Methods for state regulation of religious caving practice

Poleva Yulia Vladimirovna

The article highlights the main stages of state regulation of religious life and ascetic practice of cave asceticism in the South of Russia during the 17th - early 20th centuries; forms of asceticism in various confessional groups are considered: Orthodox, Old Believers and sectarian. The author analyzes the reasons for the growing popularity of cave digging and cave asceticism in modern times, during the period of persecution by the secular and church authorities of individual forms of asceticism and the consequences of such a policy on the development of cavemen.

Keywords:Cave hermitage, cave digging, cave seclusion, Old Belief, dissident communities, deviation, Ortodox Church Belief, confessional persecution.