Improvement of the Legal Status of old Believers in Russia as a Result of Their Centuries-Long Effort for the Implementation of the Ideas of the Protopope Avvacum
The article analyzes legislative concessions to the Old Believers by the secular and religious authorities of Russia. Some historical documents of the XVIII-XX centuries, reflecting the forced easing of state policy aimed at achieving the Old Believers’ loyalty, are considered. The gradual softening of state policy towards the old believers was caused by their constant struggle to gain equality with other social and religious groups in Russia and improve their legal and social status. The article contains excerpts from the works of the main ideologist of the old believers and the best writer of the XVII century, Archpriest Avvakum Petrovich.