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The article deals with a studying of the current state of Orthodoxy in Trekhrechye (Inner Mongolia, the People's Republic of China). The paper continues the research, the part of which was disclosed in the article “Folk Orthodox Faith of Ergun Russian” (Religiovedenie (Study of Religion) journal, no. 3, 2016). Field data of 2015–2016 are the basis of the article. The authors note that today a considerable part of Russians of Trekhrechye keeps practicing Orthodoxy and maintains contact with the Russian religious culture. In religious life of the Trekhrechye Russians practices of medical magic and sorcery remain. Medical magic includes, on the one hand, Christian belief in the omnipotence of God, protection of the Virgin Mary, and protection of saints, and on the other hand – the heritage of archaic magic and witchcraft. Agrarian and constructive magic almost lost the value. The modern Russians of Trekhrechye hardly ever perform fortunetelling rituals. The Russian national demonology well preserved in the people’s memory. The folklore of the Trekhrechye Russians includes stories about visions, which as type of religious experience are important for the believers. The current state of religious mentality of the Russians in Trekhrechye can be determined by the concept of “troeverie” (“triple faith”). The “troeverie” of the Trekhrechye Russians is a syncretistic type of religiousness, in which fragments of Orthodoxy, pre-Christian Slavic beliefs and the Chinese folk beliefs have united.

Key words: Russian Orthodox faith, folk religion, Russia, China, magic, sorcery, fortunetelling, demonology, visions, religious syncretism

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About the author

 

Andrey P. Zabiyako – DSc (Philosophy), Head of the Department of Religious Studies and History (Amur State University), Chief research associate at Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of SB RAS;

of. 107, build. 7, 21 Ignatievskoe Shosse, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, 675027; sciencia@ yandex.ru

 

Anna A. Zabiyako – DSc (Philology), Full Professor, Head of the Department of Russian Literature and World Art, Amur State University;

21 Ignatyevskoe Shosse, Blagoveshchensk, Amur Oblast, Russia, 675027; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.