A while ago, I was on my way back from a mission trip in Russia. I was tired and in need of emotional rest. Then I received a WhatsApp message from an old friends in Moscow:
— Julian, hi! We heard that you are currently in Russia. If you come back to Europe, please stop by us. We have bought a house in an abandoned village in the Tver region.
After studying the map a bit more closely, I realized that it wouldn’t be too difficult to arrange a visit: the village was quite close to the highway between Moscow and St. Petersburg. ’Okay friends, I’ll see you soon,’ I wrote.
The village looked really almost deserted: of the twenty houses in the village, only four were inhabited. Two of them were only in use during the summer period, when some people from Moscow came there for vacation. The rest of the houses were in ruins and empty. I understand those who flee the rocky asphalt jungles of the cities in search of peace and harmony. Many of us miss this far too often.
First I went out into the woods to pick mushrooms and managed to gather almost half a basket of delicacies. The air was fresh. You could hear the singing birds’, and feel the peaceful atmosphere … Cows and sheep roamed freely in the village. I even saw a pig running around and …. All of this surprised and delighted me greatly.
The Karelian people’s festival.
After these wonderful experiences, the most interesting part followed. My friends suggested a trip to a large cultural event for Karelians from Tver region. At first, I didn’t understand: what did the festival have to do with Karelians? We were far away from the autonomous republic of Karelia, which lies east of the Finnish border. How had they ended up here, close to the capital of Russia?
The friends told me that about 20,000 Karelians moved here around the time of the war between Russia and Sweden in the 17th century. (Note! According to the Russian census of 1926, there were 140,567 Karelians living in the Tver region, 100,781 in the Karelian area, and 858 in Novgorod province). They did not want to stay under Protestant Sweden, as they were Orthodox believers. Therefore, they started a kind of ’biblical exodus’, reminiscent of the Jews’ exodus from Egypt. In the same way, these Karelians left their land to preserve their faith. They fled all the way to the Tver region, which today is located about 150 kilometers northwest of Moscow. So they had lived here during the last 400 years of time.
The folk festival made a very strong impression on me: beautiful traditional costumes, good music, folk dances, colorful decorations. We could see several outdoor stages on a large meadow, a good sound system, and modern digital screens. There were also representatives from the authorities performing on stage – everything looked solemn, grand, and official. Around, you there were also exhibition spaces, stalls, and various stands with goods and beautiful crafts.
I bought ’Karelian kvass’, which turned out to be a honey drink – it was some kind of home-brewed beer. Since the sale of alcohol was prohibited at the party, the sellers were clever and called it ’homemade kvass’ to get around the regulations.
Are there any Christians among the Karelian people?
I was mainly interested in the question of whether there were still believing Christians among the Karelian people, whose ancestors were willing to sacrifice themselves for their Orthodox faith. At this party, the Orthodox clergy was however completely absent, as were the prayers for the people. It was also sad to hear very little of the Karelian language. Unfortunately the russification of the small ethnic groups continues in Russia.
Since I was making the journey with my own car, I was also able to travel around in the region. It was quite clear that people had once been devoted believers. Almost every village had an Orthodox church. But most of them were now in a very poor condition. Many churches had even been destroyed. If someone wanted to enter any shrine, it was almost impossible – everything looked frightening. In some places, only walls remained. In a half-abandoned village, where people lived in only two houses, a man had built a small chapel with his own money. But now, there was a large lock on the door.
All of this shaped the contours of the spiritual atmosphere in Russia – at least for me. The country is rich in resources, the people are kind and open, many nationalities and cultures share the environment in many places. But there is always someone who locks the door – to free exercise of the religion, to travel abroad, to honest entrepreneurship.
The Jews’ exodus from Egypt led to a flourishing Israel. It is clear, that freedom is God’s desire for the nations. But where did the Karelians’ exodus from Sweden lead – what happened afterward?
Despite everything, I believe in a better future for the different peoples of Russia.
Julian Venkul
Swedish
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