Development of the Komi old believers' tradition in the Soviet period

Statistical data show significant decrease in the number of Old Believers in modern Russia. Before the revolution they accounted for 10% of the population, in the early 2000s - less than 1% of the population identified themselves with the Old Belief that made it possible to speak about its "dramatic decline". In this regard, the interest to such problems as the factors and mechanisms of selfpreservation of the Old Believers communities increased. The impact of external and internal factors on the fate of the Old Believers groups of the Komi-Zyryans in the Soviet period is considered.The first decades of XX century are characterized by the population growth in the Komi Old Believers, great influence of the social environment on the bringing to faith, high positive assessment of the Old Believers by local people.The antireligious policy of the Soviet state has led to reduction in the number of Old Believers, the ousting of religion from the public sphere. Such factors as structural composition of the communities, discipleship, completeness of ritual life preserved among the “Bespopovtsy” Old Believers contributed to the preservation of the Old Belief in Komi. Considerable change in the population structure of the Pechora region related to the industrial development of the northern territories, features of the religious beliefs of the Pomorians and wanderers promoted selfisolation of the Upper Pechora Old Believers. On the Upper Vychegda and Udora, where national and social structure remained homogeneous, religious practices of Old Believers (baptism, funeral rites, rememberance of the dead) had become widespread among local people, but only a small part of the population identified themselves with the Old Belief.