|
The 20th century considerably changed Old Believers life. Now there are almost 15 thousands Old Believers by birth in Estonia. Old Believers- descendants willingly baptize their children in worship houses. Churches are crowded at Easter. The Old Believers of Estonia strive for revival of old traditions. The question arises: how could several thousands of Old Believers preserve their identiy living in the Estonian environment for 300 years? Will Old Believers remain in Prichudie? It seems that their local roots are deep and strong. Worship houses burnt, were closed and sealed repeatedly. But they were restored again. The worship houses in Kallaste and Piirisaar are 200 years old. And Old Believer youth more and more strives for the roots, traditions, worship houses. Lake Chudskoe is connected with three cultures - Russian, Estonian and German. For Estonians it is Lake Peipsi which the hero of the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg swam while setting off for Pskov. For Russians Lake Chudskoe is connected with Aleksandr Nevskii-s victory over the German knights on April 5, 1242. Prichudie is connected not only with the appearing and disappearing state frontier, but with the two neighbouring cultures. Estonians and Russians, with their different languages, customs, faiths, live there side by side for 300 years, not merging and peacefully getting on with each another.
|