Paper: Russian machine-made paper with a stamp of G.Kozlov’s manufacture, Kaluga Governance, had been made in 1860 and 1874. [ref.: Клепиков С.А. Филиграни и штемпели на бумаге русского и иностранного производства XVII-XX вв. М., 1959. № 169, 143]. Writing style: half-uncial script. Cyrillic numeric pagination (scriber’s). Decoration: headings and initials with purple inks, head-pieces with floral ornament (f. 1, 3, 5, 8, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 21, 23-26, 28-32, 34, 36, 37, 39, 42, 43, 45, 46, 51, 53, 55-57); initials with floral ornament (f. 12, 13, 15, 17, 21, 32, 38, 40, 41, 44, 45, 53, 56, 57); schematic end-pieces (f. 26, 34, 37, 43, 56, 57); end-piece in the so-called style Playing Text [игра текстом] – triangle-shaped objects (f. 12, 42, 57).
The manuscript is a special type of Old Believer texts – “essay-compilation”, where quotes, text fragments and bibliographical references are divided into sections and each section has a heading. The subject of collected texts is the difference between heretical and Christian baptism and the legitimacy of baptism carried out by the laity (not clergy). The essay is based on rules from the Kormchaia Book [Book of the Pilot // Кормчая] and the Church councils, essays of Christian authors and precedents from Church. The manuscript doesn’t have an ending (lost). Cover: 1860-1890s, cardboard with the inscription “extracted from different books” [выписано из разных книг]. Readers’ notes. 8° (manuscript size – 180 mm х 111 mm, cover size – 187 mm х 115 mm); 57 f; Condition: satisfactory. The manuscript was made in the community of Old believers-pilgrims living in the Tomsk-Chulym taiga.
