Kashketnyky

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). ==History==

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. 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. ==Beliefs and practices==

Kashketnyky teachings are based on the Bible and emphasise living "in simplicity" and separating from "the world". 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. 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. Moroz and Skakun also report that adherents avoid cosmetics and clothing with short sleeves or short trouser legs. Family and relations with the state 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. 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. 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. A 2017 report by NTN stated that the community does not participate in elections and generally avoids military service. Burial customs 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. ==Controversies==

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. 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. ==See also==