Molokans are sectarian Christians who evolved from "Spiritual Christian" Russian peasants that refused to obey the Russian Orthodox Church

Russian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...

, beginning in the 17th century. They were so named for their drinking milk on most of the approximately 200 fasting days, especially the Great Fast (Lent)— an activity which was prohibited by ecclesiastical authorities. In contrast, they called themselves "true Spiritual Christians", rather than "milk-drinkers", because they could no longer accept the Russian Orthodox Church, nor that of the Protestant sects or the Catholic Church.