From Belovod’e to Bukovina: The Utopian and Pragmatic Peregrinations of the Old Believers in the 19th Century

• In Event: The Pilgrim’s Journey: Spiritual Peregrinations in and beyond Russia

Abstract

In this paper, I will explore the various modalities of pilgrimage among the Old Believers, which fluctuated from the search for the mythical holy land of Belovod’e (White Waters) to the journeys to the Belaya Krinitsa monastery in Bukovina for the ordination of bishops and priests and the consecration of myrrh, i.e., utilitarian actions maintained the functioning of the ecclesiastical institution.

Author

• Aleksandr Orlov, Columbia U