Raskol (Old Believers)

Raskol, referring to the Old Believers, was a religious schism in 17th-century Russia. It occurred when Tsar Peter the Great introduced reforms to the Russian Orthodox Church, including changes to liturgical practices and church iconography. A conservative group of faithful resisted these modifications, feeling they strayed from traditional beliefs. They became known as Old Believers (Raskol means "split" or "schism"). They maintained older rituals and rejected government-imposed reforms, often facing persecution. Today, Old Believers exist as a distinct religious community, preserving traditional liturgical practices and interpretations of Orthodox Christianity outside mainstream Russian Orthodoxy.