SCHISM AND STATE POWER (THE CASE OF PRIISHIMYA)

The article analyzes the peculiarities of the spread of one of the most mass religious movements within the Russian Orthodox Church - schism. On the basis of earlier unpublished archival documents, statistics and social and demographic population surveys of Priishimya of the pre-revolutionary time there are considered little-known facts reflecting the relationship between the state and the Old Believers both at the all-Russian and local level. The analysis allowed to identify three periods characterized by the transition from quite negative to tolerant attitude of the state authorities towards the Siberian Old Believers. Essential restrictions in the rights, material and spiritual culture led to such negative consequences as self-immolation, high death rate and isolation. The Liberal reforms of the early 20th century, the spread of atheism led to the rapprochement of the orthodox Christians and conservatives on the eve of the October revolution of 1917.