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Vorontsova E. Transformation of the Chernichki Institution in the Post-War Period (Based on the Materials of the Tambov Region)

E. Vorontsova
Lomonosov Moscow State University;
St. Tikhon Orthodox University
Moscow, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0000-0002-1292-4580
E-mail: lendail@yandex.ru 

 

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ABSTRACT. This paper focuses on the phenomenon of chernichki and its transformation during the Soviet period. Chernichki are peasant women unmarried by vow. The author describes chernichki as a historical phenomenon of long duration and points to its stability even in the face of dramatic changes caused by collectivization in the late 1920s — early 1930s and the after-war urbanization. The author conducted a field study from 2018 to 2023 in the Tambov region, resulting in a collection of narratives about unmarried women. The study used an integrated approach, combining oral history data, biographical narratives, and archival materials. It revealed that the existence of chernichki cannot be explained by the inertia of pre-revolution ascetic practices. Based on the generational division of peasant women proposed by S. Adoneva and L. Olson, the records of unmarried women in the region were arranged by age groups, and two-thirds belonged entirely to the Soviet period. The local post-war movements of “young lads” and “silent men” are of particular interest. These groups adopted the idea of celibacy and built closed eschatological communities of the True Orthodox Christians. The phenomenon of chernichki persists and sustains during the twentieth century. The choice in favor of this way of life was often collective and found support among family members and neighbors. The сhernichki, who avoided contact with Soviet authorities, maintained a certain economic independence and remained an important part of the village community.

 

KEYWORDS: chernichki, celibacy, popular religiosity, Tambov region, Soviet village, repression, true Orthodox Christians

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8600-2024-3(25) -28-43
UDC 393.532(470.326)

 

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