Abstract
The article examines the history of the installation of Nikon as Patriarch of Moscow in 1652, arguing that it was a direct result of the radical innovatory policies of a group of clergy, the Zealots of Piety, led by Stefan Vonifat'ev, Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich's confessor. The article describes how the group influenced the succession process from 1649 by the elevation of their associates to vacant bishoprics. These bishops played a prominent part in the election procedure culminating in the Tsar's confirmation of Nikon as Patriarch, whose rise from obscurity is also depicted in some detail. The article also casts doubt on the argument that the Archpriest Avvakum as well as some prominent boyars were opposed to Nikon's advancement.
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