Of all the sects the Old Ritualists stand nearest to the official Church.

The Old Ritualists had still, however, one important theoretical difficulty.

The Old Ritualists, being simply ecclesiastical Conservatives desirous of resisting all innovations, have remained a compact body little troubled by differences of opinion.

Those who were more ambitious and more cunning often employed their talents with great success in the world of the Old Ritualists and Sectarians.

The former party are termed Staro-obriadsti, or Old Ritualists; the latter are called Bezpopoftsi-thatis to say, people "without priests" (bez popov).

Besides this, they were nearly all emigrants from Great Russia, and mostly Old Ritualists or Sectarians, whilst the Zaporovians were Little Russians and Orthodox.