The Russian-lipovans from Romania are believers of the old orthodox rite and are known in the whole world under the name of „old believers” (“of old belief”) or “old rite believers” (“of old rite”). The religious schism which took place in Russia in the 17th century and the persecution that was unleashed against those who opposed the reform, determined hundreds of thousand of Russian old believers to leave their homeland and migrate to different corners of the world.
Many old believers settled down beginning with the 18th century on the Romanian territory, being known here under the name of lipovans.
It is unanimously appreciated that the settling of the Russian-lipovans in the present geographical zones where they live now, took place during the 18th century, but it is hard to specify the regions from Russia where they came from. The transit habitats known are the Don and Kuban, where the old believers from all the provinces of Russia took refuge and a part of them left for Romanian territories.
Curenti de migratie spre Romania ai contestatarilor reformei religioase din Rusia secolului XVII
Sursa: "Rusii lipoveni din Romania", Filip Ipatiov
The first known settlements of Russian-lipovans are those from Bucovina region. Many consider the village Lipoveni (or Sokolinti, as it is named by local people) from Suceava county, as the first locality established by Russian-lipovans (1724).
Another lipovan locality is Climauti from Suceava county, attested in 1780 through a donation act signed by the hegumen of Putna monastery, Ioasaf, according to which the Russian-lipovans were allowed to settle on the monastery land.
In 1784 the Fantana Alba locality was established (nowadays on Ukraine territory), which will later on become a very important spiritual center for the old rite believers (in 1846 the Old Rite Mitropoly is established here).
The Russian-lipovans started settling in localities in Moldavia, such as Manolea, Lespezi, Bratesti, Dumasca, Targu Frumos and Iasi in the first half of the 18th century, and in other places in the beginning/ middle of 19th century.
For Dobrogea region, the old believers’ presence is associated with the migration of the Kazaks lead by ataman Ignat Nekrasov, following the forays unleashed against them by the tsarist authorities. The migrations of the Kazak, together with the enclosed old believers’ population lasted the whole 18th century. From 1740 to 1741, Sarichioi locality from Tulcea county became an important center for “nekrasov” Kazaks, with a remarkable social life organization based on the “Ignat Vow” rules.
Other old Russian-lipovan villages from Dobrogea (18th century) are: Slava Rusa, Carcaliu, Jurilovca.
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