Kashketnyky

Kashketnyky (Ukrainian: Кашкетники; literally "cap wearers"), sometimes referred to as simple believers (Ukrainian: віруючі простаки, romanized: viruiuchi prostaky), are a conservative Pentecostal Christian community found in a number of villages along the Dniester in western Ukraine. Local residents coined the name because male members wear distinctive caps (kashkety) as a sign of modesty, though members refer to themselves simply as "believers". Members aim to live in accordance with biblical teachings while remaining apart from what they regard as the corrupting influences of modern, technologically driven society, and most reject electricity, motor vehicles and mass media in their homes. Media reports have sometimes described them as "Ukrainian Amish", although researchers and journalists have noted that the comparison is superficial and that there is no historical or organisational connection between the two groups. The community was the subject of the 2025 Ukrainian feature documentary Silent Flood, directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, which received wider international attention through coverage by The New York Times and other outlets in early 2026.