Black-hundreds and old believers: frustrated alliance

The article studies the relationship between right-wing monarchist parties and unions of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century (Black Hundreds) and Russian Old Believers. Using materials of right-wing party manifestos and speeches of Black-Hundred leaders, the article demonstrates that by and...

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Main Author: Andrey Ivanov
Format: Article
Language:Russian
Published: St. Tikhon's Orthodox University 2021-12-01
Series:Vestnik Pravoslavnogo Svâto-Tihonovskogo Gumanitarnogo Universiteta: Seriâ II. Istoriâ, Istoriâ Russkoj Pravoslavnoj Cerkvi
Subjects:
Online Access:https://periodical.pstgu.ru/ru/pdf/article/7639
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author Andrey Ivanov
author_facet Andrey Ivanov
author_sort Andrey Ivanov
collection DOAJ
description The article studies the relationship between right-wing monarchist parties and unions of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century (Black Hundreds) and Russian Old Believers. Using materials of right-wing party manifestos and speeches of Black-Hundred leaders, the article demonstrates that by and large they construed Old Believers as a valuable resource for extension of the social base of monarchist movement. In an attempt to bring Old Believers to their side, the right-wingers initially gained some ground but could not achieve the wide-sweeping of Old Ritual followers into the ranks of right-wing parties and unions. Drawing on publications in Old Ritual printed media, it is shown that right-wingers overestimated the conservatism of Russian Old Believers, most of whom did not sympathise with the “Ancient Regime” and hoped for its renovation, preferring opposition political forces to right-wing parties. Protection of the dominant position of the Orthodox Church by right-wingers and disinclination to accept the equal rights of Old Believer spiritual leaders by the Orthodox clergy resulted in a situation when Black-Hundred unions began to be left by some Old Believers who previously supported the right-wing monarchist movement. Activists of the Orthodox clergy who were members of right-wing unions and kept on looking on Old Ritual followers as a fringe group and a politically unreliable element also contributed to the reluctance of Old Believers to join Black Hundreds. It appears that from the sacred for Black Hundreds triad “Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality”, Old Believers were ready to support only the third item, which was obviously insuffi cient for the emergence of an alliance of right-wingers and Old Believers. As a result, for the majority of politically active Old Believers the promises of the opposition to give equal rights to all religious denominations turned to be more seductive than ideological attitudes of right-wingers.
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spelling doaj.art-e5d2bb5aec7546f18e3e4a047772ab572023-03-08T10:41:31ZrusSt. Tikhon's Orthodox UniversityVestnik Pravoslavnogo Svâto-Tihonovskogo Gumanitarnogo Universiteta: Seriâ II. Istoriâ, Istoriâ Russkoj Pravoslavnoj Cerkvi1991-64342409-48112021-12-011021024965http://dx.doi.org/10.15382/sturII2021102.49-658Black-hundreds and old believers: frustrated allianceAndrey Ivanov0Institute of History, St. Petersburg State University; 5 Mendeleevskaia liniia, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian FederationThe article studies the relationship between right-wing monarchist parties and unions of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century (Black Hundreds) and Russian Old Believers. Using materials of right-wing party manifestos and speeches of Black-Hundred leaders, the article demonstrates that by and large they construed Old Believers as a valuable resource for extension of the social base of monarchist movement. In an attempt to bring Old Believers to their side, the right-wingers initially gained some ground but could not achieve the wide-sweeping of Old Ritual followers into the ranks of right-wing parties and unions. Drawing on publications in Old Ritual printed media, it is shown that right-wingers overestimated the conservatism of Russian Old Believers, most of whom did not sympathise with the “Ancient Regime” and hoped for its renovation, preferring opposition political forces to right-wing parties. Protection of the dominant position of the Orthodox Church by right-wingers and disinclination to accept the equal rights of Old Believer spiritual leaders by the Orthodox clergy resulted in a situation when Black-Hundred unions began to be left by some Old Believers who previously supported the right-wing monarchist movement. Activists of the Orthodox clergy who were members of right-wing unions and kept on looking on Old Ritual followers as a fringe group and a politically unreliable element also contributed to the reluctance of Old Believers to join Black Hundreds. It appears that from the sacred for Black Hundreds triad “Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality”, Old Believers were ready to support only the third item, which was obviously insuffi cient for the emergence of an alliance of right-wingers and Old Believers. As a result, for the majority of politically active Old Believers the promises of the opposition to give equal rights to all religious denominations turned to be more seductive than ideological attitudes of right-wingers.https://periodical.pstgu.ru/ru/pdf/article/7639black hundreds right-wing parties royalists old believers old ritualists union of russian people russian monarchist party russian assembly orthodox churchчерносотенцы правые партии монархисты старообрядцы староверы союз русского народа русская монархическая партия русское собрание православная церковь
spellingShingle Andrey Ivanov
Black-hundreds and old believers: frustrated alliance
Vestnik Pravoslavnogo Svâto-Tihonovskogo Gumanitarnogo Universiteta: Seriâ II. Istoriâ, Istoriâ Russkoj Pravoslavnoj Cerkvi
black hundreds
right-wing parties
royalists
old believers
old ritualists
union of russian people
russian monarchist party
russian assembly
orthodox church
черносотенцы
правые партии
монархисты
старообрядцы
староверы
союз русского народа
русская монархическая партия
русское собрание
православная церковь
title Black-hundreds and old believers: frustrated alliance
title_full Black-hundreds and old believers: frustrated alliance
title_fullStr Black-hundreds and old believers: frustrated alliance
title_full_unstemmed Black-hundreds and old believers: frustrated alliance
title_short Black-hundreds and old believers: frustrated alliance
title_sort black hundreds and old believers frustrated alliance
topic black hundreds
right-wing parties
royalists
old believers
old ritualists
union of russian people
russian monarchist party
russian assembly
orthodox church
черносотенцы
правые партии
монархисты
старообрядцы
староверы
союз русского народа
русская монархическая партия
русское собрание
православная церковь
url https://periodical.pstgu.ru/ru/pdf/article/7639
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