Guslitsy: problems of studying the Old Believers of the Moscow region

guslitsy is a well-known region of the Moscow region in the Old Believer world. It was located within the borders of the southern part of the Orekhovo-Zuyevsky District (and partially in the northern part of the Yegoryevsky District). The region was formed on the basis of an ancient volost, which was first mentioned in the will of Ivan Kalita. The residents were renowned for their skills in copying liturgical books. The region also had its own local iconography, including the production of copper-cast icons. The article highlights the main problems of studying the Old Believer region: the problem of identifying cultural heritage monuments, the problem of source studies, and the problem of preserving historical memory. Currently, this issue has not been given much attention in historical studies and local history. The problems outlined in the article will help in further research of the Old Believer region. The author's future research goal in the Moscow region is to identify liturgical literature and icons and books kept in the families of descendants, as well as their descriptions, reconstruction of the existence of a particular item (author, ownership records, the description itself, dating, etc.). The author considers it important to conduct surveys of local residents about their descendants, the life of a particular village and church (audio, photo and video recording of local rituals).

Guslitsy, Old Believers, memory studies, Moscow region, church crafts, history of everyday life