Far from Moscow always had a lot of freedom-loving people, United in a military group, then poured in the Cossacks. They are not always taken by the Cossacks, and even became the chieftains who converted to Orthodoxy. And in the Astrakhan Cossacks there were also Buddhists, Catholics, and Lutherans. Cossack tolerance quite naturally flowed from the need to unite, discarding the excess the causes of conflicts.
Is it always the Cossacks were Christians? You can definitely say only one thing – before taking Christiansv Russia, Cossacks were and they were certainly Orthodox, lvivski Rule. Now they are called Gentiles, but is rather a collective term does not reflect the true worldview and Faith.
The main slogans of the Cossacks – the Cossack Glory Family ! Cossack Family no translation ! Reflect the original beliefs of the Cossacks – rodnoverie and next Lotus sound – glory to the Gods and Our Ancestors!
When I was invited to visit one of the pagan Cossack hamlets, I certainly could not refuse. After all, this farm is located in the Homeland of the Cossacks – Ryazanschine, Price. It ntut originates Dong a Wild field live here Meshcheryakov. The region wise women and wizards, called others – Chud. A region in which not only the Cossacks but also other peoples Mordva, Mari still keep the Faith of their Ancestors. It is the birthplace of woman fevronya, which became a revered Christian Saint and together with her husband Prince Peter – a symbol of Love and Family.
This Community of the Cossacks of the Gentiles, according to the Chieftain father of Peter (as it is called) was established in the beginning of the last century. In Meshchera forests of their ancestors after leaving Kasimov already more than a hundred years ago built the farm.They have their own tradition peculiar only to them. For example, only of the Holy well in his farm, they can drink the water; if they go somewhere, they take water out with you. Even tea and other drinks they can’t drink – it’s their faith in sinful drinks.
Like what? But if you think about it the more strong ties with the Native settlement does not come up, no one wants to permanently leave their homes, those who live in other places, however, return regularly to replenish the Native water, the living water – the Cossacks almost sick and have an enviable health and longevity.
Only 200 km from Moscow, 40 from Ryazan.
Silence. What a silence! People on a farm around a lot, but still quiet, very quiet. The wind glides in the crowns of ancient huge pine trees. On the sandy streets the Cossacks in traditional clothes. Talking in a low voice, smiling. No rush, no sudden movements. They came to conduct a prayer ceremony on Kupala.
Can’t hear own footsteps on the soft sand. when in the seat of Meshchera was the sea, he says, like everything, in a low voice. All as if in another world.
Somewhere squeaks the wheel well, somewhere sing prayers. The farm – standard: old and new houses, only the gate and door of the dry dark wood with erased the old thread.
And the farm down on the town from tents and canopies. They are different and grey, military, white, and a colored, multi-color such that the eye will not tear off. On the feast came the Cossacks from all region. especially a lot from the Urals and Southern regions.
Walking along in the sand through a quiet, slow-moving crowd, turn the corner of the tent town, and before us long painted different colors fence – a fence of hazel.
My companion threw back the canopy, as if opening the gate, and we enter the courtyard. The curtain falls and we are already surrounded by these bright, cheerful fence, and in front of us, in the middle of the yard, is the beauty of beauties, the wooden Palace. Here I’m due to spend several days as the guest of a gracious host – the Atma farm.
Almost night and hamlet square could be heard singing there continued to pray.
Through leafy thread overhead gleamed the first stars. Minute, two, three and they’re scattered all over the sky, in the blink of an eye merged into the ocean .
I watched a few minutes, the numerous rays of stars, and slept the sweetest sleep warm in the cool forest night.
Woke me up singing. Quiet, melodic, polyphonic, and it flowed simultaneously from all sides. It is the people sang the morning prayer. Dad Peter said that the best time for prayer – the hour before dawn. Therefore, trebled, increased tenfold by dawn, the number of singing. People sang in the darkness and silence, glorifying the mercy of the Gods in which they believed, and celebrates the beauty of mother nature.
…Water, water maiden
as flow wash, singing, and roots, frequent postavenia
So, uma, we have parables and lessons, monkey and slander,
Of the persons of the braids of clear eyes, even from her eyebrows…
The Cossacks sang about how great morning in the house like sweet Meshchersky water. Great wisdom should be to make the subject of prayer, the glorification of the fields and rivers of their country, praising its people and crops, its sunrises and sunsets, rain and wind.
Again, we are with Haman passed through the silent white crowd, slowly swimming along the sandy streets, and deep into the village. Here in the holidays and celebrations is the so-called dining room, a kitchen of Cossacks, – a beautiful custom. Day and night, preparing meals, and day and night to feed everyone who comes to eat. In the yard the kitchen a lot of people. Cossacks were handing out plates and carried all his bread, and pea porridge with vegetables.
He looked through the door and into the kitchen. It is impossible to enter there without washing, and if one of the cooks come out, and he must bathe before entering.
In the kitchen was half dark. The walls rushed the red glow of the fire and shadow chefs. Some kneaded dough and other quickly – fashioned dumplings! – other roasted them turned on a variety of pans, others prevented porridge, the fourth cut vegetables, and everything was done together, in unison, in one rhythm.
All of this work, its clarity and speed were shown how they were arranged the field kitchen of the Cossacks. Countless times during the rapid military movements had in the blink of an eye to prepare food, feed the soldiers and disappear without a trace, not leaving behind even the ashes of the fires.
Long gone are those days, but still even, you can see how to do it.
Then went on a sort of farm area where he heard the singing and heard the music, are diluted with the sacred fire, preparing for the ceremony – retribution Requirements. The crowd is around, and upon its inner edge, face to the fire, sitting with families of Cossacks with their wives and children. Sikhism, may begin the life of a young family.
People sang and sang incessantly. Music and singing filled all subjugated, dictated the rhythm of the movements, sensations, thoughts. It reminded me of the rites malakan.
In the meantime, before the Chieftain gathered those who have any litigation. According to the law of the Cossacks, lawsuits between members of the community need to disassemble the head of their local group, but if litigants are not satisfied with his verdict, they can appeal to the Chieftain. The decision of the Chieftain no not subject to appeal, he represents God’s judgment.
I was struck by the speed with which he took these decisions. He orally reported the matter, and in a moment the Secretary announced through the microphone of the sentence. It was strange to see this trial on the holiday, but I was told that it is supposed to educate young people and prepare them for the fact that they live without breaking laws.
Old men by the fire was humming prayers, Lily in the fire melted butter, preparing funeral rites – a sweet porridge of wheat flour.
When over the court, all the family got up, and every Cossack behind him his wife and children.
While four times they went around the sacred fire, I was looking at those families and thought about how still strange to us, the pagan ritual.
The fire crawled four times, the rites are perfect, and the Gods took them.
All began to disperse from the square, but the celebration will continue.
For many already it’s been two days on the farm of the Cossacks, they were in silence and prayers. It has long been rodnovers developed and adopted this practice of holding prayer meetings away from the places where flows in the commotion of daily life. Long been found ways in which you can maintain the soul in the right direction. And the impact can be fully felt only when he head plunge into this atmosphere.
A day or two, three, nights, and mornings filled with silence, singing of prayers, enticing soft music and sermons. Mental willingness to accept the teachings of spiritual teachers, which come here increased tenfold in terms of detachment from the worries and queries of obsessive life.
No wonder for many millennia, all great religious teachers, all founders of new religions preached outside the cities. They wandered, stopping in woods, in gardens or suburban groves, calling to his people, and in the silence of their hiding places for long periods of time, and effortlessly taught, taught, taught…
I was supposed to leave, we temlo said goodbye to the Cossacks and their Leader. I discovered a whole world that is around us but few people know about it…
In General, as explained to me the old man Peter, real pagans, rodnovers have tremendous respect for all religions, considering them Saints and Prophets of the incarnation of their Gods.
But of course there are also those who are in paganism for misunderstandings.
Modern rodnovercheskaya organizations religious scholars called neo-pagan: they were created mostly in the 90-ies and have no historical ties with the beliefs of pre-Christian Russia. But it is their re-creation distinguishes the pagans from other areas of neo-paganism.
Perhaps because of this, almost every Gentile in the conversation will mention that even in their midst there are sects who “imitate the faith of their ancestors”. And one of them really should existed before the Baptism of Rus ‘ customs, in fact, no one knows.
Western historians believe that the revolt of Stenka Razin, is nothing short of a rebellion of the Cossacks of the Gentiles against the oppression of their faith.
The rebellion was raging very close to Autonomous Kasimov Kingdom. Remarkable testimony of some prisoners razanaw: during interrogation they said that the aim of the groups is the town of Kasimov.
The leader of one of the most numerous and successful groups was the woman – the nun Alena from Arzamas.
In fact, Allen was born out-of-town Settlement, which is close to the current city limits of Arzamas (now called Field). In those days it was a Cossack settlement, founded during the wars of Ivan the terrible against the Mari. Apparently, the original population of the settlement was Meshchersky Cossacks – Mishars.
It is unclear whether the name Alena is already the baptismal or monastic name of our heroine. Granted, as could be found in the peasant and Cossack families, early marriage, Alan had been widowed. In this situation many Russian women prefer to leave the monastery. We can know its age by the time of the uprising. It is also unknown how many years she spent in the monastery before.
The only reliable feature biographies – Alena was a doctor and practicing medicine at all. She knew the medicinal properties of plants and other natural raw materials, know how to use them. Apparently, her skill in this business was known in the district. Apparently, before the start of the uprising Alain had some authority in the district, which allowed her pretty quickly to lead the rebels.
From a Christian point of view, knowledge of the healing forces of plants was considered witchcraft. In the monastery it is not exactly encouraged, and behind the monastery walls barely wanted by the authorities. Therefore, Allen could get his knowledge just before coming to the monastery. Probably a lot she knew from childhood. For native Meshchera, Ryazan, Mordovia edges it’s not surprising: Russians have always considered “Chud”, “koropuzh Ryazantsev” witches, Saushkina with the evil spirit.
There is evidence that she was born in Krasnaya Sloboda on ryazanschine.
Escape from the monastery, coupled with this magical craft, this is a double crime against religion, nazvavshayasya Council code of 1649 burned alive. Becoming at the head of the rebels, Alena virtually nothing to lose.
Subsequent events – her leadership of the uprising, the defense of the city Temnikova from the king’s troops, the capture and execution is well described in the literature and popular articles.
The Cossacks with whom I was visiting, asked me not to name the specific location of their farm, they say those who should know and those who do not know, do not.
In conclusion, the Ataman shared his thoughts – alas, while Christianity in fact, behind the scenes, is the state religion, real freedom of religion in Russia and not see something that says Abbot Sergius proof. The funny thing is that 90% of people foaming at the mouth to prove that they are Orthodox, and the finished neck for the faith to turn, never held a Bible, and know NOTHING about the God in whom we believe. Even the “priests” to act on TV, not only it often happens that all his behavior does not correspond to their faith, but to publicly insult and humiliate other religious groups, especially “pagan” – and,mind you, with impunity!
Valery Rozanov coordinator of the CFA for the work of the Cossacks with the media
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