BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian
Beliefs
- Buddhist
- Catholic
- Contemplative
- Evangelical
- General Christian
- Hindu
- Jewish
- Latter-day Saint
- More Voices
- Muslim
- New Visions
- Pagan
- Progressive Christian
Topics
- Religion News
- Food and Religion
- Sports and Religion
- Religious Art
- Religious Music and Entertainment
- Religious Events
- History and Religion
- Style and Religion
- Politics and Religion
- Women in Religion
- Recreation Outdoors and Religion
- Business Finance and Religion
- Careers Workplace and Religion
- Education and Religion
- Family Parenting and Religion
- Health Fitness and Religion
- Home and Religion
- Relationships and Religion
- Technology and Religion
- Travel and Religion
Columnists
- Buddhist Columnists
- Business Finance and Religion Columnists
- Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists
- Catholic Columnists
- Contemplative Columnists
- Education and Religion Columnists
- Evangelists Columnists
- Family Parenting and Religion Columnists
- General Christian Columnists
- Health Fitness and Religion Columnists
- Hindu Columnists
- History and Religion Columnists
- Home and Religion Columnists
- Jewish Columnists
- More Voices Columnists
- Latter Day Columnists
- Muslim Columnists
- New Visions Columnists
- Nonreligious Columnists
- Pagan Columnists
- Politics and Religion Columnists
- Progressive Columnists
- Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists
- Relationships and Religion Columnists
- Religion News Columnists
- Religious Art Columnists
- Religious Events Columnists
- Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists
- Sports and Religion Columnists
- Style and Religion Columnists
- Technology and Religion Columnists
- Travel and Religion Columnists
- Women in Religion Columnists
Resource Library
- 2026 Calendar
- Library of World Religions
- The 100 Most Holy Places on Earth
- Patheos Answers
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Faith Leaders Database
- Anglican Episcopalian
- Bahai
- Baptist
- Buddhism
- Christianity
- Confucianism
- Eastern Orthodoxy
- Hinduism
- Holiness and Pentecostal
- ISKCON
- Islam
- Judaism
- Lutheran
- Methodist
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- New Age
- Paganism
- Presbytarian and Reformed
- Protestantism
- Religion Behind the Scenes
- Roman Catholic
- Scientology
- Shia Islam
- Sikhism
- Sufism
- Sunni Islam
- Taoism
- Zen
- See all religions
Research Tools
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
Follow Patheos 
- Trending:
- Forgiveness
- |
- Marriage
- |
- Consciousness
- |
- Death Penalty
- |
- Election
- |
- Halloween
- Home
- History and Religion
2025-09-12T10:48:40-04:00
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Mothers & Daughters: History Of Belyanka
Last updated on: September 12, 2025 at 10:48 am By Shawn F. Higgins
HISTORY OF BELYANKA Late Winter 1840 Vera quietly opened the door to peek inside. If Baba Lena raised her head from behind her desk littered with papers, lined with many plants and bouquets, and, smiling tenderly, looked at Vera from behind the mass of fresh flowers, she would walk in boldly and sit closer to her. If Baba Lena did not notice Vera’s arrival or, even worse, when she saw Vera and remained serious with concerned eyebrows; then Vera... Read more
Women in Religion
2025-09-12T10:49:11-04:00
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Mothers & Daughters: New Winter
Last updated on: September 12, 2025 at 10:49 am By Shawn F. Higgins
NEW WINTER Late Winter 1840 “Wake up, girls! It is snowing!” said Nanny Nastya. “Quickly, now. Let’s go sledding!” “Really Nanny?” said Vera, joyfully. “But how? There was so much mud yesterday?” “Well, yes,” said Baba Lena, walking out of her office. “Yesterday there was mud, and at night the wind blew, drove up snow clouds, frost gripped the ground, and by morning everything was covered with snow.” She always got up at 6 a.m., summer or winter. “Look... Read more
Women in Religion
2025-09-12T11:05:31-04:00
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Mothers & Daughters: Leonid
Last updated on: September 12, 2025 at 11:05 am By Shawn F. Higgins
LEONID June 1840 It was midsummer and the grove had darkened. The violets, lilies, and lilacs faded. So, too, did the linden trees and multi-colored wild roses. One day after dinner, Aunt Nadya, Lelya, and Vera sat alone in the living room when they heard some kind of commotion in the house. The girls, trying not to make a sound, tip-toed out of the room, closing the doors tightly behind them. The maids were running around to all the rooms,... Read more
Women in Religion
2025-09-12T10:50:51-04:00
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Mothers & Daughters: The Warlike Partridge
Last updated on: September 12, 2025 at 10:50 am By Shawn F. Higgins
THE WARLIKE PARTRIDGE Summer 1840. Baba Lena had large collections of all kinds of insects. Her office housed wonderful collections full of various animals and birds, antiquities, coins, fossils, and all kinds of rarities. Many learned people were in correspondence with her, and deliberately came from afar to meet her and see her office.[1] She would pin butterflies and beetles in rows in glass boxes with inscriptions above each of them. To add specimens to Baba Lena’s impressive entomological... Read more
Women in Religion
2025-09-12T10:51:50-04:00
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Mothers & Daughters: Mikhail Ivanovich
Last updated on: September 12, 2025 at 10:51 am By Shawn F. Higgins
MIKHAIL IVANOVICH Summer 1840. Nanny Nastya was not entirely healthy at the beginning of summer, therefore a young maid named Parasha was temporarily assigned to Vera for games and walks. One morning they were playing “little towns” in the front garden. Parasha broke branches of white and purple lilacs and made little alleys by sticking them into the ground. They built houses from wood chips and pegs; ponds and wells were made from pieces of glass covered with earth,... Read more
Women in Religion
2025-09-12T10:52:26-04:00
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Mothers & Daughters: The Melon Pond
Last updated on: September 12, 2025 at 10:52 am By Shawn F. Higgins
THE MELON POND Spring 1840. Lelya invited the children to go melon planting near a distant pond where they had yet to explore. This was not the pond in the grove of the “large dacha,” but one that was much closer. After breakfast, they set off straight through the melon patch, where watermelons and yellow kalminki ripened on the dug-up soil and warmed by the sun. There were scarecrows placed in all corners, but flocks of sparrows, unafraid, flew... Read more
Women in Religion
2025-09-12T10:52:57-04:00
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Mothers & Daughters: The Dacha
Last updated on: September 12, 2025 at 10:52 am By Shawn F. Higgins
THE DACHA Spring 1840. When real spring arrived, Baba Lena removed the double glazing from the windows. She placed flowers on the balconies and on slides in front of the windows of the living room and sofa room. The warm sun shined cheerfully in the sky, The wide Volga overflowed, flooding all the islets and riverbanks with blue waters. The sound of murmuring water mingled with the rumble of wheels and merry chatter from the streets. The alleys were... Read more
Women in Religion
2025-09-12T10:54:29-04:00
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Mothers & Daughters: Easter
Last updated on: September 12, 2025 at 10:54 am By Shawn F. Higgins
EASTER April 19, 1840 Everyone was still sleeping, exhausted from a sleepless night when Vera was awakened by the frequent, cheerful ringing of bells in all the city churches. Vera instantly remembered what Baba Lena had told her about her birthday, and she jumped up on her bed. Baba Lena always got up early and did not tolerate the shutter, therefore the sun shone brightly through the window, behind which sparrows chirped and pigeons cooed, walking importantly along the... Read more
Women in Religion
2025-09-12T10:55:06-04:00
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Mothers And Daughters: Preparations For The Holiday
Last updated on: September 12, 2025 at 10:55 am By Shawn F. Higgins
PREPARATIONS FOR THE HOLIDAY April 18, 1840. Easter Eggs played a very important part at this time of the year, as it was always customary at Easter, on greeting an acquaintance, to press an egg into their hand and give the Paschal Greeting, “Christos voskrese” (“He is risen!”) to which the other person replies, “Voistinu voskrese!” (Truly, He is risen!”) Then then exchanged three kisses (the “kiss of peace”) on alternating cheeks. Some eggs were painted in a variety... Read more
Women in Religion
2025-09-12T10:55:39-04:00
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Mothers & Daughters: In The Monastery
Last updated on: September 12, 2025 at 10:55 am By Shawn F. Higgins
IN THE MONASTERY April 17, 1840. The next day, early in the morning, the girls were taken to receive communion at the nunnery. Throughout the mass, Vera looked at the nuns with great curiosity. The abbess of the monastery was a small, thin woman, who wore long cloth robes, a cowl with a cloth cap, and was covered with fur around her forehead and her cheeks. Vera felt very sorry for her, as it must have been terribly hot.... Read more
Women in Religion
TAKE THE
Religious Wisdom Quiz
What Roman road was Paul traveling when he encountered Jesus?
Select your answer to see how you score.
Damascus Road Roman Forum Road Corinthian Way Jericho Road
Browse Our Archives
Select a Category Uncategorized
Select a Month October 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022
TRENDING AT PATHEOS History and Religion
The Dead Man’s Hand: Appalachian Graveyard Magic
When the Mountains Go Dark: Appalachian Folklore for Spooky Season Installment 3...
Angel Crowns: An Eerie Appalachian Death Tradition
When the Mountains Go Dark: Appalachian Folklore for Spooky Season Angel Crowns:...
Is 'Separation of Church and State' Really a...
There has long been a popular belief that Zen Buddhism is as...
Is Our Spirituality Communal or Individual?
Here, I take swings at sacred cows. I suspect that more sacred...
How Could Christianity be Different?
Christians can no longer plead ignorance. And Christians' reluctance to listen will...
view all History and Religion blogs
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
- About Us
- 2026 Calendar
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Library of World Religions
- Faith In Media Tracker
- Advertise With Us
- Write for Us
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Do Not Sell My Data
- Contact Us
- Radiant Digital
- Manage Newsletter Subscriptions
- Unsubscribe From Notifications
- Sitemap
Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.
Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In
Follow Patheos