Avvakum
A defiant priest whose fiery resistance to church reform sparked a lasting schism and created a landmark of Russian literature.
1620–1682 (age 62)·Russian protopope (1620/1621 – 1682)·Birthday: November 20
Biography
Avvakum Petrov was a 17th-century Russian priest whose uncompromising faith collided with the power of the state and reshaped religious history. As protopope of the Kazan Cathedral in Moscow, he violently opposed the liturgical reforms of Patriarch Nikon, which aimed to align Russian rites with Greek Orthodoxy. For Avvakum, these changes were a heretical betrayal, and his blistering sermons and petitions to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich made him a leader of the 'Old Believer' movement. His defiance led to years of brutal exile in Siberia, where he was imprisoned in a subterranean pit. It was there he penned his 'Life', an autobiographical account written in the vivid, vernacular language of the people, which stands as a foundational work of Russian literature and a testament to unyielding conviction.
#1 When Avvakum Was Born
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Avvakum's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1620Born
1625Started school
1633Became a teenager
1636Could drive
1638Could vote
1641Turned 21
1650Turned 30
1660Turned 40
1670Turned 50
1680Turned 60
1682Died at 62
Key Achievements
- Authored 'The Life of Archpriest Avvakum, Written by Himself', a seminal work in the history of Russian literature.
- Became the most prominent leader and spiritual figure of the Old Believer schism within the Russian Orthodox Church.
- Endured over two decades of imprisonment and exile for his opposition to Patriarch Nikon's reforms.
Did You Know?
His autobiography is considered the first Russian work written in a close approximation of colloquial speech.
He was burned at the stake in 1682 for refusing to recant his beliefs.
He referred to his chief persecutor, Patriarch Nikon, as a 'ravenous wolf' and 'heretic' in his writings.
Old Believers, descendants of his movement, still exist as distinct religious communities in Russia and abroad.
“I am not fond of my own will; what God wills, that shall be.”
