The Old Believer Orthodox cross has a slightly different shape from the four-pointed one that is widespread in our time. He has two crosshairs at a ninety-degree angle, where the upper crossbar means a plaque affixed above Christ with the inscription "Jesus the Nazarene king of the Jews," and the oblique lower crossbar, which symbolizes the "measure", which evaluates the good and bad deeds of all people. Her inclination to the left means that the repentant robber was the first to go to heaven.
What feature does such a cross have? The Old Believer model is sometimes included in the four-pointed cross of a larger size and never has the figure of the crucified Jesus. This is interpreted as the fact that this symbol should mean the Crucifixion, but not depict it. If the figure of Christ were present on the cross, the cross would become an icon that is not intended to be worn, but for prayer. Carrying the icon in a hidden form (Old Believers never carry the cross in sight) means for this group of believers to use it for other purposes (like an amulet, which is an unacceptable action).
The Old Believer cross is different in form for men and women to wear. For the stronger sex, it has clear quadrangular borders, while believing ladies wear this symbol, surrounded by an additional space that has a petal-shaped flowing shape. On the back of the cross there is a prayer “May God rise again, and his enemies will be scattered ...” or troparion to the Cross.
When did this cross appear? The Old Believer version in Russia has existed since ancient times. But during the reforms of Patriarch Nikon in the 1650s, they began to condemn him, along with other symbols of those who refused to accept church innovations. In particular, many people did not accept the three- pronged sign of the cross instead of the two- pinnacle , as well as the triple proclamation of “Hallelujah” instead of two. The Old Believers believed that three-fold Kathism contradicts the will of the Virgin.
What led to the split in Russia, one of the symbols of which was precisely the cross? Old Believers in the middle of the seventeenth century were forced to flee from the central regions of the country to the outskirts, where communities and sects took shape. The latter had many wonderful customs. For example, Ryabinovsky sense worshiped only a cross made of mountain ash. All adherents of the old church traditions were united by the isolation of existence and exceptional strictness in observing the primordial, in their opinion, ceremonies. In some cases, when trying to convert the settlement to a new faith, people resorted to mass self-immolation. The count of victims in some years went to tens of thousands.
Where today you can see the Old Believer crosses? Photos of settlements where exactly such believers live are quite widespread. Such settlements can be found both in the center of Russia and in Altai. There are even excursions to get acquainted with the life and life of this cultural layer. However, you will most likely not see the crosses themselves when visiting the village, because Old Believers still wear them strictly under their clothes.