Guslitsky Old Believers are considered stern people with a tough disposition. It was precisely these, the most irreconcilable, who were exiled to these places under Tsar Ivan III. They live, spending days and nights in labor, fasting and prayer. They call themselves true Orthodox Christians and cross themselves with two fingers. MK correspondents decided to find out how the Great Lent of the Old Believers differs from ours, the New Believer.
In Shuvoy they don’t say “thank you”. Just “Christ save me” and “thank you.” Otherwise, the letter flies away from God (thank you - God save you).
Try cabbage soup with porcini mushrooms, asks pensioner Vera Goryacheva. - And also risk with dried fruits, cranberry jelly.
Vera Georgievna cannot imagine how one can not fast.
What's the point then? The Lord gave commandments that must be followed as instructions.
Maxim is a young man, helps his priest in the service and raises his children in the Old Believer faith. He is called the charterer because he monitors compliance with the church charter. His wife Tatyana wears her hair in a povoinka, which she never takes off.
I always wear a church sundress to church - festive clothes down to the toes with a white blouse,” says Tatyana. - And I also take with me lestovki - Old Believer rosaries. All the women in Shuvoy weave them, decorating them with beads.
The Old Believers' fast is much stricter than the New Believers' fast. v “For the Nikonians, that is, you, only the first and last weeks are strict, and during all the rest you can break the fast,” Father Alexei shakes his head reproachfully. - And with us, if you give a little indulgence, consider that the post is gone.
Old Believers do not eat rabbit, horse meat, or bear meat. “These animals are unclean,” explains Father Alexey. “We only eat scaly fish for food. An eel, for example, is the same as a snake. And a snake is the devil, the tempter.”
Father doesn't have a TV in his house. He believes that it is better to listen to news on the radio. And obscenities are often shown from the blue screen. The rest of the residents have their TVs covered with tablecloths during Lent - they still don’t turn them on until Easter.
I admit to communion only those who observed all 4 fasts of the year and abstained from fast food on Wednesdays and Fridays,” says the priest. - During confession, I warn you that if even one sin is hidden, then the Lord will not forgive him even those sins for which he repented.
We follow the priest to church. On the threshold he hesitates: whether to let us in. For him, although we are Orthodox, new believers are the same as atheists. The wooden church amazes with its severity and modesty. There is no usual gilding, but all the icons are ancient. Instead of chandeliers with light bulbs, there are lamps with lamps. Jesus Christ blesses at the altar with two fingers. The service for the Old Believers lasts 5-6 hours, for the New Believers it is reduced by almost half. Parishioners hold their hands folded on their chests, cross themselves and bow at the same time, and not as anyone pleases.
The church does not sell either gold or silver crosses - only copper ones. After all, Old Believers are modest, like the Lord. But women wear round crosses, and men wear regular ones. This is the tradition. There are only 10 million Old Believers around the world. But they truly, truly believe. In any case, they almost convinced MK correspondents of this.
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Establishment Nativity Fast dates back to ancient Christian times. It has been mentioned in historical sources since the 4th century. Initially, the Nativity fast lasted 7 days, after which, by the reform of 1166, by the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarch Luke Chrysovergos under Emperor Manuel, it became forty days.
In Orthodox churches of the Byzantine tradition, the Nativity Fast is one of the four multi-day fasts of the church year and serves as a 40-day preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ.
Complied with November 28 By 6th January according to the new style ( 15 November By December 24 Art. Art) inclusive and ends with the feast of the Nativity of Christ.
Conspiracy(Eve of Lent) - 14 November (November 27, New Style) - falls on the day of remembrance of St. Apostle Philip, so fasting is also called Filippov . If the plot falls on one-day fasts, Wednesday or Friday, then it moves to November 13 (26).
Meal Instructions
According to the rules of abstinence, the Nativity Fast is close to Peter's Fast. According to the church charter, meat, dairy products and eggs are excluded on all days of fasting. In addition, it is prescribed:
From the beginning of the post until 6 (19 ns) December inclusive:
on Wednesdays and Fridays- dry eating; on Mondays on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays- hot vegetable food with vegetable oil, fish, wine; November 21 ( December 4th), on the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary - hot vegetable food with vegetable oil, fish, wine;
on Wednesdays and Fridays- dry eating; on Mondays- hot vegetable food without vegetable oil; on Tuesdays and Thursdays- hot vegetable food with vegetable oil, wine; on Saturdays and Sundays- hot vegetable food with vegetable oil, fish, wine;
In addition, from the beginning of Lent until December 19 (January 1, NS) inclusive, fish (and therefore wine and oil) can be consumed on those Tuesdays and Thursdays when a saint occurs with a doxology or has a holiday sign, on those Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, when there is a temple holiday or vigil (if another great saint, then wine and oil are allowed).
December 19th ( January 1st) Orthodox Christians celebrate the memory of St. Martyr Vnifantius, who has the special grace to deliver from wine binge. On this day, many Old Believer churches hold services and prayer services. Needless to say, the coincidence of dates is not accidental...
From December 20 ( January 2 ns) to December 24 ( January 6 ns) inclusive (the period of the pre-celebration of the Nativity of Christ):
on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays- dry eating; on Tuesdays and Thursdays- hot vegetable food without vegetable oil; on Saturdays and Sundays- hot vegetable food with vegetable oil;
Fasting on Christmas Eve
December 24 ( January 6 n.s.), on Christmas Eve - a particularly strict fast, you are supposed to eat sochivo (kolivo) - sweet porridge made from wheat, rice or other cereals, usually only after Vespers (“after the first star”).
On those days when wine is allowed, it is meant to be consumed in moderation. Nowadays, fasting is observed mainly by monks in full accordance with the rules. Just like other fasts, the Nativity fast is strictly observed by the Old Believers.
According to Saint John Chrysostom, « Those who believe that fasting only means abstaining from food are mistaken. True fasting is removal from evil, bridling the tongue, putting aside anger, taming lusts, stopping slander, lies and perjury.» .
Here is what the non-priest members write about the civil “New Year”:
…When the “New Year” holiday comes to the pagans, then that night all the people will rebel. In cities and villages they will go wild, playing various tambourines and sniffles, spewing out musical hums. And everyone will plunge into satanic games, jumping and clapping. Men, wives and virgins will utter hostile cries and screams and vomit all the nasty demonic songs.
And the satanic dances will begin to jump, wriggling their spines and stamping their feet. And on that night a great fall and vacillation and fornication will begin, then lawless defilement and corruption will begin. And then Satan will be called upon by this idolatry, before whom a godless offering will be brought by our bad deeds...
Next, for those who want to celebrate the “New Year” differently... Life of the Holy Martyr Vnifantius
Saint Bnifantius lived during the time of King Diocletian; he was subordinate to a certain noblewoman named Aglaida, daughter of Acacius Antipatos of Rome. Soon they were married to Aglaida in a church marriage. Vnifanty was a drunkard, but merciful, hospitable and peace-loving, just as his mistress was merciful and humane. One day, Mrs. Aglaida went to the East, where many Christians became martyrs and brought the relics of saints for spiritual salvation. Vnifanty told the lady - will she accept his body? The lady sent her husband with twelve martyrs who wanted to confess Christ before the godless king in the city of Cilicia. Vnifantius came to the ruler and confessed himself as a Christian. After much torture, he was beheaded, and instead of blood, milk flowed from the wound. His body was brought to his mistress. She accepted the holy relics of her husband and buried him with honor, creating a church in his name. They pray to the Holy Martyr Vnifantius to get rid of drunken addiction.
According to the new style, the day of St. Bniphantius falls on the first of January, when shameless pagans and evil-smelling heretics celebrate their filthy “new year.” Unfortunately, many of our so-called Christians “celebrate” this demonic holiday. And during it they indulge in drunkenness, debauchery and rapid desecration. And everyone does not want to remember that Saint Vnifantius not only glorified Christ with his martyrdom, but also received the gift of healing from a terrible vice - drunkenness.
In the last days of the Nativity Fast, Christians should fast as during Great Lent, with special severity and attention, and even more so not indulge in various amusement, in inappropriate satanic games. Christians should celebrate the day of the Nativity of Christ in spiritual purity and chastity, in prayer, fasting and brotherly love. Believers in Christ are not allowed to speak assholes - to sing absurd songs that are offensive to the ear, to commit fornication - to commit fornication in every possible way, to defile themselves with all kinds of carnal uncleanness, dissolute life, lasciviousness, all sorts of adultery, quarrelsome zeal and destructive envy.
In anticipation of the Feast of the Incarnation of Christ, Christians should put on our Lord Jesus Christ and not indulge in carnal pleasures in lust. The demonic “New Year” is a filth and abominable offering, during which Satan is called upon and sacrifices are made to him by foolish people.
Christians celebrate the true “New Year”, the New Year, on September 1 in the Julian style, in accordance with the regulations of the Ecumenical Councils. The transfer of the “new summer” to the first of January, first according to the Julian style, and then according to the Gregorian calendar, is associated with changes to the calendar introduced by the Antichrist Tsar Peter the Great. This crafty serpent destroyed the universal, legal oath. To whom did the flatterer Peter dedicated the “New Year” celebration? The New Year holiday is dedicated to a real idol - the two-faced Janus.
This pagan deity denoted chaos, that is, dark uncertainty, a devilish action opposing the Divine order. Janus symbolized the entrance to another, different world, the world of chaotic uncertainty, in the Christian understanding - this is the entrance to Hell. Being the god of the “entrance,” Janus was considered by the pagans to be the patron of all beginnings. The pagans invoked Janus at the beginning of their prayer or any deed. The first holiday of the Roman, pagan year was established in honor of Janus. Hence the very beginning of the pagan year occurred on January 1. The very name of the month January (Januarius) comes from Janus. Among the pagans, Janus acted as a deity who ruled time.
Increased attention to this issue occurs on our part because our people do not have a more bestial, drunken, lascivious “holiday”, filled with bizarre preparations, indecent galloping, all sorts of debauchery and permissiveness. Each celebration of the “new year” is the beginning when, through spiritual debauchery, Satan is invoked in an image sacrificed to idols, and a nasty, lawless and godless sacrifice is offered to him through all sorts of obscenities. People jumping around an unknown coniferous tree become accomplices in a satanic performance, turning into satanic vessels. There is no end to the drunkenness, foul language and all kinds of blasphemy that people indulge in. All this obscene and bestial action is a direct rejection of Christ. And the great “New Year’s” obscenity occurs during the last, strict days of the Nativity Fast and the anticipation of the incarnation of God the Word.
Therefore, for Christians it is impossible not only to celebrate the “new year”, but also to count times itself from January 1, which contradicts the teachings of the church, the Ecumenical Councils and the covenants of the holy fathers.
Our Holiday is Christmas! – the best and most promising electronic version of the Old Believer Monthly Book today.
It is only through our prayers and aspirations that through the efforts of the tireless ascetic, child of the Russian Orthodox Church Maxim Chernyatevich, that a long-term dream came true: to have a “living” version of the church calendar.
Maxim Chernyatevich while working on the calendarAt the end of 2017, this development became available for download as a mobile applications for ANDROID :
Download Ancient Calendar as applications for ANDROID on Google Play
The program developed by Maxim calculates Easter for any year, arranges movable holidays, adds data on the rules of bowing and meals, and indicates the days of remembrance of saints honored by our Church. All this is done in strict accordance with pre-schism books, taking into account the practice approved by the Orthodox (Old Believer) Church.
We met Maxim several years ago, when he was completing the work of scanning the Ostrog Bible, the standard Bible for Orthodox Christians, as part of his information portal Vechnoe.info . We mentioned this site as an important source of good information when we talked about it. We still recommend adding the resource to your bookmarks and gleaning useful information from there as needed.
About the project “Ancient Orthodox Calendar”
The purpose of the new resource is to provide Old Believers of all consents with a simple and convenient church calendar containing all the necessary information for church services and home prayer. A simple interface with the ability to integrate with other resources will allow readers to reconcile the way of everyday life with the covenants and tradition of the Church.
The Old Orthodox Old Believer calendar calculates the voices, calculates fasts, moving and fixed holidays, days of remembrance of the dead, arrival and departure bows for each day and Sighted Paschal. It also has the ability to search for holidays for the current year or names by calendar.
Most of us have forgotten in 100 years what day the week should begin... The calendar is based on an old printed Book of Hours, from which the text about holidays and fasts for every day is taken. In addition, holidays from the Russian Orthodox Church calendar have been added (in the next version it will be possible to configure the calendar for individual consent).
In case of discrepancies between the current practice and the Church Eye, preference was given to the Church Eye, and always in the direction of greater severity, since it is more correct to warn than to allow.
Easter algorithms, algorithms for calculating dates of the Julian and Gregorian calendars are taken from the work of Klaus Tondering "Frequently asked questions about calendars".
The calendar covers the periods from 1900 to 2099, however, if necessary, the restriction can be removed. Other useful functions are planned for implementation that will certainly appeal to users.
With the help of the editors of the “Old Believer Thought” site, an additional program was developed that allows you to embed the calendar into other sites. Now it is available on the site in article reading mode, but will soon appear on the main page in the form of an extended menu.
Like any new software product, the calendar may contain errors and inaccuracies, as well as controversial issues. Maxim Chernyatevich appeals to all readers of the site “Old Believer Thought” with a request not to remain indifferent and to inform us about their questions, doubts and wishes. This can be done in the form of a comment to this article, or by e-mail staroveru@site, [email protected].
Anyone who would like to join the Ancient Calendar project, including posting it on their websites, must coordinate their participation with the developer.
We wish everyone who has worked for the glory of God, in particular R.B. To Maxim, Ivan, Olga, good health and spiritual salvation!
Website editors
Lent has arrived. And one day everything changed dramatically! Just yesterday the church was full of people, parishioners asked each other for forgiveness, communicated, made fasts, and for the last time for the next month and a half - right up to Easter - came to visit each other.
And then came Monday, called Clean. Of course, not only because it is customary at this time to put things in order in the house, and most likely not for that reason at all, but primarily because of the soul, which has become fairly “dusty” without abstinence and repentance, without particularly fervent prayer. And in the church everything seems to be the same, but not the same: the decoration in the church has changed, light vestments have been replaced by dark ones, as a sign of sincere sorrow for the upcoming passion of Christ, and the prayers are completely different, and there are fewer people.
I so wanted to remember the old Russian tradition, but today there is nothing special to boast about: there are only two people on the choir - the registrant and the mother, there are no men in the church at all, and only a few old women regularly bow after the priest, who is now and then kneeling reading " Lord and master of my belly…»
But last year they stood here too - the grandmothers did not move from their place all week, they prayed non-stop in the morning and evening, occasionally sat down to rest, and then again plunged into worship - the first serious test at the very beginning of Lent. Apparently, even now they intend to accomplish that feat of prayer, which, alas, not many are able to do, and others, perhaps, can do, but they do not understand its significance, importance, and value.
Only a few candles are glowing in the candlesticks, the light of the lamps is jumping, almost imperceptible due to the abundance of the sun that floods the temple, and the faces seem to have become more serious, and the atmosphere is completely different, not the same as it was just recently, during Maslenitsa, whose worldly joys it is time to celebrate forget, moving onto the spiritual path... Everyone these days is preparing for the sacrament of confession, many are preparing for the reception of the Holy Mysteries, and in this desire they are united as never before. This has been the custom since ancient times: strict fasting is a harbinger of pure repentance, spiritual cleansing.
And the elderly, those who cannot go to church, diligently pray at home. Some people “type” the “rule” using ladders, and those who are more literate read the “Correct Canons”. Meals are not served on Monday; on Tuesday it is at the discretion of the abbot. And therefore, on the second day of the Great Retreat, the aroma of boiled potatoes and the sour aroma of cabbage can be heard from the refectory. But even these modest dishes are eaten sparingly, in silence. Penitential services are held everywhere in Old Believer churches these days. And there is hardly a parish or community where there are a lot of people - even though it is Lent, rare Old Believers gather for general worship, preferring cell prayer.
The priests are perplexed, but they can’t do anything, and therefore they are forced to take on reading and singing in the choir, altar chores and much, much more. In rural churches, although there are fewer people than at traditional Sunday services, people still pray. And the penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read here not for two or three, as in most city parishes, but for a dozen parishioners. They say that these days it is best determined whose faith is sincere and ardent, but, of course, not only and not so much by coming for service, but by special behavior - humility, modesty, and increased demands on oneself.
Yes, needless to say, although we are accustomed to the fact that hundreds of Old Believers gather in our churches for Liturgy on weekends, the purity and sincerity of faith is determined not only by this in the sea of everyday life. Young people, for example, losing interest in the church as soon as they find a good job or start a family, in spite of everything they understand the great value of the first penitential days of fasting - they strictly abstain from food, either turn down the music altogether, or switch to information and talk radio stations, and change their leisure time. to something else, guided by the words of the Apostle Paul: “ We can do everything, but not everything is useful».
...And so zealous for God - right up to Friday, when, at the end of the first days of fasting, confession most often begins. They signed up for it ahead of time, from Maslenitsa itself, and therefore the list in the hands of the priest is quite decent - fifty, if not more, names. As far as I can remember, we always went to repentance on the heel of the first week of Great Lent - on this day people came from everywhere, from surrounding towns and villages, still orphaned without their shepherd-rector. And although dozens of parishioners gather in the church on this day, as well as on others, depending on the traditions of a particular parish or community, the silence here is amazing, piercing.
There is a line at the confessional, and in the choir the canons or the Psalter are being read faintly. Guests who have come from afar, after leaving the priest, are sincerely congratulated “on pure repentance” and for a long time afterwards do not take their eyes off the one who has left, “who has given away his sins,” who has been cleansed and, it seems, even transformed in a few tens of minutes of confession. And on Sunday people go to receive the Body and Blood of Christ: dozens, dozens of men and women, mostly, of course, elderly. You look at them joyfully, realizing that they are about to be involved in a great shrine, for the sake of which, it seems, you can completely give up food for a whole week, from secular shackles in the form of work and the endless affairs accompanying our life - from everything that separates us from that very full spiritual life that we strive for, but do not always achieve.
And this week, perhaps the main spiritual week for the entire calendar year, brings us one step closer to the bright holiday, which is the crown of Orthodoxy and true spiritual enlightenment for everyone - both righteous and sinners. For now we can only dream about it - hope, wait, prepare ourselves for it with thousands of prostrations and many dozens of days of abstinence in food, just as nature prepares itself for the upcoming warmth in early March. There are only timid hints of it so far, but we know that it will come inexorably and inevitably. But Easter will come after, and now is a time of labor, spiritual and physical...
“We are not free to control what comes out of us, but we are free to control and manage what comes into us...”
Folk wisdom.
Holy FAST. From 23 to 31 days Ramkhat (from 14.10 (from 18:00) to 23.10 (until 18:00) incl.)
Lasts nine days, one Slavic Week, from 23 to 31 days of Ramkhat. During this period of time, Orthodox Old Believers - Ynglings - are not allowed to eat meat, fish, fatty protein (eggs, butter, milk) and spicy foods. During these days, Old Believers need to eat vegetables, fruits, berries, grains and legumes in the morning and evening, and water, juices, and herbal teas during the day. This is due to the body’s preparation for the transition to early preserved food.
Dazhdbozhy POST. From 1 to 18 days Beylet (from 12.12 (from 18:00) to 30.12 (until 18:00) incl.)
Lasts eighteen days, two Slavic Weeks, from 1 to 18 days of Beilet. During this period of time, we are preparing ourselves for the transition from early canned food to fully canned food (pickling, smoking, etc.). During the LENT period, it is not permissible to eat meat, fatty fish, eggs, white bread, fatty dairy products (cream, sour cream) and butter (vegetable oil can be consumed). You can eat bread products, especially baked ones. Other products are eaten in the same way as during Holy Lent. To improve metabolism during the day, it is recommended to eat sauerkraut or buckwheat porridge.
Clean POST. From 23 to 40 days Geylet (from 13.02 (from 18:00) to 02.03 (until 18:00) on)
Lasts eighteen days, two Slavic Weeks, from 23 to 40 days of Geilet. During this period, it is not permissible to eat meat, fatty, sour (fermented) foods, as well as eggs. Any animal or vegetable oil is prohibited!!! You can eat lean fish (except fried fish), steamed cereals, pasta, nuts, berries, juices, herbal teas and legumes in small quantities. In the second week, fresh plant foods (green onions, radishes, etc.) are gradually introduced.
Great Lent. From 23 to 35 days of Daylet (from 25.03 (from 18:00) to 06.04 (until 18:00) incl. )
Lasts thirteen days, one and a half Slavic Weeks, from the 23rd to the 35th day of Daylet. During this period, it is not permissible to consume fatty meat foods (except chicken and rabbit meat), fatty fish, oil (except vegetable oil), and dairy products (cream, sour cream). Everything else, low-fat, can be eaten.
Light POST. From the 33rd day of Veylet to the 9th day of Heylet (from 24.06 (from 18:00) to 11.07 (until 18:00) incl.)
It lasts eighteen days, two Slavic Weeks, from the 33rd day of Veylet to the 9th day of Heylet. During this period, eat only plant foods in the morning and evening. On the Holy Day of God Kupala, which coincides with the Bright Lent, you can eat meat of any fat content, but it must be cooked on Living Fire (a fire lit from the obtained Living Fire).
One-day POST
Every seventh day of the week (nine-day week), according to the Commandment: “Honor three days in the week - the third, seventh and ninth...”, on this day it is recommended to refrain from eating at all, with the exception of juices, water, compotes without berries, herbal teas and jelly (if a one-day FAST coincides with a holiday, then on that day we do not fast, but observe the holiday).
Those who do not fast are: children under 12 years of age, pregnant and nursing mothers, old men and women over 60 years of age, soldiers on guard duty, as well as the wounded and sick, as they need to eat to gain additional strength and health.
