The Old Believers, who got the name "semeiskie" for they arrived at the new place of their settlement in big families (semiya), make up a unique regional ethnographic group. They were founded more than 300 years ago by a group of religious dissenters unwilling to accept the liturgical reforms of the seventeenth century Russian Orthodox Church, in particular Patriarch Nikon.

In 1652, Nikon introduced a number of ritual and textual innovations with the aim of achieving uniformity between Russian and Greek Orthodox practices. Nikon, having noticed discrepancies between Russian and Greek rites and texts, ordered an adjustment of the Russian rites to align with the Greek ones of his time. According to the Old Believers Nikon acted without adequate consultation with the clergy and without gathering a council. After the implementation of these innovations, the Church anathematized and suppressed those who acted contrary to them with the support of Muscovite state power. These traditionalists became known as "Old Believers" or "Old Ritualists". Eventually, the Old Believers divided into sects, some sects fleeing to the borderlands, others exiled to Siberia. In 1764, during the reign of Katherine the Great, Old Believers from Poland were taken into the remote wilds of Transbaikalia. Scattered across the region, they lived in isolation and preserved their belief. The economic activity of the semeiskiye was the constant object for admiration on the part of travelers, scholars for they brought along with them the high agrarian culture, diligence and peculiar, truly Russian working way of living. The old believers quickly became the main body of agrarians of Transbaikalia and turned this land into the richest grain - producing area of East Siberia. It was them who brought the potato and many other vegetables, used hotbeds.

In 1971, the Council of the Russian Orthodox Church officially recognized the rites and practices of the Old Believers. The descendants of these original Old Believers still survive and practice many traditions and cultures of the past. Presently, Old Believers of Transbaikalia are a unique group, a colorful blend of Ukrainian, Belorussian and Polish culture. The Old Believers have preserved many of their Ukrainian, Belorussian and Polish traditions, beliefs, folk tales and songs. This is seen in several areas of their culture. For example, only semeiskie in Transbaikalia use the Ukrainian words bulba or lustochka (potato, bread). Family names and dialect, style of clothing and house decorations are also linked to their European past. In addition, music is particularly important to Old Believer culture. The great Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov notes that their songs are an example of "ancient pure Russian melody". Even today in Buryatia, Semeiskie villages have gifted singers who follow the traditional singing styles and transfer this gift of music to their sons and daughters.

See also: Visit to Old Believers` village >>