Old Russian tales in Old Believer’ miscellanies of the 18th century

Context and relevance. During the 18^th century, the ideological foundations of the emerging Old Believer communities were actively taking shape and becoming firmly established. An analysis of which Old Russian literary works were selected and how they were utilized in the formulation of the fundamental principles of the Old Believers’ worldview will shed light on one of the fundamental aspects of this unique phenomenon. Goal. To determine the place of Old Russian tales (legends, stories) within the system of Old Believer literary authorities in the 18th century. Methods and materials. The study was conducted using traditional archival methods. To identify 18^th-century manuscript collections containing Old Russian tales, a comprehensive review of published descriptions of manuscript collections was conducted, along with a page-by-page examination of the collections. Textual and genre-stylistic analyses were employed when working with the manuscripts de visu. Results. This paper presents a list of Old Russian tales whose literary history was continued in two manuscript traditions that developed in parallel during the Early Modern period. Using the example of “The Tale of the Twelve Dreams of Tsar Mamer”, it demonstrates the distinctive features of how these works were adapted for dissemination in Old Believer anthologies. Tales that served as a tool for justifying and strengthening the ideological system of the Vyg are examined separately. Conclusions. The Old Believers’ engagement with Old Russian tales in the early to mid-18^th century was not as widespread as their inclusion in non-Old Believer anthologies of the time. The selected plots aligned with the evolving ideological concepts of specific movements and served as a valuable historical precedent that helped to reinforce them.