The legend of the unconquered boyar
In the Tretyakov Gallery, visitors always stop by Vasily Surikov's painting "Boyar Morozova". It is impossible to pass by. It is as if some magical force attracts and makes you look into the snow-covered ancient Moscow, delve into the events of the distant and cruel seventeenth century.
The artist chose an unusual angle to represent a historical event. It seems that a sleigh carrying a boyar Morozova is rushing towards the crowd. Chained up, tortured, but not subdued, she, judging by her proud pose, is ready to defend the old faith of her ancestors with the same tenacity and steadfastness. The upraised hand with the double-fingered sign, the menacingly glittering eyes, the curse of apostates ready to burst from her lips – she is remembered by the people as scary and beautiful at the same time.
In the image of Boyarina Morozova, the artist V. Surikov reflected the great spirit of the unbroken faith of a Russian woman who was close to the tsar and had considerable authority at court, and all the luxury of boyar life, but who was ready to suffer and even die for the sake of faith.
The painting "Boyarina Morozova" is executed in characteristic Surikov colorful tones, showing in contrast human destinies, reflecting among well-dressed townspeople, barefoot, in dirty and shabby clothes, a fool who sympathetically accompanies the boyarina on her last journey.
Among the many characters in the painting, Surikov portrayed himself as a wanderer who wanders through towns and villages.
To the right of Boyarina Morozova is her sister, Princess Urusova, covered in a white handkerchief with embroidery; she is inspired to repeat such an act.
There are many characters in the painting, and there are those who are unhappy with her actions, laughing maliciously after her, telling their kind about her extravagance.
The name of Boyarina Morozova was on everyone's lips, and everyone understood her in their own way.
Here are a few points of view from famous people of different views and eras.:
The writer Vsevolod Garshin, who has deeply studied the history of the split, wrote: "Give this Morozova and Avvakum power — bonfires would be lit everywhere, gallows and scaffolds would be erected, blood would flow like a river."
The famous folk singer Vera Figner also left her opinion: "The engraving made an exciting impression. In rolling shoes, with her back to the horses, and in hand shackles, Morozova is taken into exile to prison, where she will die. On his thin, handsome, but tough face there is a determination to go to the end... The engraving speaks with vivid features: it speaks about the struggle for beliefs, persecution and death of the steadfast, true to themselves. She brings back a page of life. . . April 3 , 1881 ... The chariot of the regicides... Sofia Perovskaya."
Who was the famous boyar
Few people know that the famous boyar is from the Tula region. Her maiden name is Sokovnina. She is the daughter of Prokofy Fyodorovich Sokovnin, who owned a large estate near the town of Likhvin (now the town of Chekalin in the Suvorovsky district of the Tula region).
The old documents say: for military exploits, stolnik Fyodor Sokovnin was granted lands "in the Cherepetsky camp near the town of Likhvin on the river on the Cherepeti."
A letter dated 1523 confirmed Prokofy Fedorovich Sokovnin's right to the estates that were his father's: "the Gavrilovskoye Mityusovo wasteland is also located on the river on Cherepeti, and the Vikulov wasteland and the Koledyaevo wasteland with all the people in the patrimony are raised to arable land."
Prokofy Sokovnin was not the last person at the royal court, and the successful marriage of his daughters added even more weight to him and strengthened his position.
Fedosya Prokofievna Sokovnina was married to Gleb Ivanovich Morozov, the brother of the all-powerful tsarist adviser Boris Ivanovich Morozov. Her sister Evdokia Prokofievna became the wife of the tsar's grand duke Pyotr Semenovich Urusov.
Widowed early, Fedosya Prokofievna Morozova (ur. Sokovnina) occupied the highest position under Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna (Miloslavskaya), was her closest boyar and friend.
Both the Sokovnins and the Morozovs had fabulously large fortunes.
Contemporaries testified about the wealth and nobility of Fedosya Morozova (ur. Sokovnina):
"There were about three hundred people who served her at home. There were 8,000 peasants; there were many friends and relatives; she rode in an expensive carriage made of mosaic and silver, with six or twelve horses with rattling chains; she was followed by servants, slaves and female slaves, about a hundred, protecting her honor and health."
And this fabulously rich and all–powerful boyar, along with her sister, Princess Evdokia Urusova, renounced all benefits, became a zealous defender of the old faith and a follower of Protopope Avvakum, the head of the schismatic movement in Russian Orthodoxy under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, nicknamed the Quietest!
Even by today's standards and concepts, this is an amazing act. What can we say about the conservative seventeenth century!
The roots of the split
The split in the Russian Orthodox Church arose after Patriarch Nikon began carrying out church reforms in the spring of 1653. Books and rituals were corrected according to Greek models. This caused discontent among a significant part of the Russian clergy. But the innovations undertaken were in line with the policy of the secular authorities, and helped strengthen Russia's ties with foreign countries, which had a slightly different interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and rituals.
It is unlikely that Fedosya Morozova was well-versed in the wilds of high politics. But defending the old faith from innovations, she expressed not only her opinion, but also the opinion of the overwhelming majority of her fellow countrymen from the Belevsky and Likhva territories.
Many documents have been preserved indicating that the inhabitants of Belev, Odoev and Likhvin did not accept the church reform at that time and remained faithful adherents of the old faith for a long time. They became active participants in the Old Believers' movement, and their region became an important center of resistance to reforms.
From here came runaway priests, laymen and scribblers who dispersed to distant lands and called for not accepting church innovations. The names of priests John Belevsky, Alexei Belevsky, and Andrei Belevsky have remained known in history. Among them, the most active defender of the ancient rites was the priest Stefan Ivanov, also known as Stefan Belevsky.
The protection of the ancestral faith has become the main reason for the existence of Boyarina Morozova. "I am a young widow," Morozova told Archpriest Avvakum. "I want to torture my body with fasting and thirst."
Her house gradually turned into a small monastery, uniting people of the old faith. The "Five exiled nuns," led by the elder Melania, formed the "cathedral" of the Boyar monastery, to whose attention she offered the most important questions of faith and life.
Fools and wanderers often came to Morozova's house. In the case of the schismatics who were in her house shortly before her arrest, the informer named "the names of the schismatics of the cathedral church who live happily with the boyar Fedosya Morozov: Staritsa Melania in the Belevsky district of the Zhebinsk desert (a note in the field: and the nickname of Alexander); yes, the same elder Spyridon of the desert...".
Nun Melania, who was one of the brightest personalities in the first generation of Russian Old Believers, had a significant influence on the boyars. Being a spiritual mentor, she did not leave her humble novice until her tragic death.
I knew Melania and Habakkuk well. In one of his letters to Boyarina, he writes: "And I know that Melanie of yours is a kind person, but don't let her ears droop, she shepherds the flock of Christ tightly, as I scold. After all, I'm not angry with her, I'm having tea, you know me. They also sent me raspberries, they're very nice... I scold her, and she asks for her blessing. You see, what a good conscience she has? It's enough for me to tempt her. Ask her for her blessing: she says goodbye to you! Tell her to write something to me with her hand."
A feat for faith
Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, nicknamed "The Quietest" by his contemporaries, tried to reason with Boyarina Morozova with exhortations and personal example. In vain!
When asked by the metropolitan whether she would receive communion according to the service books used by the tsar, tsarina and tsarevna, Morozova categorically replied: "I do not receive communion; I know that the tsar receives communion according to the corrupted service books of Nikonov's edition. The enemy of God Nikon threw up like vomit with his heresies, and now you are clearly licking his filth, that you too are like him. "
"Crazy fierceness", "The Quietest" concluded after learning about it, but still did not take concrete measures.
The pressure on Morozova and her sister Urusova continued with increasing force. Only the protection of "friends and relatives" saved them from reprisals. In the boyar Duma, there was once a speech to close Morozov in a log cabin, "but the boyars did not pull it. "
The authorities knew about her, but they couldn't do anything about her because she had too many connections.
The denouement came after the death of the main intercessor, Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya. The tsar decided to marry the beautiful young Natalia Naryshkina. According to the court rank of Morozova, it was necessary to "speak the royal title" at the wedding. The boyar did not even come to the celebration.
Alexei Mikhailovich's patience snapped, and he gave the boyar to the church executioners.
Boyarina Morozova was taken into custody on November 16, 1671. Despite all the attempts made by the tsar and the patriarch, it was not possible to persuade her to adopt a new church rite. Determined to suffer to the end, she remained adamant.
Even after she was taken away for interrogation to the Chudov Monastery, and then to the Pskov Caves Monastery, she still did not give up.
Her entire boyar estate, the property of a boyar, passed into the royal treasury.
But all the time she was in prison, she maintained relations with Old Believers, who helped and sympathized with her, brought her food and things.
Urusova's sister was also taken into custody. They placed it next to Morozova.
The "Elders of Belyov" found every opportunity to visit them, and Archpriest Avvakum encouraged them with his letters . It was decided to remove the Sokovnin sisters away from the capital - they were exiled to Borovsk. Morozova and her sister were buried in an earthen pit. Soon they stopped being fed. Princess Urusova lived in these conditions for two and a half months. Morozova died on November 2, 1675, and was secretly buried next to her sister without a funeral service.
Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, judging by modern news, did not allow this to be announced for three weeks. They tried to hide the graves of the martyrs.
