Not everyone can attend the service of the Old Believers. If you are not an old believer, you can only dream about it. However, you don't necessarily have to become an Old Believer to experience the special liturgy, archaic songs and ancient customs.
Located by Lake Peipsi, in the village of Suur-Kolkja Museum of Old Believers. In 2023, a new exposition was completed in the comprehensively renovated museum building, the center of which is six VR devices. It is only worth placing the VR device in front of the museum visitor's eyes when he is already in the Suur-Kolkja prayer house, where people gather, bells ring and the solemn Easter service begins. On one side the iconostasis, on the other side the congregation and the teacher. Candles burning, pashas placed on the table... The viewer himself is at the center of it all.
TOUR in the movie 360 video and set up the VR equipment so that it would be comfortable for museum visitors to watch and for museum staff to show it. If you come to Peipsi, be sure to stop by and check it out.
Excerpt from VR video. Turn on maximum quality when viewing (gear icon on the bottom right)
Exhibition with VR devices on the second floor of the Museum of Russian Old Believers. Photo © Lauri Veerde.
Russian Museum of Old Believers Kolkja. Photo © Lauri Veerde.
