Old Believer’s Book Culture in P. I. Melnikov-Pechersky’s Novel “In the Woods” (To the 140th Anniversary of the Writer’s Death)

Abstract

The article examines the peculiarities of P. I. Melnikov-Pechersky’s perception of the Volga Old Believers’ book tradition. In particular, it establishes the sources of the formation of the writer’s ideas about the role of bookishness in the daily life of “dissenters.” The author of “In the Woods” acquired a deep acquaintance with church literature during the performance of his official duties and numerous business trips. The article clarifies curious details of Melnikov’s description of the reading culture of the Old Believers, as well as the main ways of spreading bookishness among the “zealots of ancient piety.” The writer demonstrated his own view on factors that determined the popularity of a particular work among “dissenters.” The article examines Melnikov-Pechersky’s perception of the significance of the monasteries in the preservation of the Old Russian Cyrillic heritage, as well as the role of the scribes in the organization of the religious and everyday life of the Old Believers communities. The author analyzes the influence of the spread of the civil press and secular education on the processes of gradual secularization of the Old Believers community. Summing up the results, it can be concluded that Melnikov had very ambiguous attitude to the book traditions of the “old time lovers.” Thus, the author points to the extreme fanaticism of some polemical Old Believers’ writings, which destructively affect the consciousness of their readers, calling for moving away from progress and hating everything around them.

Keywords

• p. i. melnikov-pechersky
• old russian literature
• old belief
• printing
• old believers
• manuscripts
• reader
• old printed editions