Revered Stones in the Orthodox Christian Tradition in the North-West of Russia

Abstract

The article draws attention to the Orthodox Christian cult of stones that is observed in some areas of Russia, particularly in the Russian North and North-Western regions of the country. By examining liturgical texts and pilgrimages, the author makes an attempt to define the principal features of this cult, mechanisms of its formation and origins, as well as to put forward critical arguments about the age of the stones cult and its functioning in the culture of ancient Slavs.