Kashketnyky

Kashketnyky (Ukrainian: Кашкетники; literally "cap wearers"), sometimes referred to as simple believers (Ukrainian: віруючі простаки, romanized: viruiuchi prostaky), are a conservative Pentecostal Christian community found in a number of villages along the Dniester in western Ukraine.^[1] Local residents coined the name because male members wear distinctive caps (kashkety) as a sign of modesty, though members refer to themselves simply as "believers".^[1] Media reports have sometimes described them as "Ukrainian Amish", although researchers note that the comparison is superficial and there is no connection between the two groups.^[1][2]

Kashketnyky communities have been reported in villages including Kosmyryn, where they make up more than 70 percent of the population, Stinka and Snovydiv (Ternopil Oblast), as well as Mostyshche, Budzyn and Deleva (Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast).^[1][2]

Women wear headscarves and long skirts, while men wear caps and avoid clothing with short sleeves or short trouser legs.^[1][3]

According to Volodymyr Moroz and Roman Skakun, the movement developed out of local Pentecostalism that appeared in Dniester-side villages in the early 1920s. By the late 1920s, small groups of converts in villages such as Kosmyryn had formed separate gatherings distinct from the surrounding Greek Catholic population.^[1]

The community consolidated into a distinct current in the 1970s under the influence of Ivan Derkach (born 1927), whom many adherents regarded as a prophet. Moroz and Skakun report that Derkach and his followers rejected rural "modernisation" (such as electrification, radio and television), and in 1975 began holding separate prayer meetings from other local Pentecostals.^[1]

Kashketnyky teachings are based on the Bible and emphasise living "in simplicity" and separating from "the world".^[1]

Kashketnyky practice adult baptism, usually around the ages of 15 and 16, and meet for worship in private homes rather than a dedicated prayer house. Services typically include preaching, Bible reading and singing psalms.^[1]

The community is known for avoiding many modern conveniences at home, including electricity and gas, and for limiting the use of television and other media.^[1][2][4] Moroz and Skakun describe practical compromises made for work (for example, using power tools on job sites and owning basic mobile phones), while maintaining restrictions in the household.^[1]

Women usually wear headscarves; men wear caps. A Gazeta.ua report quoted community members as explaining the practice as a form of modesty based on their reading of scripture.^[3] Moroz and Skakun also report that adherents avoid cosmetics and clothing with short sleeves or short trouser legs.^[1]

The group deems early marriage to be pious, and discourages premarital courtship; a kashketnyk wedding is commonly limited to civil registration as opposed to a large celebration.^[1][3] Moroz and Skakun report that the community tends to have large families and has grown primarily through natural increase rather than proselytising, citing accounts of families with ten or more children, sometimes up to twenty.^[1]

Moroz and Skakun claim that some Kashketnyky previously refused state child benefits on principle, although this stance softened for many families after the death of Derkach and the economic hardship that ensued.^[1] A 2017 report by NTN stated that the community does not participate in elections and generally avoids military service.^[4]

Kashketnyky bury their dead in public village cemeteries, but graves are typically unmarked without crosses or headstones. Adherents frequently visit Derkach's grave for prayer.^[1]

In January 2018, local media reported that five residents described as Kashketnyky from the village of Stinka were detained during a raid connected to illegal sandstone extraction in the Yazlovets forestry area.^[5]

In March 2020, a television crew from Inter reported being blocked for more than an hour by residents of Mostyshche while investigating alleged environmental damage and illegal extraction in the Dniester Canyon area, and police were called to the scene.^[6]

• Amish
• Old Believers
• Plain people
• Hutterites

• Smilska, Oksana (4 November 2012). "На Тернопільщині є "столиця" амішів: як живеться поза цивілізацією — інтерв'ю" [In Ternopil Oblast there is a “capital” of the Amish: life outside civilisation — interview]. 0352.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2026.

• "Унікальна релігійна громада мешкає на Тернопільщині" (NTN video report, 27 May 2017) (in Ukrainian)