Molokan farmers plow their land in the village of Lermontovo. Members of the sect settled here in the 19th century, having been driven out of parts of Russia by the Orthodox Church.
Molokans are a Christian sect who split from the Russian Orthodox Church in the late 16th century. The sect’s name, derived from the Russian for milk, refers to their refusal to give up milk and meat on the fast days dictated by the Orthodox clergy. Because of their doctrinal differences, Molokan believers were exiled in the 19th century to remote regions of the Russian Empire, particularly Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine. Today, Molokans in Armenia continue to preserve their beliefs and cultural identity in small rural communities. (13 PHOTOS)
