The Lipovans are a Russian minority from Romania, living in Dobrogea (Tulcea County) and Bucovina (smaller groups). They settled here 300 years ago, because of the religious persecutions in Russia. Some high officials, starting with the Patriarch Nikon, after the 1654 Council, and including the Tzar Peter the Great (1682 – 1725), initiated a reformation of the Russian society, but there were many who didn’t agree with the new clothes, the new religious customs and the ever growing taxes.

They were called ”starovers” (which can be translated as defenders of the old ways) and they chose to leave their country and spread throughout the world. Some of them were fishermen from the Don and Dnieper regions and they searched for a place where they could continue practicing their occupations. After a quick stop in Southern Bessarabia (now the Republic of Moldavia), they settled in Bucovina and Dobrogea and preserved their traditions, which included speaking Old Russian, crossing themselves with two fingers instead of three and wearing beards.

The origins of the name “Lipovan” are not entirely clear. Some say it comes from a Russian word that means lime, a tree this population used to make their boats from. A related explanation connects their name to that of the part from Bessarabia (The Lime Forest) where they stationed before coming to the Romanian countries.  Another version connects the etymology to their membership in the religious movement of Filipp Pustosviat, whose followers were called filippovcy or (fi)lippovane.

A number of 35 000 Lipovans were registered in Romania after the National Census in 2002. They are mostly concentrated in Tulcea county (in settlements such as Jurilovca, Sarichioi, Letea, Chilia Veche or Mahmudia), but they can also be found in Bucovina (Mitocu Dragomirnei, Musenita, Lipoveni, Manolea) or Moldavia (Vaslui, Barlad, Falticeni, Piatra-Neamt).

Religion was the ingredient that assured the preservation of their traditions throughout centuries. To this day, the religious services are held in Slavonic language and the Julian Calendar (having a 13 days difference to the Gregorian one) is still used.

All the religious holidays (New Year’s Eve is also included in this category) are carefully observed. Sunday morning, the Lipovans attend a long sermon, then they have a ceremonial feast together and taste the specific dishes the women prepare: jarcovia (pickles and meat), holodet (similar to meat jelly) and many types of cakes.

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