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P 300513Z OCT 07
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INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RIGA 000812 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KIRF LG
SUBJECT: Old Believers in Latvia 
 
¶1. Summary: Latvia is well-known for its large Russian community, 
mainly the large number of non-citizens and claims that they are 
discriminated against, especially on language. However, it would be 
a big mistake to perceive Russians in Latvia as a homogenous 
religious community. While the majority are orthodox, significant 
numbers are Catholic, evangelical, or Old Believers.  Old Believers 
are a relatively small community with strong historic and cultural 
roots in Latvia. Almost all Old Believers are Latvian citizens. 
However, they make few political claims. The state recognizes Old 
Belief as one of Latvia's seven traditional religions and provides 
some support for preserving and maintaining their cultural and 
historical heritage.  End summary. 
 
¶2. Most international and even local actors are used to making very 
general conclusions about Russians in Latvia; they are non-citizens, 
they do not know Latvian, etc. However, a closer examination of 
Russians in Latvia - their history, sociological profile, and 
attitudes - suggests caution in using convenient generalizations. It 
is true that the majority of Russians arrived to Latvia during the 
Soviet period, however, there are groups within the Russian 
community that have deep roots in Latvian society. Russians were the 
biggest minority already in inter-war (1918 - 1940) Latvia, though 
at that time they constituted about nine percent of population, vice 
today's nearly thirty percent. Diversity also exists in their 
religious affiliation and observance:  about 70 percent indentify as 
Orthodox, 15 percent - Old Believer, and seven percent - Catholic. 
There is also a sizable number in the evangelical movement. 
 
¶3. What is Old Belief 
Old Believers have a unique faith, culture and history.  Some 
representatives of Latvia's Old Believers even claim that the 
community (about 60,000 - 80,000) are a distinct ethnic-religious 
group and should not be treated the same way as "other Russians." 
The term 'Old Belief' refers to the churches and religious 
communities that do not recognize the reforms launched in the 
Russian Orthodox Church in the 17th century by Patriarch Nikon. From 
the established Russian Orthodox Church it differs not so much in 
its doctrine as in its rites and observances. The Old Believers also 
have peculiar ecclesiastical structures of their own as well as 
their own interpretation of certain elements of the Holy Writ and 
the Tradition. The Old Believers traditionally cross themselves with 
two fingers, and they recognized only pre-reform icons, liturgical 
books and observances, and the eight-armed cross. The majority of 
Old Believers have no regular clergy (and no three-level hierarchy 
as the Orthodox Church has), and their liturgies and religious 
observances are conducted by 'spiritual fathers' elected among the 
parishioners themselves. The early Old Believers were characterized 
by their hostility to all things secular, especially the State and a 
society ruled, as they thought, by the Antichrist, their refusal to 
entertain any contacts with 'worldly people' (with whom they would 
not eat, drink or pray together), their anxious expectancy of the 
'world's end', their rigid asceticism, their abidance by old 
traditions, rites and lifestyles, etc. Estimates place the total 
number of Old Believers remaining in the world today at from 1 to 10 
million, some living in extremely isolated communities in places to 
which they fled centuries ago to avoid persecution. 
 
¶4. History of Old Believers in Latvia 
The first records of Old Believers settlements in Latvia can be 
traced back to the 17th century,  when hundreds of Old Believers 
from neighboring areas of Tsarist Russia settled in the eastern part 
of Latvia seeking refuge from persecution as a result of their 
unwillingness to accept reforms in the Orthodox Church. Also 
nowadays the biggest Old Believers communities are to be found in 
the eastern part of Latvia (Latgale), as well as in the capital 
Riga. In Latgale, there are villages where the number of Old 
Believers reaches 80 - 90 percent of the population, for instance, 
Silmalas in Rezekne's district. Similarly to other religions, there 
are a number of splinter groups within Old Belief. In Latvia the 
dominant majority are Pomorsky Old Believers (main distinction: no 
priesthood), however, some attempts to establish other groups have 
been made. 
 
¶5. Today's situation in the community. 
Today the older generation of Latvia's Old Believers continues to 
observe their religious rites and traditions. For a broader public, 
they are mainly known for their attempts to maintain their unique 
religious heritage and low political profile. In private 
conversations, they claim to be a distinctive group within Latvia's 
Russian community since, in contrast to Russians who came to Latvia 
in the Soviet period, they have Latvian citizenship.  A few ethnic 
Russian politicians and MPs claim to be Old Believers, however, 
according to leader of one of Old Believers' communities "that has 
not resulted in any profit" for the community. 
 
¶6. Official stance. The official government policy towards Old 
Believers in general could be characterized as supportive or 
neutral. The leader of Jekabpils' Old Believers' community claimed 
that Latvia is among a very few places where Old Believers may 
practice their religion freely. Their attempts to preserve Old 
Believers historical heritage (churches, graveyards) are very often 
funded by government and individual municipalities. Besides, Old 
Belief, along with seven other religions designated by law as 
 
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"traditional", has been given particular rights by Latvian law. 
Despite the overall positive or neutral attitude towards Old Belief, 
Latvian legislation has legal norms which are discriminatory against 
Old Believers: since Old Believers' faith does not allow taking 
oath, it would not be possible for a fully-observant Old Believer to 
take positions in government which require taking oath. However, 
there is no information on real cases and the representative of the 
Old Believers community hardly doubted such possibility, since Old 
Believers who observe the rites also prefer to abstain from state 
activities. 
 
¶7. Comment: Though Old Believers are not granted specific political 
and social rights by the official policy, Old Believers are 
recognized by the Latvian state, can freely practice their religion 
and receive some support for the perseverance of their unique 
cultural heritage. Individual objections against equalizing Russians 
who are Old Believers with other Russians are made in private and 
most likely will not become official demand to recognize the Old 
Believers as a distinct ethnic/religious group since the community 
does not have strong political lobbies and is more concerned about 
the perseverance of its cultural and religious heritage. The future 
of the community is endangered not so much by official policy as 
lack of members of new generation who follow and observe rites and 
traditions of Old Belief. 
 
SELDOWITZ