OLD BELIEVERS-BESPOPOVTSY IN ODESSA

Abstract

Odessa has always been distinguished by its polyethnic and polyconfessional nature. Old Believers were among the first inhabitants of the city including Bespopovtsy (supporters of a priestless sect) who had their own prayer houses in the early of the 19th century. Odessa became one of the centers of Bespopovtsy by the middle of the 19th century. The article traces some aspects of the history and culture of the Old Believers-Bespopovtsy of the city from the foundation of the community to the termination of activity at the end of the 19th century. That analysis is based on archival, reference and periodical data. The article focuses on the issue of the existence of the community, which includes some aspects: attempts to close the prayer house in pre-revolutionary and Soviet times; a description of some prominent figures, such as Nikita Yakovlev, the Alekseev family; the article describes the religious and cultural traditions of the Odessa Old Believers-Bespopovtsy