Dedsyatnikovo Village- The “Old Believers “Village- In 1760’s during the reign of Katherine the Great, a religious split occurred in the Orthodox religion. The “old Believers” were loyal to the old ways and refused to convert to the modern orthodox. They do not believe in the Holy Spirit but only the Father and Son. They cross with two fingers instead of the traditional three. The Old Believers  were exiled to Siberia from Moscow. They traveled by foot and it took approximately a year to reach their destination.  Some of the old believers settled in Alaska at the same time. The are known there by the name “Starovere.” The village we visited has a population of 800 and are self-sufficient. No electricity, no mechanical devices, parents make all decisions for their children- like arranging marriages..

They served us a wonderful meal, sang for us then we advanced to a prearranged marriage for Kim And Andrei! Note- The bride cried and the groom was scared to death!