RELIGION
ORTHODOXY
The professed religions on the territory of Buryatia
The Orthodoxy spread in Buryatia more than three hundred and fifty years
ago with the arrival of Russian Cossacks. Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya church in
Barguzin fort was the first orthodox church to be built. In 17th century the
Orthodox mission, the first in the history of Siberia arrived to Transbaikalia.
Svyato-Troitsky Selenginsky and Spaso Preobrazhensky Posolsky monasteries were
founded. The Posolsky monastery became the center of the Selenginsky episcopate.
The ensemble of Posolsky monastery is an outstanding example of Siberian
architecture. It was the first stone cathedral of Transbaikalia “a marvelous
masterpiece of Siberian baroque”. Mission offices, schools were founded and
publication of religious literature was initiated. The main task of the mission
was to spread Christianity in the region including indigenous population. Thus
some part of the Buryat people of Transbaikalia was baptized. Mixed marriages
between the Russian and the Buryat also facilitated the spread of Christianity.
Odigitrievsky Cathedral and Svyato-Troitsky churches were built in Verkhneudinsk.
Verkhneudinski and Kyakhtinsky merchants who dealt in trading tea with China
rendered great help for the construction of orthodox churches. Several churches
with outstanding architecture and rich interior were built with their donations.
At the moment orthodox churches are being reconstructed, the number of
parishioners is growing. Annually religious processions, public prayers are
held. The history of Orthodox belief in Buryatia is a part of the history of the
Russian Orthodox church. The history is rich in events and is of great interest.
Today, Orthodox churches in Buryatia are open to everyone. One can order a
prayer, receive communion, get blessing and go through the purification ritual.
In the 18th century, representatives of orthodox Christians, who didn’t agree
with church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon, split from New Orthodoxy.
They were prosecuted by the government and were exiled to Transbaikalia. They
built praying houses to carry out services. They are known as old believers and
in Buryatia they were called “semeiskye” (derived from a Russian word “family”),
since they were forced to move to Siberia with whole families.
This is the only group of the Russian people who had preserved the old,
pre-Peter the Great mode of life, typical of 17th century Russia. The Old
believers arrived to Buryatia in the second half of the 18th century. They
belonged to the third wave of Russians who moved to Siberia and Transbaikalia.
The first were the Cossacks, then came merchants and peasants who were freed
from the serfdom, orthodox missionaries and political prisoners. These
representatives of the Russian people are traditionally called Siberians. The
Old Believers lived by themselves and are distinguished by their hardwork,
strict adherence to old customs and different restrictions. It might be due to
this lifestyle, they had managed to survive under severe natural conditions and
preserve their unique culture. Old believers had the strongest impact on the
economic development of the region. They cultivated previously infertile lands
and turned Transbaikalia into the “bread barn” of Siberia. They managed to
preserve their religious rituals, though most of their churches were destroyed.
Today, Russia experiences the revival of spiritual and cultural life of
Semeyskiy. Communes and cultural centers deliver their services to spread and
preserve their traditions, new churches are being built. Visits to Old Believers
villages are popular among tourists.
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