He lives in a special dimension, where the connection of man with nature is unusually strong. In the vast list of amazing phenomena encountered by travelers in this incomprehensible, mysterious country, a significant position is held russian Old Believer settlements. The village of Old Believers in the middle of the South American selva is a paradox that does not prevent the Russian "bearded men" from living, working and raising children here. It should be noted that they were able to equip their lives much better than most of the indigenous Bolivian peasants who have lived in these parts for many centuries.
Historical reference
Russians are one of the ethnic communities of the South American republic. In addition to family members of employees of the Russian embassy living in Bolivia, it includes about 2 thousand descendants of Russian Old Believers.
Old Believers or Old Believers - the common name of several Orthodox religious movements that arose in Russia as a result of rejection by the faithful of church reforms (XVII century). The Moscow Patriarch Nikon, the “Great Sovereign of All Russia” from 1652 to 1666, started church reforms aimed at changing the ritual tradition of the Russian Church with a view to its unification with the Greek Church. "Antichrist" transformations caused a split first, which led to the emergence of Old Believers or Old Orthodoxy. Dissatisfied with the "Nikon reforms" and innovations, Archpriest Habakkuk united and headed.
The Old Believers, who did not recognize the corrected theological books and did not accept changes in church rites, were subjected to severe persecution of the church, and persecution by state authorities. Already in the XVIII century. many fled from Russia, at first they escaped to Siberia and the Far East. The stubborn people irritated Nicholas II, and subsequently the Bolsheviks.
The Bolivian Old Believer community was formed in stages, because Russian immigrants arrived in the New World "in waves."
The Old Believers began to move to Bolivia in the 2nd half of the 19th century, arriving in separate groups, but their mass influx fell on the period 1920-1940. - in the era of post-revolutionary collectivization.
If the first wave of immigrants, attracted by fertile lands and the liberal policies of local authorities, came to Bolivia directly, then the second way was much more difficult. First, during the Civil War, the Old Believers fled to neighboring Manchuria, where a new generation managed to be born. Old Believers lived in China until the early 1960s, until the Great Cultural Revolution, led by the "great helmsman," Mao Zedong, broke out there. The Russians again had to run away from the construction of communism and the mass drive into collective farms.
Some of the Old Believers moved to and. However, exotic countries, full of temptations, seemed to the Orthodox Old Believers unsuitable for a righteous life. In addition, the authorities allocated them lands covered by wild jungles that needed to be uprooted by hand. In addition, the soil had a very thin fertile layer. As a result, after several years of hellish labor, the Old Believers set off in search of new territories. Many settled in, someone left for the USA, someone went to Australia and Alaska.
Several families made it to Bolivia, which was considered the wildest and most backward country on the continent. The authorities gave the Russian wanderers a warm welcome and also allocated them plots overgrown with jungle. But the Bolivian soil turned out to be quite fertile. Since then, the Old Believer community in Bolivia has become one of the largest and strongest in Latin America.
The Russians adapted quickly to South American living conditions. Even the debilitating tropical heat, the Old Believers endure steadily, despite the fact that they are not allowed to open their bodies excessively. The Bolivian Selva became a small homeland for the Russian “bearded men”, and the fertile land provides everything necessary.
The government is eager to meet the Old Believers, allocating land for their large families and providing soft loans for agricultural development. Old Believer settlements are located far from large cities on the territory of the tropical departments (Spanish LaPaz), (Spanish SantaCruz), (Spanish Cochabamba) and (Spanish Beni).
Curiously, unlike communities living in other countries, old Believers in Bolivia practically did not assimilate.
Moreover, being citizens of the republic, they still consider Russia their true homeland.
The lifestyle of the Old Believers of Bolivia
Old Believers live in remote, quiet villages, carefully preserving their way of life, but not rejecting the life rules of the world around them.
They traditionally do what their ancestors lived in Russia - farming and animal husbandry. Old Believers also plant corn, wheat, potatoes, sunflowers. Only in contrast to the distant cold homeland, here they still grow rice, soy, oranges, papaya, watermelon, mango, pineapple and banana. Labor on earth gives them a good income, so basically all Old Believers are prosperous people.
As a rule, men are excellent entrepreneurs whose peasant acumen is combined with an incredible ability to capture and perceive everything new. So, on the fields of the Bolivian Old Believers, modern agricultural equipment with a GPS control system is working (i.e., the machines are controlled by an operator transmitting commands from a single center). But at the same time, the Old Believers are opponents of television and the Internet, they fear banking operations, preferring to make all payments in cash.
The Bolivian Old Believers community is dominated by strict patriarchy. The woman here knows her place. According to Old Believer laws, the main purpose of the mother of the family is to preserve the hearth. It is not worth a woman to flaunt herself; they wear dresses and sundresses to their toes, cover their heads, and never use makeup. Some relief is allowed to young girls - they are allowed not to tie their head with a scarf. All clothes are sewn and embroidered by the female part of the community.
Married women are forbidden to prevent pregnancy, so Old Believer families are traditionally large. Kids are born at home, with the help of a midwife. Old believers go to the hospital only in extreme cases.
But one should not think that male Old Believers are despots who tyrannize their wives. They are also required to comply with many unwritten rules. As soon as the first fluff appears on a young man’s face, he becomes a real man, who, along with his father, is responsible for his family. Old Believers are usually not allowed to shave their beards, hence their nickname - "bearded men".
The Old Believer way of life does not provide for any secular life, reading “obscene” literature, cinema, or entertainment. Parents are very reluctant to let their children go to big cities, where, according to adults, it is full of “demonic temptations”.
Strict rules prohibit the Old Believers from eating foods purchased at the store, and even less so, visiting public catering establishments. Usually they only eat what they have grown and produced themselves. This installation does not apply only to those products that are difficult or simply impossible to obtain in your household (salt, sugar, vegetable oil, etc.). Being invited by local Bolivians, Old Believers eat only food brought with them.
They do not smoke, do not accept chewing coca, do not drink alcohol (the only exception is their own brew, which they drink with pleasure on occasion).
Despite the external dissimilarity with local and strict adherence to traditions that are very different from Latin American culture, Russian Old Believers have never had conflicts with Bolivians. They live in peace with their neighbors and understand each other very well, because all Old Believers are fluent in Spanish.
Toboroch
How did the life of the Old Believers in the country, you can get acquainted, having visited the Bolivian village Toboroch (Spanish: Toborochi).
In the eastern part of Bolivia, 17 km from the city, there is a colorful village founded in the 1980s. Russian Old Believers who arrived here. In this village you can feel the real Russian spirit; here you can relax your soul from the bustle of the city, learn the ancient craft or just have a wonderful time among amazing people.
As a matter of fact, the Old Believer settlement on the expanses of Bolivia is an unrealistic sight: a traditional Russian village of the late XIX century, which is surrounded not by birch groves, but by a Bolivian selva with palm trees. Against the background of exotic tropical nature, sort of fair-haired, blue-eyed, bearded Mikuly Selyaninovichi walk in their well-groomed possessions in embroidered shirts-shirts and bast shoes. And ruddy girls with wheat braids below the belt, dressed in long-field colorful sundresses, sing sincere Russian songs at work. Meanwhile, this is not a fairy tale, but a real phenomenon.
This is Russia, which we lost, but which survived far beyond the ocean, in South America.
Even today, this small village is not on the maps, and in the 1970s there were only impassable jungle. Toborochy consists of 2 dozen courtyards, quite distant from each other. The houses are not timbered, but solid, brick.
Families of the Anufrievs, Anfilofievs, Zaitsevs, Revtovs, Murachevs, Kalugins, Kulikovs live in the village. Men wear belted embroidered shirts; women - cotton skirts and dresses to the floor, and hair is removed under the "Shashmur" - a special headdress. Girls in the community are big fashionistas, each in the wardrobe has up to 20-30 dresses and sundresses. They themselves come up with styles, tailor and sew new things for themselves. Senior purchases fabrics in the cities - Santa Cruz or La Paz.
Women traditionally do needlework and housekeeping, raise children and grandchildren. Once a week, women go to the nearest city fair, where they sell milk, cheese, and pastries.
Old Believer families are mostly large - 10 children are not uncommon. As in the old days, they name newborns according to the Psalms according to the date of birth. The names of the Toboryan residents, unusual for the Bolivian ear, and for a Russian person sound too archaic: Agapit, Agripena, Abraham, Anikei, Elizar, Zinovy, Zosim, Inafa, Kipriyan, Lukiyan, Mamelfa, Matryona, Marimiya, Pinarita, Palageya, Rat Selivestra, Fedosya, Filaret, Fotigna.
Young people strive to keep up with the times and are mastering smartphones with might and main. Although many electronic devices in the village are formally prohibited, today even in the most remote wilderness it is not possible to hide from progress. Almost all houses have air conditioning, washing machines, microwaves, and some have televisions.
The main occupation of Toboroch residents is agriculture. Around the settlement stretched well-groomed agricultural land. Of the crops grown by the Old Believers in vast fields, the first place is occupied by corn, wheat, soybeans and rice. Moreover, the Old Believers succeed better than the Bolivians who have lived in these parts for centuries.
To work in the fields, “bearded men” hire local peasants, whom they call Kolya. At a village factory, the crops are processed, packaged and handed over to wholesalers. Of the fruits that grow here all year round, make kvass, mash, boil jam and jams.
In artificial reservoirs, the Toboryans breed Amazonian freshwater fish Paku, whose meat is famous for its amazing softness and delicate taste. Adult pacus weigh more than 30 kg.
Lure fish 2 times a day - at dawn and at sunset. Food is produced right there, in a village mini-factory.
Here everyone is busy with his own business - both adults and children, who are taught to work from an early age. The only day off is Sunday. On this day, members of the community relax, go to visit each other and must attend church. Men and women come to the Temple in elegant light clothes, over which something dark is thrown. The black cloak is a symbol of the fact that everyone is equal before God.
Also on Sunday, men go fishing, the boys play soccer and volleyball. Football is the most popular game in Toboroch. The local football team has won amateur school tournaments more than once.
Education
The Old Believers have their own education system. The very first and main book is the ABC of the Church Slavonic language, according to which children are taught from an early age. Older children study ancient psalms, only then - the lessons of modern literacy. Old Russian is closer to them, even the smallest ones fluently read Old Testament prayers.
Children in the community receive a comprehensive education. More than 10 years ago, the Bolivian authorities funded the construction of a school in the village. It is divided into 3 classes: children 5-8 years old, 8-11 and 12-14 years old. Bolivian teachers regularly come to the village to teach Spanish, reading, mathematics, biology, and painting.
Children learn Russian at home. Everywhere in the village they speak only Russian, with the exception of the school.
Culture, religion
Far from their historical homeland, the Russian Old Believers in Bolivia preserved their unique cultural and religious customs better than their co-religionists living in Russia. Although, perhaps, it was precisely the remoteness from their native land that caused these people to protect their values \u200b\u200band passionately uphold the traditions of their ancestors. Bolivian Old Believers are a self-sufficient community, but it does not oppose the outside world. The Russians were able to fine-tune not only their way of life, but also their cultural life. They don’t know boredom, they always know what to do in their free time. They celebrate their holidays very solemnly, with traditional feasts, with dances and songs.
Bolivian Old Believers strictly observe strict commandments regarding religion. They pray at least 2 times a day, morning and evening. Every Sunday and on religious holidays, the service lasts several hours. Generally speaking, the religiosity of the South American Old Believers is true and unshakable. Absolutely every village has its own house of worship.
Tongue
Unaware of the existence of a science such as sociolinguistics, russian Old Believers in Bolivia they intuitively act in such a way as to preserve their native language for posterity: they live apart, honor centuries-old traditions, and speak only Russian at home.
In Bolivia, Old Believers who arrived from Russia, who settled far from large cities, practically do not marry the local population. This allowed them to preserve Pushkin’s Russian culture and language much better than other Old Believer communities in Latin America.
“Our blood is truly Russian, we never mixed it, and always maintained our culture. Our children up to 13-14 years old do not learn Spanish so as not to forget their mother tongue, ”Old Believers say.
The language of the ancestors is kept and inculcated by the family, passing it from the older generation to the younger. Children must be taught to read in Russian and Old Slavonic, because in every family the main book is the Bible.
Surprisingly, all the Old Believers living in Bolivia speak Russian without the slightest emphasis, although their fathers and even grandfathers were born in South America and have never been to Russia. Moreover, the speech of the Old Believers still bears shades of characteristic Siberian dialect.
Linguists know that in the event of emigration, people lose their mother tongue already in the 3rd generation, that is, the grandchildren of those who left, as a rule, do not speak the language of their grandparents. But in Bolivia the 4th generation of Old Believers is already fluent in Russian. This is a surprisingly pure, dialectic language that was spoken in Russia in the 19th century. It is important that the Old Believers' language is lively, it is constantly developing and enriching itself. Today it is a unique combination of archaic and neologisms. When the Old Believers need to identify a new phenomenon, they easily and simply invent new words. For example, cartoons are called tobochans “jumpers”, and lamp garlands - “little lights”. They call tangerines “mimosa” (probably for the shape and bright color of the fruit). The word “mistress” is alien to them, but “boyfriend” is quite familiar and understandable.
Over the years of his life in a foreign land, many words borrowed from Spanish flowed into the oral speech of the Old Believers. For example, their fair is called "Feria" (Spanish. Feria - "show, exhibition, show"), and the market - "Mercado" (Spanish. Mercado). Some Spanish words have become Russified among the Old Believers, and a number of obsolete Russian words used by the inhabitants of Toborochi cannot be heard even in the most remote corners of Russia. So, instead of “very”, the Old Believers say “very little”, the tree is called “forest”, and the sweater is called “kufayka”. They have no honor in television, bearded men believe that television leads people to hell, but still rarely watch Russian films.
Although at home the Old Believers communicate exclusively in Russian, everyone is fluent in Spanish for a hassle-free stay in the country. As a rule, men know Spanish better, because the obligation to earn money and provide for a family lies entirely with them. The task of women is to housekeeping and raise children. So women are not only housekeepers, but also custodians of their native language.
Interestingly, this situation is characteristic of Old Believers living in South America. While in the United States and Australia, the second generation of Old Believers has completely switched to English.
Marriages
Closed communities are usually characterized by closely related unions and, as a result, an increase in genetic problems. But this does not apply to the Old Believers. Even ancestors established the immutable "eighth generation rule" when marriages between relatives up to the 8th generation are prohibited.
Old Believers are well aware of their pedigree and communicate with all relatives.
Mixed marriages are not encouraged by the Old Believers, but young people are not forbidden to categorically create families with local residents. But only a non-believer must definitely accept the Orthodox faith, learn the Russian language (it is necessary to read the holy books in the Old Slavonic language), observe all the traditions of the Old Believers and earn the respect of the community. It is easy to guess that such weddings occur infrequently. However, adults rarely ask children for an opinion on marriage - most often parents themselves choose a spouse for their child from other communities.
Young men by the age of 16 gain the necessary experience in the field and can already get married. Girls can marry when they are 13 years old. The first “adult” daughter’s birthday present is a collection of old Russian songs, painstakingly hand-written by her mother.
Back to Russia
In the early 2010s For the first time in many years, Russian Old Believers began to have friction with the authorities when the left government (Spanish Juan Evo Morales Ayma; President of Bolivia from January 22, 2006) began to show increased interest in the Indian lands on which the Russian Old Believers settled. Many families seriously thought about moving to their historical homeland, especially since the Russian government in recent years has actively supported the return of compatriots.
Most South American Old Believers have never been to Russia, but they remember their history and say they always felt homesick. Old Believers dream of seeing real snow. The Russian authorities allocated land to those who arrived in the regions from which they fled to China 90 years ago, i.e. in Primorye and Siberia.
Russia's eternal misfortune - roads and officials
Today only in Brazil, Uruguay and Bolivia lives approx. 3 thousand Russian Old Believers.
As part of the program for the resettlement of compatriots to their homeland in 2011-2012. several Old Believer families moved from Bolivia to the Primorsky Territory. In 2016, a representative of the Russian Orthodox Old Believers Church said that the people who had moved turned out to be deceived by local officials and are on the verge of starvation.
Each Old Believer family is able to cultivate up to 2 thousand hectares of land, as well as engage in livestock breeding. Earth is the most important thing in the life of these hardworking people. They themselves call themselves in the Spanish manner - agricultural workers (Spanish agricultural - “farmer"). And the local authorities, taking advantage of the poor knowledge of the immigrants of Russian law, allocated them plots intended only for haying - nothing else can be done on these lands. In addition, after some time, the administration raised the rate of land tax several times to the Old Believers. Approximately 1,500 families left in South America who are ready to move to Russia fear that they will not be "in open arms" in their historical homeland either.
“In South America we are strangers, because they are Russians, but nobody in Russia also needs them. Here is paradise, nature is so beautiful that it is breathtaking. But officials are a real nightmare, ”the Old Believers are upset.
The Old Believers are in charge that over time all the barbudos (from the Spanish - “bearded men”) moved to Primorye. They see the solution to the problem in the control of the Russian Presidential Administration over the implementation of the federal program.
In June 2016, Moscow hosted the I international conference “Old Believers, the State and Society in the Modern World”, which brought together representatives of the largest Orthodox Old Believers' consents (Consent - a group of associations of believers in the Old Believers - ed.) From Russia, near and far abroad. The conference participants discussed the "difficult situation of the families of Old Believers who resettled in Primorye from Bolivia."
Of course, there are plenty of problems. For example, children attending school are not part of the centuries-old tradition of Old Believers. Their usual way of life is work in the field and prayers. “It is important for us to maintain traditions, faith and rituals, and it will be very disappointing that in a foreign country we have saved it, but in our country we will lose”- says the head of the seaside Old Believer community.
Education officials are confused. On the one hand, I don’t want to put pressure on the original immigrants. But under the law on universal education, all citizens of Russia, regardless of their religion, are required to send their children to school.
Old believers cannot be forced to violate their principles, for the sake of preserving traditions, they will again be ready to break loose and look for another refuge.
"Far Eastern hectare" - to bearded men
The Russian authorities are well aware that the Old Believers, who were able to save the culture and traditions of their ancestors away from their homeland, are the Golden Fund of the Russian nation. Especially against the backdrop of an unfavorable demographic situation in the country.
The plan of the demographic policy of the Far East for the period up to 2025, approved by the government of the Russian Federation, provides for the creation of additional incentives for the resettlement of compatriots, Old Believers living abroad, in the regions of the Far East. Now they will be able to get their “Far Eastern hectare” at the initial stage of obtaining citizenship.
Today in the Amur Region and Primorsky Territory there live about 150 families of Old Believer migrants who arrived from South America. Several more families of South American Old Believers are ready to move to the Far East; land plots have already been selected for them.
In March 2017, Cornelius, Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church, became the first Old Believer Primate to be officially accepted by the President of Russia in 350 years. During a thorough discussion, Putin assured Cornelius that the state would be more attentive to compatriots who want to return to their homelands and look for ways to best resolve the problems that arise.
“People who come to these regions ... with a desire to work on the land, to create strong families with many children, of course, need to be supported,” Putin said.
Soon, a working trip to South America of a group of representatives of the Russian “Agency for the Development of Human Capital” took place. And in the summer of 2018, representatives of the Old Believer communities from Uruguay, Bolivia and Brazil came to the Far East to familiarize themselves with the conditions for a possible resettlement of people on the spot.
Seaside Old Believers are looking forward to moving their relatives left overseas to Russia. They dream that, finally, many years of wandering around the world will end and they want to finally settle here - albeit on the edge of the earth, but in their beloved homeland.
Curious facts
- The traditional Old Believer family is based on respect and love, which the Apostle Paul said in a letter to the Corinthians: “Love endures for a long time, mercy, love does not envy, does not exalt, ... does not act outrageously, does not contrive evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; love covers everything, believes everything, ... transfers everything ” (1 Cor. 13, 4-7).
- The proverb is popular among Old Believers: “In Bolivia, only that which is not planted does not grow”.
- As for driving, here men and women have equal rights. In the Old Believer community, a woman driving is quite commonplace.
- Generous Bolivian land produces crops up to 3 times a year.
- It was in Toboroch that a unique variety of Bolivian beans was developed, which is now grown throughout the country.
- In 1999, the city authorities decided to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Pushkin, and a street named after the great Russian poet appeared in the administrative capital of Bolivia.
- The Bolivian Old Believers even have their own newspaper - Russkoebarrio (Spanish for barrio - "neighborhood"; La Paz, 2005-2006).
- Old believers have a negative attitude to any barcodes. They are sure that any barcode is a “devilish sign”.
- Brown Paku is "famous" for its creepy teeth, which are strikingly similar to human ones. However, human teeth are not able to inflict such terrible wounds on the victim as the jaws of a predatory fish.
- The Tobrochans are mostly descendants of Old Believers from the Nizhny Novgorod province who fled to Siberia under Peter the Great. Therefore, in their speech even today the ancient Nizhny Novgorod dialect is traced. Loading...
For several centuries, the Russian Old Believers could not find peace in their native land, and in the 20th century many of them finally moved abroad. It was far from always possible to settle somewhere close to the Motherland, and therefore today Old Believers can also be found in a distant foreign land, for example, in Latin America. In this article you will learn about the life of Russian farmers from the village of Toborochi, Bolivia.
Old Believers, or Old Believers - the common name for religious movements in Russia,
resulting from the rejection of church reforms in 1605-1681. It all started after the Moscow patriarch
Nikon made a number of innovations (correction of liturgical books, change of rites).
Dissatisfied with the "anti-Christ" reforms united Protopop Avvakum. The Old Believers were brutally harassed
by both church and secular authorities. Already in the XVIII century, many fled beyond the borders of Russia, fleeing persecution.
The stubborn did not like Nicholas II, and, subsequently, the Bolsheviks. In Bolivia, a three-hour drive from the city of Santa Cruz,
in the town of Toborochi 40 years ago, the first Russian Old Believers settled. Even now, this settlement cannot be found on the maps,
and in the 1970s there were completely uninhabited lands surrounded by dense jungle.
Fedor and Tatyana Anufriev were born in China, and went to Bolivia among the first immigrants from Brazil.
In addition to the Anufrievs, the Revtovs, Murachevs, Kaluginovs, Kulikovs, Anfilofievs, Zaitsevs live in Toboroch.
The village of Toborochi consists of two dozen courtyards located at a decent distance from each other.
Most houses are brick built.
Santa Cruz has a very hot and humid climate, and mosquitoes pester all year round.
Mosquito nets, so dear and familiar in Russia, are placed on windows and in the Bolivian wilderness.
Old Believers cherish their traditions. Men wear shirts with belts. They sew them themselves, but they buy trousers in the city.
Women prefer sundresses and dresses to the floor. Hair is grown from birth and braided into a braid.
Most Old Believers do not allow strangers to take pictures of themselves, but there are family albums in every house.
Young people keep up with the times and are mastering smartphones with might and main. Many electronic devices in the village are formally prohibited,
but one cannot hide from progress even in such a wilderness. Almost all houses have air conditioning, washing machines,
microwaves and televisions, adults communicate with distant relatives through the mobile Internet.
The main occupation in Toboroch is agriculture, as well as the cultivation of Amazonian pacu fish in artificial reservoirs.
Lure fish twice a day - at dawn and in the evening. Food is produced right there in the mini-factory.
On vast fields Old Believers grow beans, corn, wheat, and eucalyptus in the forests.
It was in Toboroch that the only variety of Bolivian beans was bred, which is now popular in the whole country.
The remaining legumes are imported from Brazil.
At a village factory, crops are processed, bagged and sold to wholesalers.
Bolivian land bears fruit up to three times a year, and it began to be fertilized only a couple of years ago.
Women do needlework and housekeeping, raise children and grandchildren. Most Old Believer families are large.
Names for children are chosen according to the Psalms, according to the birthday. They name the newborn on the eighth day of his life.
The names of the Tobrochintsy are unusual not only for the Bolivian ear: Lukiyan, Kipriyan, Zasim, Fedosya, Kuzma, Agripena,
Pinarita, Abraham, Agapit, Palagea, Mamelfa, Stefan, Anin, Vasilisa, Marimia, Elizar, Inafa, Salamania, Selivestr.
Residents of the village often encounter wildlife: monkeys, ostriches,
poisonous snakes and even small crocodiles who like to enjoy fish in the lagoons.
For such cases, the Old Believers always have a gun ready.
Once a week, women go to the nearest city fair, where they sell cheese, milk, and pastries.
Curd and sour cream in Bolivia have not taken root.
To work in the fields, the Russians hire Bolivian peasants, who are called Kolya.
There is no language barrier, as Old Believers, in addition to Russian, also speak Spanish,
and the older generation have not forgotten Portuguese and Chinese.
By the age of 16, boys acquire the necessary field experience and can marry.
Old Believers strictly forbidden marriages between relatives to the seventh generation, so brides are sought in other villages
South and North America. They rarely get to Russia.
Girls can marry when they reach the age of 13.
The first "adult" gift for the girl is a collection of Russian songs from which the mother takes
another copy and gives his daughter a birthday.
Ten years ago, the Bolivian authorities funded the construction of a school. It consists of two buildings and is divided into three classes:
children 5-8 years old, 8-11 and 12-14 years old. Boys and girls study together.
Two Bolivian teachers teach at the school. The main subjects are Spanish, reading, mathematics, biology, drawing.
Russian is taught at home. In spoken language, the Toborg residents are used to mixing two languages, and some Spanish words and
completely replaced the Russians. So, gas in the village is called “gasoline”, the fair is “feria”, the market is “merkado”,
garbage - "basura". Spanish words have long become Russified and are inclined according to the rules of their native language. There are neologisms: for example,
instead of the expression “download from the Internet”, the word “descargar” from the Spanish descargar is in use. Some Russian words,
commonly used in Toboroch, have long gone out of use in modern Russia. Instead of "very" Old Believers say "very",
the tree is called "forest". The older generation is adding Portuguese words to the Brazilian spill to all this diversity.
In general, the material for dialectologists in Toboroch is a whole book.
Primary education is optional, but the Bolivian government encourages all students
public schools: once a year the military comes, paying each student 200 Boliviano (about $ 30).
Old Believers attend church twice a week, not counting Orthodox holidays:
services are held on Saturday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m.
Men and women come to church in everything clean, putting on dark clothes.
The black cape symbolizes the equality of all before God.
Most South American Old Believers have never been to Russia, but they remember their history,
reflecting her main moments in art.
Sunday is the only day off. Everyone goes to visit each other, men go fishing.
It gets dark early in the village, go to bed by 10 pm.
For several centuries, the Russian Old Believers could not find peace in their native land, and in the 20th century many of them finally moved abroad. It was far from always possible to settle somewhere close to the Motherland, and therefore today Old Believers can also be found in a distant foreign land, for example, in Latin America. In this article you will learn about the life of Russian farmers from the village of Toborochi, Bolivia. Old Believers, or Old Believers - the common name for religious movements in Russia that arose as a result of rejection of church reforms in 1605-1681. It all started after the Moscow patriarch Nikon made a number of innovations (correction of liturgical books, change of rites). Dissatisfied with the "anti-Christ" reforms united Protopop Avvakum. The Old Believers were brutally persecuted by both church and secular authorities. Already in the XVIII century, many fled beyond the borders of Russia, fleeing persecution. The stubborn did not like Nicholas II, and, subsequently, the Bolsheviks. In Bolivia, a three-hour drive from the city of Santa Cruz, in the town of Toborochi, the first Russian Old Believers settled 40 years ago. Even now, this settlement cannot be found on maps, and in the 1970s there were absolutely uninhabited lands surrounded by dense jungle. Fedor and Tatyana Anufriev were born in China, and went to Bolivia among the first immigrants from Brazil. In addition to the Anufrievs, the Revtovs, Murachevs, Kaluginovs, Kulikovs, Anfilofievs, Zaitsevs live in Toboroch. The village of Toborochi consists of two dozen courtyards located at a decent distance from each other. Most houses are brick built. Santa Cruz has a very hot and humid climate, and mosquitoes pester all year round. Mosquito nets, so dear and familiar in Russia, are placed on windows and in the Bolivian wilderness. Old Believers cherish their traditions. Men wear shirts with belts. They sew them themselves, but they buy trousers in the city. Women prefer sundresses and dresses to the floor. Hair is grown from birth and braided into a braid. Most Old Believers do not allow strangers to take pictures of themselves, but there are family albums in every house. Young people keep up with the times and are mastering smartphones with might and main. Many electronic devices in the village are formally prohibited, but progress cannot be hidden even in such a wilderness. Almost all houses have air conditioning, washing machines, microwaves and televisions, adults communicate with distant relatives via mobile Internet. The main occupation in Toboroch is agriculture, as well as the cultivation of Amazonian pacu fish in artificial reservoirs. Lure fish twice a day - at dawn and in the evening. Food is produced right there in the mini-factory. On vast fields Old Believers grow beans, corn, wheat, and eucalyptus in the forests. It was in Toboroch that the only variety of Bolivian beans was bred, which is now popular in the whole country. The remaining legumes are imported from Brazil. At a village factory, crops are processed, bagged and sold to wholesalers. Bolivian land bears fruit up to three times a year, and it began to be fertilized only a couple of years ago. Women do needlework and housekeeping, raise children and grandchildren. Most Old Believer families are large. Names for children are chosen according to the Psalms, according to the birthday. They name the newborn on the eighth day of his life. The names of the Tobrochintsy are unusual not only for the Bolivian ear: Lukiyan, Kipriyan, Zasim, Fedosya, Kuzma, Agripen, Pinarita, Abraham, Agapit, Palageya, Mamelfa, Stefan, Anin, Vasilisa, Marimia, Elizar, Inafa, Salamaniya. Residents of the village often encounter wildlife: monkeys, ostriches, poisonous snakes and even small crocodiles who like to enjoy fish in the lagoons. For such cases, the Old Believers always have a gun ready. Once a week, women go to the nearest city fair, where they sell cheese, milk, and pastries. Curd and sour cream in Bolivia have not taken root. To work in the fields, the Russians hire Bolivian peasants, who are called Kolya. There is no language barrier, as Old Believers, in addition to Russian, also speak Spanish, and the older generation have not forgotten Portuguese and Chinese. By the age of 16, boys acquire the necessary field experience and can marry. Old Believers strictly prohibited marriages between relatives to the seventh generation, so brides are sought in other villages in South and North America. They rarely get to Russia. Girls can marry when they reach the age of 13. The first “adult” gift for the girl is a collection of Russian songs, from which the mother takes another copy and gives her daughter a birthday. Ten years ago, the Bolivian authorities funded the construction of a school. It consists of two buildings and is divided into three classes: children 5-8 years old, 8-11 and 12-14 years old. Boys and girls study together. Two Bolivian teachers teach at the school. The main subjects are Spanish, reading, mathematics, biology, drawing. Russian is taught at home. In oral speech, the Tobrochians are used to mixing two languages, and some Spanish words completely replaced the Russians. So, gas in the village is called “gasoline”, the fair is “feria”, the market is “merkado”, and garbage is “basura”. Spanish words have long become Russified and are inclined according to the rules of their native language. There are neologisms: for example, instead of the expression "download from the Internet", the word "descargar" from the Spanish descargar is used in the course. Some Russian words commonly used in Toboroch have long gone out of use in modern Russia. Instead of "very", the Old Believers say "very", the tree is called "forest". The older generation is adding Portuguese words to the Brazilian spill to all this diversity. In general, the material for dialectologists in Toboroch is a whole book. Primary education is not compulsory, but the Bolivian government encourages all students in public schools: once a year the military comes to pay each student 200 Boliviano (about $ 30). Old Believers attend church twice a week, excluding Orthodox holidays: services are held on Saturday from 17 to 19 hours and on Sunday from 4 to 7 in the morning. Men and women come to church in everything clean, putting on dark clothes. The black cape symbolizes the equality of all before God. Most South American Old Believers have never been to Russia, but they remember their history, reflecting its main moments in art. Sunday is the only day off. Everyone goes to visit each other, men go fishing. It gets dark early in the village, go to bed by 10 pm.
The Russians in Bolivia deserve close interest, for at least two reasons. Firstly, the Russian community appeared there not in the turbulent 1990s, but in the 19th century. Secondly, unlike other Latin American countries, Russians in Bolivia practically did not assimilate. Moreover, being citizens of this country, they consider Russia their homeland, which they have not even seen on television screens: they don’t favor TVs.
"Oh, frost, frost" under the palm trees
These women wear long sundresses, men - shirts with belts. Going down the aisle early: girls are already at 13, guys are at 16; give birth a lot, so ten children in the family are not uncommon. The names of all are Russian, but ancient, which you will not even hear now: Mamelph, Agapit, Kipriyan, Inaf, Elizar.
All are peasants. They live by selling the fruits of their labor; on Sunday they rest, go to church. It seems like an ordinary Russian village at the end of the 19th century, but around it are not fields with birches, but Bolivian selva, and peasants grow not turnips with cabbage, but bananas with pineapples (however, wheat is also held in high esteem).
Everyone speaks Russian cleanly, without a hint of emphasis, but with rare intersperses of Spanish words. There is no merit of the Bolivian authorities: public schools in the country are only Hispanic. The family keeps and instills the Russian language, and children are taught to read children not only in Russian, but also in Old Slavonic, because the main book in every family - the Bible - is written in this language. There are about 2 thousand of such Old Believer peasants in Bolivia. Their villages are located in the tropical departments of the country - Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Las Paz, Beni.
Despite the persistent observance of traditions that are very different from the local culture, and the external dissimilarity, the Russian Old Believers never had any conflicts with the Bolivians. They live together with their neighbors, understand each other very well (all Old Believers know Spanish well), but they don’t want to get close and marry only with their own, and not within the village (this is forbidden), and writing out brides from afar. Fortunately, in Latin America there are enough Old Believers.
Keeping faith
The community formed gradually, the Old Believers arrived "in waves." The first of them refers to the second half of the century before last, when part of the Siberian Old Believers, tired of persecution, began to look for a place on the map where they could quietly practice their faith. Such a point (or rather, a continent) was Latin America in general and Bolivia in particular. The first immigrants were attracted by fertile lands and the liberal policies of local authorities.
If the first wave of immigrants came to Bolivia directly, the path of the second was very difficult. First, in the turbulent years of the civilian Old Believers fled to Manchuria. It seems to have taken root, a new generation was born - and then a revolution broke out already in China. I had to run again, this time in British Hong Kong. From there, part of the Old Believers moved to Australia, and part - to Brazil. Not everyone liked Brazil - they decided to move to Bolivia. But it is possible that a new resettlement awaits the Russians in Bolivia.
Back to homeland
For the first time in many years, Russian Old Believers had problems with the authorities in the early 2010s. They are not guilty of this: the leftist government of Evo Morales simply came to power, who took care of the fate of the Indian lands on which the Old Believers live and work. Some of them thought about returning to their homeland, especially since these plans were actively supported by the Russian authorities.
In 2011, about 30 people came to Russia from Bolivia, others followed them. Contrary to forecasts, no one came back, although it was not easy: for example, almost no one remained in the districts allocated to them, and some went away. Will the rest of the Russians in Bolivia follow their example? Only time can answer this question.
Today, many are interested in what they were. A really interesting story.