The Romanovs and the Old Believers: A Schism That Shaped Russia

In Episode 67 of The Romanov Dynasty, Lucas and Luna explore the centuries-long conflict between the Russian state and the Old Believers, or starovery. Beginning with the 17th-century church reforms of Patriarch Nikon that sparked the raskol (schism), the conversation traces how Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich's policies turned devout Orthodox Christians into outlaws. Hosts discuss the desperate stand at the Solovetsky Monastery (1668–1676), the fiery self-immolations of entire communities, and the resilient communities that fled to Siberia and beyond. They examine the strange alliance between Old Believer merchants like the Morozovs and the late Romanovs, and how the schism influenced figures from Peter the Great to Nicholas II. The episode also touches on the irony of the Romanov dynasty's own religious piety contributing to a permanent fracture in Russian society—a divide that persisted into the Soviet era and echoes today. Specific names include Patriarch Nikon, Avvakum Petrov, Boyarynya Morozova, and Sergei Witte. #OldBelievers #starovery #PatriarchNikon #Avvakum #raskol #SolovetskyMonastery #BoyarynyaMorozova #Morozovs #Romanovs #RussianHistory #OrthodoxChurch #AlexeiMikhailovich #PeterTheGreat #SergeiWitte #FexingoHistory #History #EasternEurope #ReligiousSchism Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo