Irina Leonidovna Mankova,
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Institute of the History and Archaeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sources for Studying the Ritual Practices of the Orthodox Population of Western Siberia in the 17th Century: Pilgrimages to Holy Places
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2023-2-2
The study of the phenomenon of pilgrimages to holy places is important for characterizing the religiosity of the Siberian first settlers. The objective limitation of the source base of the study actualizes the search for information in the documents of the prikaz records, preserved in the archives (RGADA, Archive of the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS). The article defines the range of possible sources and considers their information resources. The complex of secular documents necessary for the pilgrimage was reconstructed. The records in the customs books, which recorded the movement of pilgrims through customs, were analyzed. The search for information in the census books and judicial investigation cases was carried out. In general, 56 certificates of pilgrimages were found. They contain information about the social status and place of residence of pilgrims, the time of the pilgrimage, modes of movement and routes. A list of holy places in the European part of Russia, to which Siberians went, has been determined. Firstly, these were places associated with the exploits of the miracle-working saints, where their relics were located: Moscow (Moscow saints), Solovetsky Monastery (St. Zosima and Savvaty), Veliky Ustyug (Blessed Procopius and Iohn), Makariyev Zheltovodsky Monastery (St. Makariy Zheltovodsky), Kazan (hierarchs Guriy and Varsonofy). Secondly, these are the places where miraculous and revealed icons were located. These were both widely known (the icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker in Nyrob, Cherdyn district and the icon of the Kazan Mother of God), and revered only by local communities in the Russian North and in the Kama region. The main Siberian shrine was the Abalak Icon of the Mother of God, and visiting local monasteries was an integral part of the ritual practices of the Siberians.
Publishing: 28/02/2023
The article has been received by the editor on 15.01.2023
How to cite: Mankova I.L. Sources for Studying the Ritual Practices of the Orthodox Population of Western Siberia in the 17th Century: Pilgrimages to Holy Places // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 2 (28), pp. 22–34. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-2-02.pdf]
Links: Issue 2 2023
Keywords: pilgrimage; Orthodox shrines; holy places; saints; miraculous icons; Siberia in the 17th century; customs books; census books; petitions; holiday letters