Peculiarities Of Virtualization Of Religious Activity Of Modern Old Believers

Abstract

The article is devoted to the research of the Old Believer creeds activities in the space of virtual networks. The Old Believer movement is rather conservative, selectively adopting modern technologies and new means of media communication. They vary from the official websites of religious organizations to community members' groups and pages on various social networks. A separate aspect of the study is the analysis of various communication channels between Old Believers in virtual space. The main methodology of this research aspect is the content analysis of thematic sites (both official and unofficial), and pages and groups on social networks. In the course of the study of the Old Believers' activities in the space of virtual networks, we came to the conclusion that the cultural and religious identification of the Old Believers is carried out according to a scheme that has not practically changed since the 17th century. However, under the influence of new media, the Old Believer institute of prohibitions, which allowed them to maintain their religious and cultural identity all this time, undergoes various modifications. For Old Believer communities scattered throughout the world, the transition to virtual space means the formation of a new structure of cultural and religious identity. Due to this, there is a continuity of the material accumulated by generations through virtual communication channels that are new for them. The future couples are increasingly finding each other through online dating services. Clergy have the opportunity to conduct their proseletic activity in the space of virtual networks.