An ordinary Soviet fool for God: the case of Fyodor Derekh

Abstract

The article deals with the case of veneration of the holy fool Fyodor Derekh. It is important to note that the considered figure of a resident of one of the villages of the Sosnovsky district of the Tambov region was not unique. For the local population in the post-war Soviet period, interaction with holy fools was part of ordinary religious life: they were turned to for advice or prophecy, they were given alms or allowed to live for a while. The description of the veneration of such "ordinary holy fools" allows us to expand our understanding of both the forms of folk Orthodoxy in the Soviet period and the phenomenon of foolishness in the 20th century.The article deals with the case of veneration of the holy fool Fyodor Derekh. It is important to note that the considered figure of a resident of one of the villages of the Sosnovsky district of the Tambov region was not unique. For the local population in the post-war Soviet period, interaction with holy fools was part of ordinary religious life: they were turned to for advice or prophecy, they were given alms or allowed to live for a while. The description of the veneration of such "ordinary holy fools" allows us to expand our understanding of both the forms of folk Orthodoxy in the Soviet period and the phenomenon of foolishness in the 20th century.The article deals with the case of veneration of the holy fool Fyodor Derekh. It is important to note that the considered figure of a resident of one of the villages of the Sosnovsky district of the Tambov region was not unique. For the local population in the post-war Soviet period, interaction with holy fools was part of ordinary religious life: they were turned to for advice or prophecy, they were given alms or allowed to live for a while. The description of the veneration of such "ordinary holy fools" allows us to expand our understanding of both the forms of folk Orthodoxy in the Soviet period and the phenomenon of foolishness in the 20th century.