Who are the Old Believers, Nekrasovites and Lipovans of Kazashko?

Old Believers, Old Ritualists, Nekrasovites, Lipovans

All these names describe related but not identical things. Old Believers (or Old Ritualists) is the general name for the Orthodox who rejected Patriarch Nikon’s reform of 1653–1656. Nekrasovites are the descendants of the Cossacks of ataman Ignat Nekrasov, who left Russia after 1708. Lipovans is the name for Old Believers in Romania and the Danube Delta.

There are various explanations for the name “Lipovans”. According to one, it comes from the lime tree (lipa), whose wood the Old Believers used to make icons and boats. According to another, it comes from the settlement of Lipoveni.

The people themselves often prefer a simpler name. In Tataritsa, for example, many describe themselves simply as “Russians”.

Two branches of the faith

According to the ethnologist Elis Erolova, author of an article in “Balgarska etnografiya” (“Bulgarian Ethnography”), there are two main branches in Bulgaria:

• Popovtsy (“priested”), also called Lipovans. They recognise the Belaya Krinitsa hierarchy, meaning they have priests and bishops.
• Bespopovtsy (“priestless”), the so-called “Cossacks”. For a long time they rejected the church hierarchy. In 2003 some of them recognised the Novozybkov Metropolis in Russia.

Signs of the old faith

Old Believers cross themselves with two fingers, not three, and venerate the eight-pointed cross. To count prayers and prostrations they use a lestovka, a leather prayer rope of distinctive shape. Services follow the pre-reform books, and holidays are kept by the old (Julian) calendar. That is why the Feast of the Holy Protection (Pokrov) is celebrated in Kazashko on 14 October.

Dress and appearance

Men traditionally wear beards, and women long braided hair. Dress differs from village to village. In Kazashko women wear a sarafan, a long sleeveless dress, and cover their heads. In Tataritsa they wear a blouse and skirt. The woven, colourful belt has a symbolic meaning: it divides the body into a “clean” and an “unclean” half.

Daily life, food and prohibitions

The main livelihood has always been fishing, considered a “clean” trade. On the table there is fish and various dough dishes, and the traditional drinks are wine and tea. Tobacco is forbidden. According to an old story, if a guest lit a cigarette in the house, the rooms had to be repainted. There are strict notions of cleanliness in the home and in ritual.

Holidays by the old calendar

Holidays in Kazashko follow the old (Julian) calendar. Christmas is celebrated on 7 January, with pelmeni and borscht on the table. The “Old New Year” is on 14 January. On that day it is not the children but the adults who go “survakane”, blessing people with grains of wheat, maize and barley for a fruitful year. St Nicholas’ Day (Nikulden) is on 19 December, and the church’s feast day, Pokrov, on 14 October. Maslenitsa, the seeing-off of winter with blini, coincides with Sirni Zagovezni (Cheesefare Sunday).

Language and songs

The community speaks a southern Russian dialect with roots in the 18th century. It has survived despite school and the media. The songs tell of persecution and wandering. In Kazashko they are kept alive by the Kalinushka folk group, and in Tataritsa by similar groups.

Baptism, weddings and memorials

Baptism takes place on the 40th day, or earlier if the child is ill, and is an important moment of acceptance into the community. For a long time marriages were made only within the community. This practice has weakened since the middle of the 20th century. Memorials are held on the 3rd, 9th and 40th day and on the anniversary.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Old Believers and Lipovans?

Old Believers is the general name for the Orthodox who rejected Patriarch Nikon’s reform. Lipovans is the name for Old Believers in Romania and the Danube Delta.

How many fingers do Old Believers use to cross themselves?

Two fingers, following the pre-reform tradition. After Nikon’s reform the official church introduced the three-finger sign of the cross.

Where do Old Believers live in Bulgaria?

In two communities: Kazashko (Varna Municipality) and Tataritsa (once a village, now a district of Aydemir, Silistra Province).

Published: 27 September 2026

Sources (6, mostly in Bulgarian)

• „Руските старообредци в България“, Е. Еролова, „Българска етнография“
• „За казаците от Татарица и за събратята им липовани“, Портал Силистра
• Казашко, Уикипедия (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• „Кметица атаман командва във варненското село Казашко“, Moreto.net
• „Казашко – „руското“ село в България пази стари традиции“, БратБг
• Казашко - Варна, официална страница във Facebook