NIKITA PUSTOSVYAT. - Russian Raskolnik, d. in Moscow on 12 July 1682. His full name is N. Konstantino Dobrynin.

In the controversy aroused by the reforms of the patriarch Nikon, N., of a combative character, placed himself at the head of the opponents and published a petition to the emperor Alexis Mikhailovich refuting Nikon's Scrižal; the petition was confuted first by the archbishop of Gaza, Paisi Ligarides, and then by Simeon of Polotsk, with his book Žež pravlennija ("The Rod of Direction"). At the Synod of Moscow of 1666-67 N. was condemned, but he submitted to penance, obtained pardon and retired to the monastery of Ugra in the government of Smolensk. After 15 years he reappeared in Moscow leading the delegation of the Starovieri that went to the Kremlin to the regent Sophia. N. paid for his boldness with his life.

Regarding doctrine, N. in his pamphlet against Nikon and against the novelties imported from Byzantium upholds the ancient opinions of the Muscovites, in agreement with Catholics on many points, notably on the Immaculate Conception of Mary and on the form of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Bibliography4 works

BIBL.: N. Subbotin, Materialy dija istorii Raskola, I, Moscow 1875, pp. 374-419; IV, ibid. 1878, pp. 1-178; B. T., N. P., in Russkij biografičeskij Štovar, XI, St. Petersburg 1914, pp. 288-96; A. M. Ammann, Storio della Chiesa russa, Turin 1948, pp. 256-257.

Maurizio Gordillo

@incollection{ec8_nikita_pustosvjat, author = {Gordillo, Maurizio}, title = {Nikita Pustosvjat}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VIII}, pages = {1879--1880}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/nikita-pustosvjat} }

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Nikita Pustosvyat

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