The Old Believer question in the works of the classics of Russian anarchist thought
- DOI
- 10.5922/vestnikhum-2025-4-6
- Pages
- 69-78
Abstract
The article examines the problem of representing the history and culture of Old Believers in the journalistic writings of the recognized classics of anarchist thought—M. A. Bakunin, P. A. Kropotkin and L. N. Tolstoy. It is shown that representatives of the Russian anarchist movement regarded Old Believers as a potential support in the struggle against the tsarist government. According to the views of the revolutionaries, the mentality of Old Believers shared numerous similarities with the ethics of Russian socialists. Despite many fundamental ideological differences, both groups gravitated toward collectivism, welcomed egalitarianism in social life, and demonstrated a pronounced distrust of representatives of the ruling authorities. It is noted that on a number of issues, anarchists’ views on Old Belief differed little from the perception of this religious movement held by thinkers of a state-protective orientation. In particular, both camps of theorists sought to identify in Old Belief a “natural” inclination toward anti-monarchical protest, revolutionary radicalism, and even readiness for armed rebellion.