Paper short abstract:

The paper analyses the ritual organised by Old Believer community of Daugavpils city in April 2020 to protect from Covid-19. They flew over the city with a myrrh-streaming cross singing religious songs. In the result, Daugavpils was the last city to experience the first wave of pandemic.

Paper long abstract:

Daugavpils is one of the last cities in Latvia survived the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The local Old Believer community explains it with the protection of higher powers that was reached by organising a flight at the beginning of April 2020. Representatives of local parishes and spiritual leaders flew over the city with a myrrh-streaming cross singing religious songs. By analysing the video of the flight and the information in mass media it is possible to study the ritual itself and its interpretation by representatives of other religious groups. This case becomes even more unique taking into consideration that Old Believer community stands itself as very conservative and willing to keep old traditions as long as possible. The use of an airplane is very revolutionary in Old Believer religious practice, and the coincidence, which postpone the beginning of a mass disease of the city residents, made Old Believers believe in the power of the faith of their community.