Museum of World Old Beliefs

The village of Bila Krynytsia in Hlyboka district is truly unique. It is home to a community of Old Believers who moved there back in the days of Peter the Great. These people have preserved their customs and traditions to this day. Moreover, the village has become the center of the Old Believers not only in the Chernivtsi region, but throughout Ukraine. To be able to present their history and way of life, a museum of Old Believers was opened in the village.

Collection of the Old Believers Museum

The institution is housed in a special museum complex. It shares its premises with the residence of the Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church. The exhibits will tell you about the history of the village and its settlement by the Old Believers, as well as the peculiarities of their traditions and way of life. The exhibits include many modern materials, books, and clothing. The colorful photographs of local residents in the past are particularly noteworthy.

History of the museum in Bila Krynytsia

The museum was opened in 1988, during perestroika. It used to be located in the local Old Believer church. However, in the 1990s it had to be closed due to lack of funding. It was reopened only in 2011, when the World Center for Old Believers was organized. It is worth noting that the village has become the center of the metropolis of the Old Believer Church, and it has twice hosted holy sobors (gatherings) of the Old Rite Orthodox ministers. That's how a small village on the border with Romania became a world center of Old Believers.

Getting there

The Museum of Old Believers is located in the center of the village of Bila Krynytsia. There are regular buses to get there from Chernivtsi. There are also regular suburban buses from the district center of Hlyboka. Don't forget, the village is located in the border area, so you need to have your identity documents with you.

Openinghours of the Museum of Old Believers in Bila Krynytsia: the institution is open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00, on Saturday and Sunday - by prior arrangement.

Entrance fee: 2 UAH for adults and 1 UAH for students and children.