Poteryaevka

The name of Poteryaevka village comes from the word потерять, ʻto lose’, but in contrast to the lost Russian villages, Poteryaevka has just been found. Alexandr Bolobuev from Barnaul in the Altai writes on the community photographed by him:

“The village of Poteryaevka, restored from scratch in Altai’s Mamontovskoe district, could be called the tiny island of faith. Its revival was made possible thanks to the Lapkin brothers, Ignatij and Yoakim, who in 1991 returned to their native village which since more than a decade had been deleted from the map, and set up the first tent here.

The idea of a revival of Russian villages through the establishment of Orthodox communities is not new, but it is in the air rather just as an idea, with not many practical examples of its practical realization. However, having met with these people, I was impressed by their conviction, their uncompromising nature, and the unselfishness of their endeavor.

The story has begun with a unique summer camp for the recreation of Orthodox children coming from all over Russia, organized for more than thirty years. Another thread was the establishment of a village community with its own special way of life, not typical of our time, as all its members follow strict orthodoxy, based only on the canons, and devoid of any innovation. And a third thread is the role of the Lapkin brothers, one of them a preacher, and the other a priest.

I wanted to give an authentic, unembellished picture on these people, at once heroes and idealist dreamers who are trying to build a perfect society on this piece of land, and who with hard work have created something unique and inimitable here. On the other hand, I understand that children should not be forced by any mean to follow the fate chosen by their parents: the circle must not be closed.

Faith gives only the necessary hope: everything else depend on man.”