(Hereinafter - the Circle)
International public movement created on the basis of Bitza Appeal and Bitza Accord of 2002, adopted by a number of associations of the followers of Slavonic Ancestral Faith, Northern Tradition, Joint Indo-European, Aryan and Vedic Tradition.
The Aims of the Circle
The participants accept the equality of different self-names:
Paganism, Rodyanstvo (Ancestrism), Vedic Faith, Original Tradition, Natural
Faith, Ancestral Faith, Rodnoveriye. Different names should not prevent the
unity in deeds.
The legal foundation of the Circle's activities is the usual law accepted by
all the participants. The activities of each member are governed by the Tradition
he holds. Persons claiming the superiority or exceptionality of their ways or
tradition are not accepted in the Circle.
The participants of the Circle are individuals or associations of various status,
forms of ownership, orientation, religious, commercial and state organizations
included, sharing the aims of the movement and the main values of Bitza Documents.
All participants of the movement, the members of the Circle have equal right
to participate in the organization of its activities and formulation of its
strategy, programs and plans.
Participation in the Circle by no means limits the lawful rights of citizens
and associations or changes the level of their independence inherent in their
basic status.
Self-governing of the Circle is created on the basis of voluntary agreement
of its members. It is based on the acceptance of the role of pagan, traditional
and ancestral associations, their full representation in all Circle's bodies,
and on the basis of recognizing the personal talents and authority of individual
members of the Circle, who can be members of any self-government organ, run
any programs and projects within the Circle, freely express their opinion on
all matters.
The Circle of Pagan Tradition acts without registration but may be registered
in the future according to the acting laws, if such decision is taken by its
participants. The Circle can take decision to register any auxiliary structure
to ensure their functioning on implementing their goals and tasks.
© Alexey Nagovitsin, D. Sc. (Ph), Sc. Cand. (Psychology), 2003
Since early 90-s of the 20th century Russia witnesses the tendency of revival
of Russian pre-Christian traditional (pagan) beliefs and folk rites along with
the forming of socio-cultural groups.
First small groups and communities were forming first of all around the researchers
of Russian folklore and handicrafts, ethnographers, artists and historians.
Most prominent of them were Vseslav Svyatozar (G. Yakutovskiy), À. Asov, Selidor
(A. Belov), Mezghir'(À. Ðotapov), Velimir (N. Speranskiy), Velemudr, Boghumil
(V. Golyakov), Dobroslav. Their views sometimes differed but still they have
formed the backbone of the modern ideology of present day Slavonic paganism.
The roots of pagan revival can be traced as far back as the pre-Revolutionary
Russia. They can be found in the works of A. K Tolstoy, A. N. Tolstoy, V. Vasnetsov,
K. Rerikh, I. Bilibin, I. Stravinsky, A. Afanasyev and others engaged in the
studies of folk handicrafts, art and folklore.
One of the factors of popular attraction to the movement was the appearance
of Russian "fantasy" - a trend in popular fiction based on pagan outlook
as seen by the present day person. The books by Yu. Nikitin is a good example.
The books deal with the deeds of heroes against the background of pre-Christian
Russia. The main idea is the declaration of pagan ideals of "fairness"
as the most becoming the image of "true male". The pre-Christian period
is being proclaimed a kind of "Golden Age" of Russia. The books actually
reflect the existing mass sympathy with the things pagan among the reading young
generation as they are being published in hundreds of thousands' editions and
attract more and more people to the pre-Christian Tradition.
Internet is also of great importance in broadening contacts between the followers
of the Tradition. There are a number of traditionalist sites offering a wide
spectrum of literature from primary sources, chronicles and sermons against
the paganism to the works of modern supporters of pre-Christian Tradition. Various
forums where pagans discuss the topics of interest help spread the movement
in the country. According to the poll conducted by "NG-Religion" in
December 2001, more than 20 % of Russian believers using Internet practice paganism.
Most popular books dealing with the topic are "Paganism in Ancient Russia"
by B. A. Rybakov, "Paganism of Ancient Slavs" by V. V. Sedov, "Slavs
and Russia. Issues and Ideas" by A.G. Kuz'min, "Our Own Gods"
by I. Cherkasov (Veleslav), "Gods of the Slavs. Paganism. Tradition"
by D. A. Gavrilov and A. E. Nagovitsin. Also very popular are the issues of
"Myths and Magic of Indo-Europeans" Anthology edited by A. Platov
(Yggwolod) who also authored a number of popular books on the Northern Tradition
and "Kolovorot" commented calendars, published by Consciousness Ecology
Community "Krina" (St. Petersburg) for ten years running.
One of the first books that started the unification of modern pagans in the
early 90-s was "Iznachaliye" ("Primary Bond") by A. Belov,
the founder of the Association of Slavonic-Goritsa Wrestling.
"Vyatichi's Kolyada", one of the oldest Russian traditionalists groups,
is among the organizers of the number of international congresses held by WCER
(World Congress of Ethnic Religions).
Contrary to the existing opinion Russian traditionalists do not oppose Orthodox
Christian Church and have never been engaged in whipping up chauvinistic feelings
among the population. The majority of organized traditionalist groups follow
the ideology of religious tolerance aimed at unification of all the nations
living in Russia.
Below are the extracts from the fundamental document of The Circle of Pagan
Tradition, the biggest and most influential association of the followers of
national pre-Christian Tradition. Founded in March 2002, The Circle unites several
dozens of groups from various Russian towns (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ryazan,
Kaluga, Tula, Podol'sk, Dolgoprudniy, Troitsk, Vladimir, Penza, Nizhniy Novgorod,
Kaliningrad, Kazan, Blagoveshchensk, Barnaul and others) and from abroad (Scandinavia
- "LokasvartLogi", "Iggulfar", "Skalldskapr",
"Hamindja", and the Ukraine - "Volhovarn", "Great Fire").
In 2003 The Circle has received the support of the President of WCER and of
the officially elected High Priest Krive (Jonas Trinkunas of Lithuania).
The Circle was founded by the leaders of traditionalist groups from Moscow and
Moscow Region: "Ber's Circle" (Velemudr, Yggeld, Ogneyar, Veledor),
"Vyatichi's Kolyada" (Velimir, Mezghir'), "Kupala" (Vseslav
Svyatozar), "Moscow Slavonic Pagan Community" (Mlad, Rodoslav, Ratimir),
"Slaviya" (Lyubomir, Vereya), "Four Apple-Trees" (Ratoslav,
Raunesverd, Jy), "River-heads"(Velena), "Vyatichi" (Velegast),
"Moscow Community of Veles" (Velemir), and other leaders.
The leaders of the traditionalist groups form the Council coordinating their
activities.
Along with the new urban pagan communities and groups there are still existing
in Russia whole villages following original pre-Christian way of life. Among
the members of the Council is A. Rybin representing one of such villages - Nizhegorodskiy
Purgas Community.
The followers of pre-Christian Tradition participate in archaeological expeditions
studying religious sites of ancient Slavs and Ugro-Finns. Exploratory trips
in Russia and abroad are conducted with the aim of gathering ethnic materials,
such as folklore songs and rites, incantations, ceremonies.
The activities of the groups are led by the so called "Bitza Appeal",
extracts from which can be found below.
"1.0. When we speak about our Faith we often use different words for one
and the same thing. It often creates impression of disaccord between us and
sometimes leads to senseless animosity. But different words just describe different
sides of one and the same thing - our Faith, our Creed. One of its main features
placing it apart from others is that our Faith is natural, Vedic and pagan.
In Russian words meaning "pagan" and "language" have the same base. "Language" in ancient Russian meant also, as we can see from old chronicles, "tribe" or "people". So, paganism for The Slavs is the natural, folk, original Tradition. V. Dahl in his dictionary gives the following explanation to Russian word "language": "...people or land populated with the people of similar tribal origin, speaking the same language". So paganism is the original tribal, ancestral faith and our forefathers have always considered it to be the faith of our predecessors.
1.3. ... Traditional Faith is not just a religion. The religion of ancient
Slavs and religion practiced by us as their direct descendants and heirs is
one of the parts of that original Tradition of Indo-European peoples...
1.5 Nowadays the powers-that-be through the mass media declare that there are
only three accepted traditional faiths in Russia - Orthodox Christianity, Islam
and Judaism. We say that this is a violation of the Constitution and acting
laws, namely the Law on the Liberty of Conscience.
... We have no right to wander off to our "national flats", houses,
villages and towns. We must be united for we are facing the amalgamation of
state institutions with the Russian Orthodox Church and the threat of turning
the secular state into a criminal-ecclesiastical one. We also must be united
in the face of yet another threat - the threat of nationalistic-chauvinist revenge,
the return of the ideology condemned by the Nuremberg Tribunal.
Those signing the present Appeal declare the actual existence of a wide social
movement of free citizens and non-formal associations, that is called "Pagan
Tradition - Rodnoveriye (Native Faith)" existing on the basis of commonness
of world-outlook, religious position included.
2. On our attitude toward Nazism and national-chauvinism:
2.1. The Pagan Tradition of the Slavs (Rodnoveriye) as the Paganism and Pagan
Tradition in general has never known the concept of "nation". As the
world-outlook and original folk belief it had appeared and existed for thousands
of years before the moment in human history when, in the 17th century, first
nations appeared. The Paganism always knew and accepted the concept of "people"
and first of all not as biological but more as a cultural entity.
There is no possibility of national discord among the true followers of one
Pagan Tradition. Under Paganism there is no possibility of forming a state based
on national or religious intolerance.
National-chauvinists try to use the symbols of Paganism to their own unseemly
ends. They form their organizations on the basis of "true Aryan" notion
but try to cover behind the blessed names of our gods. We know of such facts
and will give due assessment of them in this document.
The love to their land, the attitude to the Powers of the World as to the living
Entities, i.e. Gods, esteem of the gods - the predecessors of the kin, historical
and spiritual predecessors should bring together the peoples living in one land.
2.2. We want to stress that a number of extremely nationalistic and chauvinistic
associations of Russia and their movements tend to follow monotheistic religions,
namely the religions of Abrahamitic type, such as orthodox Christianity. Much
too often nowadays we can hear near-sighted politicians stating that "all
Russians are Orthodox Christians and if someone is not a Christian then he is
not Russian". These false ideas violate the right of the citizens of Russia
to liberty of conscience and are aimed at whipping up national and religious
discord, at weakening our Motherland.
2.3. We have to admit that recently Nazis and national-chauvinists mare and
more penetrate the organizations of Slavonic Pagan Tradition followers. This
leads to the perversion of Rodnoveriye and can seriously harm the cause of revival
of folk Tradition, hinder the revival of original pagan faith of Slavs and other
people that has been settling in Russian land from times immemorial...
2.4. The followers of Slavonic Pagan Tradition (Rodnoveriye) reject national-chauvinism.
We will never accept the authority of any "god-chosen" nation, no
matter what the name (we also reject any world dictatorship of any superpower).
We will never declare the Slavs to be such a "god-chosen" people with
some great mission that will justify humiliation or subjugation of other cultures.
Each culture has a value in itself and has a right to development unless it
starts infringing upon the culture of other people, unless its name is used
to justify injustice, for at that moment it ceases to be a culture.
2.5. Veneration of customs, way of life and legacy of forefathers make Pagan
Tradition deeply patriotic, a truly folk culture worthy of being continued through
generations, being glorified and protected from aggressive influence of any
kind. Patriotism is first of all the love to Motherland, native culture and
Tradition, actions aimed at their preservation and growth...
2.9. To implement the goals stated in the present Appeal its participants deem
possible raising the question of creation in the future of an officially registered
public Pagan movement (and, as a possibility, religious confession on its basis).
We are aware that this task cannot be fulfilled in a day or even a year. We
will proceed to implement it taking into consideration the current situation
and without any infringement on the rights and interests of all participants
of Bitza Appeal and those who support it..."
The aim proclaimed by the participants of the movement is "the resurrection
and widest possible spreading of pre-Christian tradition, acceptance of it by
public and state as original, traditional faith and world-outlook. The leaders
of the movement stress the desire of traditionalists to preserve religious tolerance
and prevent religious persecution.
The participants of the movement believe that pre-Christian Tradition is the
very ideology and world-outlook that can save Russia from spiritual crisis born
by disenchantment with the ideals of the Soviet past.
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