\Ras*kol"nik\, n.; pl. {Raskolniki}or {Raskolniks}.
[Russ. raskol'nik dissenter, fr. raskol dissent.]
The name applied by the Russian government to any subject of
the Greek faith who dissents from the established church. The
Raskolniki embrace many sects, whose common characteristic is
a clinging to antique traditions, habits, and customs. The
schism originated in 1667 in an ecclesiastical dispute as to
the correctness of the translation of the religious books.
The dissenters, who have been continually persecuted, are
believed to number about 20,000,000, although the Holy Synod
officially puts the number at about 2,000,000. They are
officially divided into three groups according to the degree
of their variance from orthodox beliefs and observances, as
follows: I. ``Most obnoxious.'' the
{Judaizers}; the
{Molokane}, who refuse to recognize civil authority or to
   take oaths; the
{Dukhobortsy}, or
{Dukhobors}, who are communistic, marry without ceremony, and
   believe that Christ was human, but that his soul reappears
   at intervals in living men; the
{Khlysty}, who countenance anthropolatory, are ascetics,
   practice continual self-flagellation, and reject marriage;
   the
{Skoptsy}, who practice castration; and a section of the
{Bezpopovtsy}, or priestless sect, which disbelieve in
   prayers for the Czar and in marriage. II. ``Obnoxious:''
   the
{Bezpopovtsy}, who pray for the Czar and recognize marriage.
   III. ``Least obnoxious:'' the
{Popovtsy}, who dissent from the orthodox church in minor
   points only.

\Ras*kol"nik\, n. [Russ. rascolenik' schismatic,
heretic.] (Eccl.)
One of the separatists or dissenters from the established or
Greek church in Russia. [Written also {rascolnik}.]