THE FUNERAL RITES OF OLD BELIEVERS OF BELOKRINITSKAYA HIERARCHY IN AMUR THE RIVER’S BASIN

As a research problem, the author has aimed to evaluate the transformation process of the funeral rites of Old Believers of Belokrinitskaya hierarchy in Amur region. In the paper the author has identified and described features of ongoing stages, namely those before burial, the funeral itself and memorial stages of the funeral rites, which are characteristic for the Old Believers with priest, so-called “popovtsy”, who are localized in Amur region. The paper presents analysis of the materials obtained from the informants during field work, through interviews, in the process of participant observation, by expert estimation and through a comparative method. The author has explored funeral-burial rites for a decade 2005–2015, the memories of the informants cover the period from the beginning of the 20th century up to 2015. The funeral ritual is the most conservative among rites of transition and it is the least prone to changes under the influence of the socio-cultural environment, it retains archaic beliefs. So the study of this problem reveals a new layer of the Orthodox religious life. Despite the conservatism of ritual practices, the latter is still undergoing some changes. It proves the hypothesis that the funeral rites of the old believers in the mid-twentieth century have moved away from customs. Ritual becomes simpler and it is based not on traditional customs, but on strict confessional prescriptions. Archaic elements are regarded as “pagan” and gradually leave, or get integrated with Christian or secular views and receive new interpretation. The author comes to a conclusion that the contemporary Old Belief of Belokrinitskaya hierarchy in Amur region has poor ceremonial activity limited to the processes connected with participation of the priest or stated in church rules.