Paper: 1) Russian machine paper without labels, 2) Russian machine paper with stamps of the Kosino Paper Mill of Riazantsevs [Косинская фабрика Рязанцевых], Vyatka Governorate, paper had been made in 1887 (f. 7-63, 74-316) and 3) Russian machine paper of the Paper Mill of the Solenikovs merchants, Vladimir Governance in 1844-1856 (f. 64-73). [ref.: Клепиков С.А. Филиграни и штемпели на бумаге русского и иностранного производства XVII-XX вв. М., 1959. № 175, 185]. Writing style: half-uncial script by several hands. Cyrillic numerous pagination (scribers’). Decoration: headings and thin initials with vermillion; schematic head-pieces with floral ornament (f. 7, 76); initials with floral ornament (f. 7, 76, 116, 184, 214, 230, 233, 241); end-piece in the so-called style Playing Text [игра текстом] – triangle-shaped objects (f. 115, 183, 222); stamp contoured by a scriber (f. 298).
The sammelband consists of several groups of texts: 1) eschatological essays read during the Meatfare week; 2) Apocrypha about Macarius of Egypt and The Lay of Fedor the Merchant [Слово о Федоре купце], (Prolog, October, 31); 4) Son of the Church [Сын Церковный] – a homily on the basic beliefs of the Orthodox faith, written in the early 17th century and repeatedly published in the print shops of Old Believers (the text is defective, some folios are cut out); 5) The Bread That Our Heavenly Mother Gives Us [Сказание о воздвижении хлеба пресвятой Богородице]. Binding: 19th century, wooden binding, leather, textile, fragments of 2 clasps. Readers’ notes. Enclosure: a piece of wall calendar with the date – November, 7 / Monday / 60 years of the Great October Socialist Revolution [7 ноября / понедельник / 60 лет Великой октябрьской социалистической революции]. The sammelband compiled from texts written in 1880s-1890s.
8° (size of book block – 171 mm х 107 mm, binding size – 191 mm х 111 mm, binding height – 60 mm). Enclosure – 1 f. (76 mm х 53 mm); 316 f. 1 f. (enclosure); Condition: unsatisfactory. The manuscript was acquired [supposedly] by the community of Old believers-pilgrims living in the Tomsk-Chulym taiga. The binding was restored (covered with textile) in the mid-20th century.
