THE MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS OF OLD BELIEVERS IN UKRAINE AND THE POLITICAL REGIME MARRIAGE RELATIONS IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN THE 19 THE – EARLY 20TH CENTURIES

Abstract

The article discusses the features of the policy of the Russian Empire on the marital relationships of the Old Belivers in the 19th- the early 20th centuries. The issues of liberalisation, abandon oppression and harassment by government agencies. Attempts of improper activity of the government and the church to destroy the values of the Old Believers are considered. These are, in particular, family and marital values. These values are indispensable elements of the social structure of a community. Marital relations were considered the main social institution that preserved the tolerance of society.
Particular attention was focused on the equalization of rights between the Old Believers and the Orthodox Christians on the part of the government and the church. The analysis highlights that apartness and matrimony were the main elements of the faith tradition of the Old Believers. The article shows that the laws of the Russian Empire influenced the mating and sexual behaviour of Old Believers. The gender perspective met the requirements of the agrarian aristocracy and this aspect was considered in action. Historically, the role of women in different spheres of society has gradually changed. Women could take on male work responsibilities, for example, as a business environment or judicial functions. On the topic of family education of Old Believers, this issue is subordinated to religious beliefs. Education children was a top priority for men. There were erudition, a high knowledge of religious literature, quotation, the lives of foremost saints and other important knowledge of the Old Believers and their children. This article analyzes cross-marriages between Old Believers and Orthodox Christians, but this was an exception. Endogamy was a major component of wed. People got married with the consent of their parents, while a significant other had to be an Old Believer and live in your or a neighboring village.