Paper: Russian machine-made paper with stamps - 1) f. 344 – stamp of Prince N.Gagarin’s manufacture; had been made in 1845-1846; 2) other stamps were cut off (document restoration is contemporary with the manuscript text). A cutout stamp (“Antichrist sign”) is a characteristic of Old Believer manuscripts [ref.: Клепиков С.А. Филиграни и штемпели на бумаге русского и иностранного производства XVII-XX вв. М., 1959. № 28].
Writing style: half-uncial script by several hands. Cyrillic numeric pagination (scribers’, reader’s/ or conservator-restorer’s). Decoration: headings and initials with vermilion; headpieces with floral ornaments (f. 22, 34) and imitation of blackletter ornament (f. 337); initial with floral ornament (f. 460); end-piece with floral ornament (f. 322); schematic end-pieces (f. 49, 460); end-piece in the so-called style Playing Text [игра текстом] – triangle-shaped objects (л. 6, 13, 21, 34, 61, 72, 90, 100, 149, 173, 184, 224, 238, 248, 272, 283, 297, 310, 347, 374, 397, 407, 418, 431, 444, 472). Canonnik is a type of liturgical books used for private (home or cell) religious services and contained Orthodox church services, chants and prayers. It is popular with old believers who don’t have ordained priests.
The manuscript contains Troparions and Canons for Christian feasts, ceremonies and saints. In addition the manuscript contains Canons used in Orthodox traditional medicine and read to treat toothache (the Canon to Bishop Antipas of Pergamum), fever heat and chill – "ognetriasovichnaia bolezn'" [огнетрясовичная болезнь] (cold) (Canons to Maroi the Miracle-worker and Artemy of Verkola). Binding: 2nd half of the 20th century, boards, leather, textile, fragments of 2 clasps. Readers’ notes, bookmarks. Enclosure: a spiritual verse "Monk". 2nd half of the 19th century.
8º, size of book block –180 x120 mm, binding size - 195 x 122 mm, binding height – 90 mm. Enclosure – 2 f. (203 mm х 170 mm); 472 f. 2 f. (enclousure); Condition: satisfactory. The manuscript was acquired by the community of Old believers-pilgrims living in the Tomsk-Chulym taiga. The manuscript had been restored several times during the 20th century (folios were backed with textile, paper and sheets of a school notebook). Restoration place - the Taiga Skit of the Old Believers–Pilgrims.
