Confessors of Old-Belief Communities in the Lower Pechora Area: Election and Activities (the Mid-19th – 21st Centuries)

Abstract

The article focuses on the ways and principles of electing spiritual teachers in the community of oldbelievers in Ust-Tsilma. The activities of these spiritual teachers involved organizing prayers, promoting theological literacy, overseeing the observance of norms and other aspects of religious life in the community. I discuss their preaching practices and the important part that they played in the process of integrating communities and preserving the virutes of piety among the old-believers of the Lower Pechora region. I further examine the variety of specific local terms used for the designation of spiritual leaders.