# Nikon's reforms and the Schism (1653)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1653-nikon-s-reforms-and-the-schism
Categories: main-event

Patriarch Nikon began aligning Russian church rituals with Greek practice, including making the sign of the cross with three fingers instead of two. Opponents, led by Archpriest Avvakum, refused and became the Old Believers. Church councils of 1666-1667 condemned the Old Believers and deposed Nikon himself. The Raskol split Russian Orthodoxy and led to centuries of persecution of Old Believers.

## Why it matters
The Raskol split Russian Orthodoxy and led to centuries of persecution of Old Believers.

Ruler at the time: [Alexis](https://history-russia.com/rulers/alexis)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Patriarch Nikon of Moscow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarch_Nikon_of_Moscow)
- [Wikipedia — Schism of the Russian Church](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schism_of_the_Russian_Church)
- [Wikipedia — House of Romanov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Romanov)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Nikon's reforms and the Schism](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Nikon%27s+reforms+and+the+Schism)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)