This article explores the lexical and cultural significance of the expression svad’ba ukhodom (“wedding by elopement”) in Pavel Mel’nikov-Pechersky’s novel V lesakh (In the Forests, 1871-1874), a work rooted in the life and customs of Old Believers in the Volga region. Drawing on Mel’nikov-Pechersky’s dual experience as both a government official and a passionate ethnographer, the study traces the historical and linguistic relevance of this clandestine marriage practice – common among Old Believers and rural communities from the 17th century onward – and its literary elaboration in Mel’nikov-Pechersky’s fiction. Through meticulous textual analysis, the article highlights the intricate interplay of oral tradition, regional dialect, ecclesiastical lexicon, and socio-religious context that characterizes the novel. Particular attention is devoted to Mel’nikov-Pechersky’s stylistic strategy, which merges ethnographic detail with narrative digression, and to his ability to document and preserve a disappearing lexicon, especially in reference to matrimonial customs. The svad’ba ukhodom emerges not only as a central motif in the novel’s plot structure but also as a linguistic and symbolic marker of a rich, vanishing cultural heritage.
