Differences between the Old Believers and post-Nikonian Russian OrthodoxyThis is a featured page



6th century icon, depicting Christ giving a blessing. Two fingers appear above, three folded below. This is the Old Believers accepted form.
Differences between the Old Believers and post-Nikonian Russian Orthodoxy - Old Orthodox Wiki
6th century icon, depicting Christ giving a blessing. Two fingers appear straightened, three folded. The Old Believers regard this as the proper way of making the sign of the Cross.

  • Old Believers use two fingers while making the sign of the cross (two fingers straightened, three folded) while new-style Orthodoxy uses three fingers for the sign of cross (three fingers straightened, two fingers folded). Old Ritualists generally say the Jesus Prayer with the Sign of the Cross, while New Ritualists use the Sign of the Cross as a Trinitarian symbol. This makes for a significant difference between the two branches of Russian Orthodoxy, and one of the most noticeable.
  • Old Believers reject all changes and emendations of liturgical texts and rituals introduced by the reforms of Patriarch Nikon. Thus they continue to use the older Church Slavonic translation of the sacred texts, including the Psalter, striving to preserve intact the "pre-Nikonian" practices of the Russian Church.
  • Old Believers only recognize performing baptism through three full immersions, and reject the validity of any baptismal rite performed otherwise (for example through pouring or sprinkling, as the Russian Orthodox Church has occasionally accepted since the 18th century).
  • Old Believers in principle oppose ecumenism, despite many instances of good relationships and collaboration with other Eastern Orthodox churches.
Old Believers and new-style Orthodoxy have a lot of small, but essential differences in their respective church services. The very style and atmosphere of the services differs:
  • Old Believers perform the Divine Liturgy with seven prosphora, not five, as in new-style Orthodoxy.
  • Old Believers chant the alleluia verse after the psalmody twice, not three times.
  • Old Believers do not use polyphonic singing, but only monophonic (unison) chant. They also have their own way of writing down music: not with linear notation, but with special signs — kryuki or znamena ("hooks: or "banners" in English translation; see Znamenny Chant). Old Believers practice several different types of Znamenny Chan]: znamenny raspev, stolpovoy raspev, pomorsky raspev (or khomovoe singing), demestvenny raspev, etc.
  • Old Believers use only icons of old Russian or Byzantine iconography; they do not believe in venerating realistic images of Christ, the Theotokos and the saints as icons (which has wide acceptance in new-style Orthodoxy). Old Ritualists do not accept photographic or printed reproductions of icons in their worship.
  • Old Believers do not kneel while praying, but in comparison with new-style Orthodoxy, they perform more bows and prostrations. While making prostrations, Old Believers use a special little rug called a podruchnik, placing their hands on it. The fingers used to make the Sign of the Cross must remain clean during the prayers.
  • On average the Old Believers' services last two to three times longer than in new-style Orthodoxy. In general, the Old Believers insist on following the rubrics to the letter, and refrain from shortening the Psalter readings and hymnography. They also tend to combine several services together, sometimes redundantly. Thus, a typical Old-Rite "vigil service" (vsenoschnoe bdenie) would include shortened ("small") vespers, a solemn ("great") vespers, compline, midnight office, matins and the First Hour.

Lestovka

  • While saying repetitive prayers, Old Believers use a special type of beads called lestovka.
  • Old Believers who have ordained priests use a more strict preparation before Communion — with very strict fasting within the week before Communion. This explains in part why Communion among laity is common only during the Lent and other long fasts.
  • It is common after each confession to have some epitimia. Usually, it is certain number of bows, which are counted with the help of a lestovka.
  • Old Believers do not venerate saints that appeared in Orthodoxy after 1666. For example, they do not venerate St. Seraphim of Sarov, one of the most well-known Russian saints of the 19th century. On the other hand, many Old Believers' ecclesial bodies have canonized a number of saints who are not recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church, e.g. Avvakum and others.
  • Old Believers use cast (silver, bronze) and carved (wooden) icons as well as painted ones. The new-style Orthodoxy prohibited the veneration of icons in relief. In Old Believer circles the practice continued and became very popular, since Old Believers had often to hide their religious implements. Cast icons of small size (and often also folding; see skladen) proved very useful in that respect. Old Believers also have unique daily-life practices. They consider shaving one's beard a sin, though some modern denominations of Old Believers show more tolerance towards shaven chins. Some Bespopovsty denominations prohibit drinking coffee and tea. Smoking or any other use of tobacco counts as a dire sin. The most strict and eschatological Bespopovsty have practices of refraining from contact with the outer world. That may include prohibitions on sharing meals with people of other faiths, on using their belongings and wares, etc.


    • The photo in the attachment below is from page 19 of the book “Spiritual Teachers in Concealed Russia” based upon 168 precise sources, printed in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the year 2007. This particular page illustrates for us some of the distict points of Faith that differ from Old Believers who maintain Orthodox Faith and those Nikonites who spit onto, and turned their backs away from, Orthodoxy. This is a rare book indeed, written from the strict Pomorsky position. In the photo we see an old sketch which distinguishes for us such points as architechure, with the changing of the style of the crosses on top of churches, and the difference in the shape of the arches, etc. Also we see the corruption of the bishops staff and miter, the form of the hand in the blessing and sign of the cross gestures, the prosphora seal and many other different points that are seen within the sketch.

    See also: Significant Differences in the Manner of Worship Between the Russian Old and New Rites


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    ndvanderhoofven     		Latest page update: made by ndvanderhoofven , Nov 19 2008, 9:15 PM EST (about this update About This Update ndvanderhoofven added link to similar page - ndvanderhoofven

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    John_Alden Significant Differences link 0 Nov 20 2008, 8:23 PM EST by John_Alden
    Thread started: Nov 20 2008, 8:23 PM EST  Watch
    Nikita did do a very good work in that link to his Significant Differences.

    Thanks for adding the link Nathan.

    I remember.

    Forgive, John
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    Nikonite Church practices
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    Holy Apostolic Church practices
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    Differences between Old Believers and Nikonites

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