Proclamation: 2001
Member State(s): Russian Federation
Region: Europe-North America
Associated themes: Cultural spaces

The Semeiskie, a community of "Old Believers", live today in a remote area of the Transbaikal region. They are a confessional community inside Russia and possess their own specific elements of culture and their own group consciousness. The Semeiskie "those who live as a family" are old believers loyal to the pre-17th century orthodox cult. The history of the Semeiskie is marked by repression, persecution and exile, first of all at the instigation of the orthodox Church after the schism in the 17th century, and then under the Soviet regime. After settling in the isolation of Siberia in the reign of Catherine the Great, they managed to preserve the culture of their respective geographical origins and the Russian way of life of those times. The Semeiskie speak a south Russian dialect borrowed from Bielorussian, Ukrainian and Bouryat and have a life style that is characterized by the cult of the family, strong moral principles, traditional dress, and a traditional and particular style of building and decoration. The choirs, who perform traditional songs at family celebrations and popular festivals, have their roots in the Russian liturgical music of the Middle Ages. These are a unique example of polyphonic singing, known as "drawl" singing.