found out, is purely external and insignificant, is rarely an expensive piece of jewelry. Most often, he is characterized by a certain asceticism. Even the Old Believers' golden cross is not common. For the most part, copper or silver is used for their manufacture. And the reason for this is not at all in economy - there were many rich merchants and industrialists among the Old Believers - but rather in the priority of internal content over external form.

Common religious aspirations

The Old Believers' grave cross is also rarely distinguished by any pretentiousness. It is usually eight-pointed, with a gable roof mounted on top. No frills. In the tradition of the Old Believers, to attach greater importance not to the appearance of the graves, but to care for the repose of the souls of the departed. This is fully consistent with what the official church teaches us and. We all equally pray to God for our relatives, loved ones and just brothers in faith who have completed their earthly journey.

Long gone are the times of persecution of those who, by their religious beliefs or due to current circumstances, ended up in the ranks of a movement that got out of the control of the supreme church administration, but nevertheless remained in the bosom of Christ's church. Having officially recognized the Old Believers, the Russian Orthodox Church is constantly looking for ways to get even closer to our brothers in Christ. And therefore, the Old Believer cross or an icon, painted according to the canons established in the old faith, have become in full measure the objects of our religious veneration and worship.