IMAGES OF OLD BELIEVERS IN PAVEL MELNIKOV-PECHERSKY'S DILOGY IN THE WOODS AND ON THE HILLS

The article examines an archetype of the righteous person in the Pavel Melnikov-Pechersky’s dilogy through the example of Old Believers images which form the main part of the text. Through the example of righteousness as a subject the interconnection Melnikov-Pechersky’s dilogy with Old Russian literature traditions, focused on Christian values, is shown. Russian literature of the 19th century, which kept these traditions addressing to the subject of righteousness, created heroes of a new type. These are secular people, imperfect and a bit sinful, but holding onto the ideals of Old Russia. Such righteous persons being the ambodiment of different virtues are portrayed in Melnikov-Pechersky’s dilogy. The article draws some typological parallels with Old Russian literature and identifies several types of righteous heroes in the dilogy ? certain types of righteous women and spiritual wanderers. As a result, on the basis of the analysis of Old Believers’ images it can be concluded that the main criterion of righteousness for Pavel Melnikov-Pechersky is not belonging of the hero to the Old Belief or to the dominating church but his/her Christian attitude and following evangelical precepts. That is why Melnikov-Pechersky does not present the righteous Old Believers as active spokesmen of the Old Belief ideology.