The general meeting of the founders of the Association of Old Believer Organizations “International Old Believer Union” was held at Rogozhskoye in Moscow. Representatives of various Old Believer concords took part in it. Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church Korniliy was also present at the meeting. The subject of discussion was the charter of the organization. It was prepared in advance. The meeting participants made additional amendments to it and decided to establish the Association.
The details of the establishment of the Union were discussed earlier, in particular, at the International Old Believer Forum in Moscow at the Pashkov House in May 2021. The founders of the International Old Believer Union were public (non-profit) organizations created by Old Believers of various accords and implementing their public initiatives. The audience once again confirmed: the Old Believers Union being established will not deal with issues of faith, but its activities will be focused on public initiatives, which was included in the charter.
Metropolitan korniliy noted:
“The Association “International Old Believer Union” is intended to solve new tasks that modern realities put before us. Old Believer agreements do not exist closed from each other and from the public. There is interaction between them in many areas: general social, patriotic, cultural and historical, spiritual and moral, etc. The nature of the proposed activities of such an organization equally satisfies the Old Believers’ consent, and the statements of its representatives will reflect the picture of the Old Believer world in front of modern society, the state and the media.
Among the founders of the International Old Believer Union there are: the autonomous non-profit organization “Krinitsa” represented by Mikhail Pankratov; Primorsky regional organization “Assistance in the resettlement and adaptation of compatriots-Old Believers” represented by Avraam Kalugin; regional public organization “Cultural and Pilgrimage Center named after Archpriest Avvakum” represented by Maxim Pashinin; charitable foundation for the preservation of traditional communities “Russian connection” represented by Fr. George Efimov ; regional public organization “Society of Culture of the Semeyskie Republic of Buryatia” represented by Sergei Petrovich Petrov and others. The International Old Believer Union is open for entry to other public organizations established by the Old Believers of various accords.
The following persons were elected to the Council of the Association – the collective governing body: Mikhail Yuryevich Pankratov; Abraham Kalugin; Maxim Borisovich Pashinin; Archpriest Georgy Efimov; Valery Mikhailovich Korovin; priest Artemy Efimov; Sergei Petrovich Petrov. Further questions about the expansion of the Council, withdrawal from the Council or the admission of new members will be considered after the registration of the Association at the first meeting of this governing body. Priest Alexander Devin was elected as the Association’s manager, and Irina Alexandrovna Antarinova as auditor.
All preparatory work for the registration of the new Union was carried out by Valery Mikhailovich Korovin. He will submit all the necessary documents for registration to the Ministry of Justice in the near future. The location of the Association will be the House of the clergy at the Rogozhsky settlement.
Valery Korovin said:
“This initiative was put forward quite a long time ago at one of the Old Believer congresses in 2018. Its goal is to unite the efforts of socially active Old Believers in promoting the interests of the Old Believers, developing their presence in the public life of the country, as well as supporting the preservation of the Old Believer traditions and culture of the Russian people “.
