Old Believers facts for kids

Detail of the painting Boyarynya Morozova by Vasily Surikov. This painting shows an Old Believer during her arrest. She holds up two fingers, which shows how Old Believers make the sign of the cross.

The Old Believers (in Russian: старове́ры or старообря́дцы, pronounced starovery or staroobryadtsy) are a group of Christians in Russia. They separated from the main Russian Orthodox Church between 1666 and 1667. This happened because they disagreed with changes made to church rituals and texts.

Old Believers wanted to keep the church practices exactly as they were before these changes. The split is called raskol in Russian. This word means "to cleave apart" or "to split."

Why the Old Believers Formed

The Old Believers came about because of changes in the Russian Orthodox Church. These changes were introduced by Patriarch Nikon. He was the head of the Russian Church from 1651 to 1658.

Patriarch Nikon's Reforms

Patriarch Nikon wanted the Russian Orthodox Church to be more like the Greek Orthodox Church. To do this, he changed some church rituals and prayer books in 1651. He aimed to make Russian practices match Greek ones.

Many people believed Nikon made these changes without enough support. They felt he did not get approval from other church leaders. Because of this, people who continued the old ways were treated badly. They were often punished for not following the new rules.

Images for kids

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  Boyaryna Morozova showing two fingers, a detail from a sketch by Surikov.

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  A 6th-century icon of Christ blessing. Old Believers believe this shows the correct way to make the sign of the Cross.

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  Map of Old Believer villages in the Moscow Governorate in 1871.

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  An Old-Rite Church procession in Guslitsa, Moscow region, 2008.

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  Lipovans (Russian Old Believers) during a ceremony in Romania in 2004.

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  The Uspensky cathedral in Belaya Krinitsa, an old center for priestly Old Believers.

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  Boris and Gleb, early Russian saints (14th-century icon). Old Believers recognize saints from before the Schism.

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  An Old Believer church outside of Gervais, Oregon, US.

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  Inside an Old Believers church in McKee, Oregon, near Gervais, US.

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  Russian Old Believers in Woodburn, Oregon, US.

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  A Russian Old Believers Church in Nikolaevsk, Alaska, US.

See also

In Spanish: Viejos creyentes para niños