Old Believers relation to the Soviets in Urzcum district, Vyatka province, in 1917 – 1930.


Ludmila Sahrova, Dr. history, associate professor, Vyatka State University
Alexey Polyakov, lector, Vyatka Tehnological College
Kirov, Russia


The authors of this paper pay attention to contradictory attitude of the Vyatka province Old Believers to the Soviets in 1920 – 1930. There were historically formed several spiritual centres of the Old Belief different concords and confessions in the Vyatka province. The Soviet church policy influenced Old Believers contacts with governmental institutions and adherents of the Orthodox Church. Different ways of Old Believers adaptation to new social and political situation in the circumstances of terror are described in this publication.