Which heretics ?

[Barbara]

I was reading in the life of a desert-dweller last night about how he and his Elder, with the interesting name of Basilisk,
were sent to Siberia by God to live the anchorite life.

There was a sentence about how the two preferred a certain area around Kuznetsk, because there were
"no heretics, Old Believers and Non-Christians" in that neighborhood.

What sort of heretics does one imagine they meant ? This was in the late 1700s, or early 1800s, to help
determine which type of heretic the monastics would have been concerned about.
Were there lutherans out there in remote Siberia at that time ? This was the Diocese of Tobolsk.

[Maria]

I was reading in the life of a desert-dweller last night about how he and his Elder, with the interesting name of Basilisk,
were sent to Siberia by God to live the anchorite life.

There was a sentence about how the two preferred a certain area around Kuznetsk, because there were
"no heretics, Old Believers and Non-Christians" in that neighborhood.

What sort of heretics does one imagine they meant ? This was in the late 1700s, or early 1800s, to help
determine which type of heretic the monastics would have been concerned about.
Were there lutherans out there in remote Siberia at that time ? This was the Diocese of Tobolsk.

I guess the main reason they did not choose that certain area around Kuznetsk would be the distraction and interference caused by the heretics, Old Believers, and non-Christians. If one were living the anchorite life, they would want to be in an area where there is peace and quiet, not dissipation and discord.

[Barbara]

I am not quite clear, but maybe many Old Believers had moved out there since 1660s ?
I liked the frank appraisal which obviously came the problems they must have faced in some areas along their tortuous route
and truly amazing experiences surviving in the forest during a winter before they had set up cells.

However, most of the villagers and peasants were QUITE supportive. They would bring food and everything needed.
This was ONCE the two were already established in their desert.

Non Christians would be Jews or Buddhists out there ?

I see that this as an interesting commentary on obstacles faced by those of the Orthodox Church when moving to such
areas. It's the only reference I remember offhand having read. Most times such things would be toned down or edited out by
subsequent publishers. This captures the freshness of the frontier life for those seeking to please God as adventurers.
The pair didn't want to go to Siberia, and tried to get away with just Astrakhan or Kazan nearer.
Finally they realized that they couldn't escape their destiny of settling in Siberia and living in sheer quiet.
Sounds nice...

[jgress]

There were also the Molokans, and perhaps other sects.

[Barbara]

Yes, I forgot about that group. Probably that's one of the main if not the main group causing trouble for the monks in the area.
Now I remember that there were some mentions of "milk" in parts of this tale. There was seeing derogatory slant to the term milk, though it was cryptic.
Probably the writer-monk was referring to this same breakaway group.

There likely were bad feelings between the Orthodox and the molokans, the fervor of which may not
be so apparent to modern readers but were quite obvious to readers at the time.
That was of course far before any hint of Revolution dispersed the sect to foreign lands and border areas,
thus removing them from major attention in Russian history ?

[m. Evfrosinia]

There would have been Molokan groups and other low Protestant groups in the area. A lot of immigrants from Germany settled in Siberia. There would also have been some pagan groups, such as Dyromoly, and perhaps even Khlysts. Siberia was full of all sorts of strange sects and groups that were trying to move further away from the eyes of the government and the Orthodox Church.

[Barbara]

Thank you< Mother Evfrosinia. Your knowledge added here is much appreciated by all.

I first thought of the German immigrants. Somehow I pictured those as mainly congregating in communities along the Volga, maybe
Southern regions ? I wasn't sure they had ever gone as far as Siberia. That must be one of the problem groups, indeed, for a desert-dweller
seeking to live in spiritually harmonious surroundings.

I hadn't even heard of that first group - have to look them up.

I finished the book ; in the final chapters was a mention of the establishment of a Convent at Verey. This idea was rejected because of
the large number of Old Believers living in the area, it was specifically stated this time.
The problems seem to be around clash of feast days AND "fairs" - that caught my attention.
Were Old Believers noted for having fairs? The famous Nizhny Novgorod one was not anything to do with the Old Believers, was it ?"
Or any other of the fairs ? The link between the 2 eludes me.

Any help, anyone ?