The resistance of old believers in Eastern Siberia to official attempts to monitor their numbers at the beginning of the twentieth century

This article examines the attempt by local secular and religious officials to establish the size of the Old Believer population in Eastern Siberia at the beginning of the twentieth century, and the resistance the Old Believers mounted in response. The research is based on unique documents housed in several regional state archives. The authors - well-known Irkutsk historians - focus on the actions taken by local officials following the Revolution of 1905 when the autocracy found it necessary to undertake social reform to survive. As part of the religious reform, local officials attempted to introduce church registry books into Old Believer communities in 1906 in order to monitor population size and to collect data on births, marriages, and deaths. The authors thoroughly analyze the Old Believers’ reasons for rejecting the introduction of these books as part of their everyday practice. Old Believer resistance was peaceful, yet stubborn, and, as the authors show, was in keeping with the traditional Old Believer principle that accommodation with the state constituted sinful behavior. The authors clearly demonstrate that in this confrontation with state authority, the Old Believers emerged the victors.