Escape of serfs from Russia which after church split of Nikon got a form of religious began with the middle of the 17th century in Starodubye (Malorossiya). Conservatives lodged mainly certain settlements which Pyotr I in 1716 took away from local owners, having formed actually autonomous "staroversky republic" as a support of the central power after treason of the hetman Mazepa. This staroversky volost existed until the end of the 18th century. A peculiar continuation of this autonomy arose in 1918 when the сounties of Starodubya (northern Chernihivshchyna) inhabited mainly Russian, and established the Soviet power, announced secession of Ukraine. The German occupation of 3 counties reduced the territory of autonomy to one county in the territory of which the Ukrainian Red Army began to be formed. After the November revolution in Germany and releases from German-Haidamak Starodubye's occupations became a part of Russia.