Stranglers, wanderers, gas emitters: the most unusual sects in the history of Russia

On July 17, members of the extremist organization “Partizanskaya Pravda Partizan” led by the famous blogger Alexei Menyailov were detained in Russia

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This is not the first time he has come to the attention of law enforcement agencies. His “partisan” activities began with the organization “Course of Truth and Unity,” which was recognized as extremist and banned by the Maykop District Court. At the same time, being an activist of the Course, Menyailov founded Partizan.

Investigators spent a long time studying the activities of the PPP and came to the conclusion that this organization carries a destructive ideology. Most of the members are former military personnel, and the organization itself is divided into four divisions with a clearly defined charter and military hierarchy.

The moment of a military sports game, Minsk, 2006. Members of the PPP undergo the same training. Photo: wikimedia.org

In the near future, Alexey Menyailov may be charged under articles of inciting hatred and enmity and humiliation of human dignity.

The PPP is far from the first organization to be banned in Russia. The Unified Federal List includes 27 groups recognized as terrorist groups and 19 that are subject to liquidation for extremist activities.

All these banned sects most readily attracted men aged 30-40 years into their ranks. Everyone’s ideology is different, but in the end it all comes down to acts of extremism, especially at moments when it is necessary to satisfy the demands put forward by the sect.

Why are sects dangerous?

Sometimes sectarians are simply people lost in religious dogma, trying to find their own paths to God and not posing a danger to others. But sometimes the activities of such groups become far from harmless, and in these cases society takes all measures to protect its members from the harmful and sometimes deadly influence of sects.

As a rule, such a religious organization is headed by a strong, charismatic personality who is capable of exerting a powerful influence on others and subjugating their will. Sometimes such a leader, in addition to natural abilities, has special knowledge in the field of psychology, acquired during the training process, and sometimes even has the skills of hypnosis and suggestion. In all cases, he has a powerful tool - the ability to control the consciousness of the masses. And the mental health, material well-being, and sometimes the lives of many people often depend on whose hands such weapons ended up, who became their victims.

Hierarchical sects

These are sects that have expressed tendencies to erase differences with church organizations. Among Baptists, for example, elders in terms of their duties and hierarchical system of subordination differ little from Orthodox and Catholic priests. The special position of elders is reinforced by their material support at the expense of ordinary believers. The majority of relatively widespread sects belong to hierarchical sects. These are Mennonites, Baptists, Old Believers-Priests, Adventists, etc.

In the ritual practice of Baptists, daily prayer is required. The spiritual unity of believers is supported by a single ritual: baptism, the breaking of bread, the ordination of elders, and stereotypical forms of worship that are common to all communities. Baptist services, accompanied by the singing of religious hymns, are to a certain extent reminiscent of Orthodox ones. The same can be said about the services of Adventists and representatives of a number of other sects.

Dangerous sects in Russia

Sectarianism is widespread throughout the world. Unfortunately, our country is no exception. The list of sects in Russia is quite wide, but there are several organizations that stand out from the crowd. Their activities very often went beyond the law. Let's look at them in more detail.

First of all, this is a sect called “White Brotherhood”. This organization caused a lot of noise ten years ago when its leaders found themselves in the dock. It is known that the leader of the sect, Yu. A. Krivonogov, was a KGB employee during the Soviet period and served in the department that developed methods of influencing the mass consciousness of people. After the national KGB system was abolished, Krivonogov appropriated some of the special equipment for himself. In addition, he had the skills of hypnosis and psychological influence on people.

Together with his wife Marina Tsvigun, a former employee of the Dnepropetrovsk district Komsomol committee, and then a journalist for a local newspaper, he organized a sect. According to his scenario, Marina was supposed to become the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The religious revelations poured out by the spouses on the adherents of the sect were nothing more than a wild mixture of quotes pulled from various occult teachings. Interspersed were excerpts from the works of Blavatsky, Roerich, yoga, various Indian religious concepts and the teachings of Kabbalah.

Pentecostals

Definition 2

Pentecostals are a Protestant movement that arose in the United States at the end of the 19th century and spread from there throughout the world. The basis of this direction is the New Testament tradition concerning the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on the fiftieth day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as the receipt by the apostles of the gift of prophecy.

The founder of the sect is priest Charles Fox.

Pentecostals believe that every true Christian can receive the visible gifts of the Holy Spirit: the ability to prophecy, the gift of healing the sick, speaking in different languages, etc. To be saved, every believer must achieve the indwelling of the holy spirit into his own body.

In Pentecostalism there are several trends that can be divided into five groups:

• Two blessing Pentecostals, which recognize the acceptance of faith, that is, the baptism of the Holy Spirit;
• Three Blessings Pentecostals, which recognize education, sanctification, and the new birth, as well as the baptism of the Holy Spirit;
• Radical Pentecostals who, in addition to conversion, recognize sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as well as Divine healing, prophecy and the ascension;
• Apostolic Pentecostals, led by living “apostles” and “prophets” who adhere to the doctrine concerning the existence of one God in three persons;
• Unitarian Pentecostals who believe that there is one person of God rather than three.

Developments of the secret department in the service of the sect

But the main weapon, of course, was the skills acquired in the secret department of the KGB. As a result of the active work of the spouses, several thousand adherents were attracted to the sect. Krivonogov and his newly minted messiah managed to establish simply phenomenal control over their consciousness. People sold their property and took the proceeds to the sect, broke with their families and settled in specially organized villages. There they eked out a half-starved existence, without the right to any manifestations of their own will. There was a complete zombieification of the adherents.

The leaders of the sect themselves lived a luxurious lifestyle with the money of their victims. There are also known cases of mass suicides generated by the fear of the end of the world, which was an integral part of their “teachings”. As a result, the couple ended up behind bars. But now a new round in the history of the sect called the “White Brotherhood” begins. Marina Tsvigun was released and launched extensive efforts to revive it. Judging by the scale of the work, she is not constrained financially.

Kapaliki

They are very similar to the Shawavadin sect, as they perform the same rituals with human bodies. On top of that, they smear themselves with ashes from the fires on which corpses are burned, and never wash themselves, because they are convinced that during washing they can wash away their aura. They eat from quite specific containers called “kapala”.

To put it simply, they take food from human skulls. They often carry a sword or trident with them.

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"Neo-Pentecostals"

The list of sects in Russia should be continued with a story about an organization that is currently considered the largest in the country. This is the sect of “Neo-Pentecostals”, or, as they are also called, “Charismatics”. According to some reports, it has about 300,000 adherents in our country, which is almost half of all sectarians in Russia. This organization originated in America in the seventies of the 20th century. They rent concert halls and stadiums for their meetings. Everything is carried out in the form of a well-staged show in a purely American manner.

Ajivikas

By joining this sect, people make a certain vow that they will have to follow throughout their lives. Ajiviks believe that a person’s fate is initially predetermined, so there is no point in wasting energy on anything other than self-development. As for the vows, they are different for all sectarians. Someone, according to a vow, must drink only cow urine all his life, someone must lie on nails, someone must stand on their head all day.

Ajivikas feed once every few days, eating a handful of beans or rice, washing it all down with milk. Members of this sect can often be found begging for alms in tourist places. Many sectarians cannot withstand such tests and die.

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False spiritual guidelines

Their main doctrine, which is certainly attractive to the broad masses, is the thesis that a true Christian should be healthy, happy and rich. To become like this, you just need to bring money to the sect. The more you bring, the sooner you will get rich and become a true believer. It’s difficult to talk about methods of influence, but they work flawlessly. Thousands of masses in a single impulse fall into a state close to ecstasy. Even those in dire need suddenly begin to feel like they are rich, and the sick feel an illusory surge of health.

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The list of these six was announced by the famous sectologist Professor Alexander Dvorkin at recent hearings on the problems of destructive organizations in the Moscow City Duma and in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda.

Neo-Pentecostals, or charismatics Scale of organization: The most widespread sectarian movement in Russia: up to 300 thousand members (that is, charismatics make up almost half of all sectarians in the country). Dozens of organizations: “New Generation Church”, “Word of Life”, “Calvary Chapel”, etc., are united into two large unions. The influence of the movement on public life is easy to demonstrate by the fact that the leader of one of the unions, Sergei Ryakhovsky, is a member of the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation and is a member of the Public Chamber. Where did they come from: The Western “Faith Movement” appeared in the 70s in the USA. Its most authoritative leaders: the Hagen family - grandfather, father and grandson, as well as Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Yogi Cho, Ulf Ekman and others. Ideology: On the streets (through recruitment) and in official documents, charismatics call themselves Pentecostals or Protestants. This is not true: real Protestants do not recognize these organizations. And they don’t even recognize them as Christian. Charismaticism is a magical occult movement that proclaims that a true Christian should be healthy, happy and rich. If he is not like that, then he is not a real Christian. Newcomers are usually invited to a “great party.” What they do: They gather halls where, accompanied by cheerful music, the “pastor” uses mass suggestion techniques. In appearance, these are purely Kashpirovsky sessions: people laugh, bend over, fall, scream with happiness (the leaders of the sect say that adherents feel the Holy Spirit). According to faith, after “sessions” the blind see, the lame walk, etc. Destructive impact on the individual: They explain to adherents: in order to get rich, you need to give money to the sect, and the more you give, the faster you will get rich. Soon people start thinking (and telling everyone) that they are healthy, rich and happy, no matter what happens. But in the end, the difference becomes so obvious that the psyche of the adherents cannot stand it. Many try to commit suicide. Crime: In 2001 in Moscow, a mother and daughter, adherents of the “Full Gospel Church,” strangled their 6-year-old mentally handicapped daughter and granddaughter: if the child is sick, it means he is cursed by God. Scientologists Scale of the organization : A powerful international structure, in Moscow and Russia it is represented by dozens of organizations: the “Church of Scientology of Moscow”, “Dianetics Centers”, etc. A lot of areas of activity: the introduction of Scientology management in enterprises, medicine, politics... Scientologists have taken over entire industrial groups. . According to experts, the total income of the sect is 3 - 5 million US dollars per day. In a number of countries, the organization is considered criminal and operates under police supervision. Where did they come from : The organization was invented in the 50s by the American science fiction writer Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (1911 - 1986). Its head center is located in the USA. Ideology: Our world is doomed to destruction, but, fortunately, man exists not only physically. Beyond the body and mind is the core element of our personality - the thetan. If you first become a perfect person - a clear (the “science” of Dianetics teaches this), then you can then learn to operate with your thetan (“science” of Scientology). An operating thetan (OT) is an immortal superbeing who lives outside the physical universe. Only OTs will survive the planet: so it is fatal not to be a Scientologist. What they do: Provide a wide range of paid courses in Dianetics and Scientology (a full course costs several hundred thousand dollars, which is why Scientology is called a “rich man’s cult”). They say in Newspeak: Be wary if you hear: “The reactive circuit area of ​​the engram bank is not a reactive bank.” Destructive impact on personality: The sect recognizes itself as superhuman, all others are inferior. In the organization there is the strictest control and subordination. Adepts lose critical thinking, gain greater self-confidence, and at the same time written literacy almost completely disappears. It doesn’t seem to be scary, but psychiatrists say that former Scientologists need more time for rehabilitation than members of any other sects. Crime: Scientologists are infiltrating as many Russian defense and secret enterprises as possible. For what? A number of scientists consider the connection of the sect with the US CIA as a practically proven fact. Hare Krishnas Scale of the organization: Several dozen people live in the hostel (ashram) of the Moscow (ISKK) and there are a couple of hundred permanent parishioners (in total in Russia there are 3 - 4 thousand). In 2004, “our” Hare Krishnas received from the mayor’s office a plot of land on Leningradskoe Highway for the construction of the largest temple in Europe. But the public reaction was so negative that the mayor withdrew his signature. Where did they come from: ISKCON was founded in 1966 in New York by a native of India who called himself Srila Swami Prabhupada. He campaigned among hippies and drug addicts... Hinduism does not recognize Hare Krishnas. Ideology: The Creator of the world is the god Krishna: a blue-skinned, effeminate youth. The main goal of the adepts is to love Krishna maritally. Then they will come out of the wheel of samsara (eternal reincarnation), enter the heavenly palaces of Krishna and become his concubines. And everyone - both women and men. During worship services, adherents bring themselves to ecstasy: it is believed that at this time sexual contact with Krishna occurs. What they do: They go around and sell the book “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” (a free exposition of the sacred text for Hindus). They smoke incense, cook Indian food, wear Indian clothes. Repeat the mantra 1728 times a day. Destructive impact on personality: Signs of “unity” with Krishna - rolling on the ground, loud screams, salivation, heavy breathing, mad laughter. It is obvious that regularly falling into such a state has a negative effect on the psyche. There is indirect evidence of the development of mental illness in some adherents. Crime: In 2001, a member of a Moscow ashram raped an 11-year-old girl for a month; in Tuva, a self-identified Hare Krishna cut off the head of an Orthodox priest. Moonies Organizational scope: International empire, officially called the Families Federation for World Peace and Unification. In fact, it exists under a thousand names: “Academy of Professors for World Peace”, “Women’s Federation for World Peace” - the list is endless. Hundreds of thousands of members. Factories, fishing fleets, publishing concerns... In Moscow, the Moonies took ownership of a cinema in the southeast of the capital. One can only guess what happens there: strangers do not enter there. The prefecture is trying to return the building, but so far to no avail. Where did they come from: The sect was created in the 50s by Korean Sun Myung Moon. Now he runs it together with his wife, the couple now lives in the USA. Ideology: Eve sinned with the Serpent not figuratively, but literally, and humanity is his descendants. God sends his son to Earth, who must purify human blood (meaning Moon). At first it was logical: Moon slept with all the women of the sect, and they gave birth to children with “God-bearing” blood. But then the number of adepts exceeded male abilities, and a ritual was developed through which boys and girls are “adopted” by Moon (adepts drink a cocktail that most likely contains Moon’s sperm). What they do: Adepts break with their families and live in groups of 5 to 10 people. Wake up at 4 am, pray at 5, then beg and work. Proceeds to the Moon family. Sexual intercourse is taboo; after three years, you can send Moon a request to appoint a spouse (at the ceremony, people see each other for the first time). The wedding is in another three years. Destructive impact on personality: A large number of adherents become spiritualists: falling into a trance, they “receive messages” from the world of spirits. At the Center of St. Irenaeus of Lyonsky has a video recording: an elderly Munich woman runs across the stage and, writhing, shouts in a terrible voice: “I am God the Father! I'm telling you...” Messages were also received from Jesus, Stalin... By the way, Moon also assigned a spouse to Jesus, who was languishing in the world of spirits. Crime: Data is scanty, mostly just visa violations and tax evasion. "Anastasia"

Organization scale:

About thirty “ecological” settlements throughout Russia. There is one in the Moscow region. The sect is in its infancy, so there is very little information about it. Where did they come from: In 1995, a certain Puzakov, who took the surname Maigret, wrote a book: he allegedly met in the taiga the superwoman Anastasia, whose family has always lived separately from all humanity... Ideology: Anastasia utters heavy chaotic nonsense, drawn from various occult sources ( many glaring errors). Practical recommendations: sell apartments to everyone and settle on the land, plant cedar trees (they are the salvation of Russia), have sex and give birth in the garden, water the plants with water in which you can wash your feet. What they do: Puzakov sells “sacred” cedar oil and amulets, and is rumored to have a three-story tower in a community near Vladimir. Others follow the commandments. The right to live in the community, critics say, costs $30,000. Destructive effects on personality: Not studied. One can see the strict control of the adherents on the part of Puzakov, the unmotivated aggressiveness of the sect members and their loss of logical thinking: the Anastasians simultaneously say the opposite things. Crime: No data. Sect of Grigory Grabovoi Scale of the organization: Largely thanks to the efforts of Komsomolskaya Pravda to expose this fraudulent pyramid that “resurrects the dead” (see publications on the website https://www.kp.ru/), its leader is now in prison, and his flock has thinned out significantly. During its heyday in 2003 - 2005. There were at least 50 thousand “grabbers” in the country. The organization had a dense network of branches not only in Russia, but also in the CIS and far abroad. Now the number of sectarians has decreased by 10 times. Where did they come from: The Pyramid was organized by Grigory Grabovoi at the end of the last century. Now the organization is supported by the forces of his immediate circle. Ideology: Grabovoi claims that he is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He teaches that man can also become God and control everything on Earth. Including saving humanity. A diligent student and follower is able to resurrect people. What they do: They go to paid seminars by Grabovoi and his apostles and learn to save the world. For a lot of money you can learn resurrection. Number series are used to control nuclear power plants, cure migraines and prevent earthquakes. Destructive effects on the individual: Grabovoi’s techniques manipulate consciousness, and some of those who tried to resurrect their loved ones eventually actually “saw” the resurrected person. That is, they became patients of psychiatrists. Others tried to cure the disease with Grabovoi: they abandoned traditional medicine and died. Crime: Grabovoy has been charged under the article “large-scale fraud.” For “resurrections” he took 39,100 rubles: thereby taking away the last thing from people.

The cult is a killer of hundreds of people

As can be seen from the above examples, modern sects are armed with carefully thought-out methods of influencing the human psyche. Their arsenal of funds is very wide. The danger they pose cannot be underestimated. To further illustrate this, let us recall an organization that, fortunately, is not included in the list of sects in Russia. At one time, its name was often mentioned in the media. This is the Peoples Temple. The Lord saved us from this dirty trick, but it wouldn’t hurt to talk about it.

Its creator, Jim Jones, in 1955 in the American city of Indianapolis gathered a group of followers of his religious teachings, which soon moved to the jungles of Guyana. Filled with pathological hatred of America and people in general, he managed to create on the territory occupied by the settlement a semblance of a totalitarian state, and in its worst version. He achieved slavish submission from all adherents of the sect. His will was carried out unquestioningly.

This dictator had sympathy for the Soviet Union and the totalitarian system established in it. One of the streets of the village was named after Lenin. He even turned to the Soviet authorities with a request to provide him and members of the sect with the opportunity to immigrate to the USSR. The answer was positive, but the tragedy that took place in 1978 prevented it. More than nine hundred members of the sect, on the orders of its creator, committed suicide. The Peoples Temple ceased to exist. Jim Jones was convicted, but was released early in 2002.

Sepals

Another amazing sect, the existence of which is hard to believe. If rumors are to be believed, sepals are insensitive to poisons and can work with any poisonous animals.

According to legends, they even know how to treat other people from bites of poisonous animals. Stones are used to cast a spell, and by applying them to the bite sites, you can be completely healed.

Having learned about all the horrors of life in Indian sects, a person asks a logical question: “Why do sectarians endure such suffering and infringement?” Members of sects perform all these terrible rituals because they are sure that they will help their soul in the afterlife. And also some sect members are convinced that eating human flesh stops aging and gives special abilities, such as controlling the weather or the ability to levitate.

The material was prepared by the editors of the site yaturisto.ru
05.08.2019

Scientology sect

The list of sects in Russia would not be complete without recalling the organization called “Scientologists”. This is also an “American bottling” team, like many others. In the fifties of the 20th century, it was created by science fiction writer Ronald Hubbard. The main tenet of his teaching is the doom of the existing world. He will die, but life will not stop there. Those who have achieved the ideal in this world will find life after death.

You can become a perfect being by being trained by Scientologists. The course is paid and very expensive, but you can’t sacrifice anything for eternity. It is not for nothing that this organization is called the “sect of the rich.” According to experts, her daily income ranges from three to five million dollars. In our country, it has representative offices in different cities. The main office is located in Moscow.

Baptistism

Baptistism was formed as a branch of Calvinism and supports all provisions of its doctrine. Followers of this trend baptize only adults. The main postulate of Baptists is the following: no one is able to choose a faith for a person, including parents. A person needs to accept faith consciously.

Baptists celebrate the main Christian holidays with triumph:

• Easter;
• Trinity;
• Christmas;
• Transformation:
• Ascension.

They also celebrate Unity Day on October 27 and the Harvest Festival. The only source of their beliefs is the Bible.

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The first communities were formed in England in 1611-1612, their founder was J. Smith. Baptists wanted religious freedom, tolerance and separation of church and state, granting the right to preach to any member of the community. At the same time, two types of baptism developed:

• Private (particular) Baptist - its followers adhere to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination. They received this name due to the fact that they believed that only a part of people would be able to achieve salvation.
• General (general) Baptist - its followers believe that obtaining salvation depends on the people themselves, since Jesus, with his death, atoned for the sins of all people, and not just a select few. Their successors are Evangelical Christians.

Baptistism has become one of the largest denominations of Protestantism, whose centers are located in more than 122 countries. Baptistism has over 72 million followers. Baptists publish religious literature: the “Brotherly Messenger” magazine, church calendars, collections of religious songs.

"Jehovah witnesses"

Many residents of our cities are well aware of the Jehovah's Witnesses sect. Why are they dangerous? Often adherents annoyingly ring doorbells and stop people on the streets, offering to listen to their pseudo-religious dogmas, learn the “true” understanding of the Holy Scriptures, and gain eternal life. As soon as you show any interest in them, they become intrusive, thrusting their brochures and inviting you to attend their meetings. The technology for recruiting new members is so well thought out that a person practically does not notice how he becomes an active member of the sect.

This organization has headquarters in America and branches in many countries around the world. Despite the fact that they call themselves Christians, their teaching has nothing in common with Christianity. In all their activities, true, purely mercantile motives are clearly visible. In our country, the sect was illegal for a long time, but with the advent of perestroika, all prohibitions were lifted, and members of the organization began vigorous activity. Residents of St. Petersburg remember how in 1992 their congress was held at the Kirov Stadium, which seats 100,000 spectators, to which Jehovah's Witnesses arrived not only from all over Russia, but also from abroad.

Stranglers, wanderers, gas emitters: the most unusual sects in the history of Russia

From the middle of the 18th century, with the spread of literacy, sects began to emerge in the Russian Empire. The sacred books left wide scope for interpretation, so it is not surprising that the same fragments were sometimes interpreted in completely opposite ways by the masses. Some of them existed for many years and left a significant mark on history, others died out after a few years due to extreme whimsicality. Evgeny Antonyuk recalls the most unusual sects in Russian history.

Runners, they are also wanderers, defaulters, Sopelkovites, underground fighters

One of the most unusual sects in Russian history. The teaching of the runners originated in the ranks of the Bespopovtsy Old Believers in the second half of the 18th century. The secular name of the creator of the runners has not yet been established. It is only known that the doctrine was invented by a fugitive soldier who found shelter among the Old Believers and took the name Evfimy.

The runners categorically denied the existing world, considering almost all the phenomena present in it to be manifestations of the power of the Antichrist, who rules the world through his servants - the Russian tsars.

They tried to create an alternative underground society with extensive secret channels. The runners had no contacts with the state, did not serve in the army, lived without documents, refused to pay taxes and duties, and the most radical branch of the sect - the moneyless people - categorically forbade its followers to use money, since they bore the mark of the Antichrist.

Old Believers Wanderers

The highest degree of respect in the ranks of runners was enjoyed by wanderers - people who consciously abandoned property and settled life and spent their entire lives wandering. The runners were obliged to provide any possible assistance to all wanderers and fugitives. For this purpose, they created a whole network of underground shelters, where both conscious wanderers and fugitive soldiers and criminals took refuge.

Throughout its existence, the runners have undergone many splits, giving birth to new branches. Among them there were movements that denied any connection with the Antichrist world, even to the point of banning the wearing of crosses; there were also those that, on the contrary, sought to establish a kind of hierarchy of ranks, similar to the church.

The exact number of runners was never known due to the high degree of secrecy inherent in the adherents of this movement. The whole life of the runners was connected with secrets, they were forbidden to bury even the dead openly, so they were buried in secret places, without coffins or ceremonies, without even marking the places of their burials.

Sample letter from Euthymius

During their travels, the runners recruited new members throughout the Russian Empire. Although the sect was never particularly numerous, its members lived in many provinces of central Russia. Conspiracy and mutual assistance allowed them to successfully cope with persecution of both the pre-revolutionary and Soviet periods. Small groups of runners were active until the end of the 20th century. It is assumed that their scattered groups continue to exist today.

Stranglers

Unlike the Indian stranglers - the Thugs - the Russians did not engage in murder, but, on the contrary, wanted to be strangled. This sect also originated in the ranks of the priestless Old Believers. Like many similar movements, they believed that the church reform of Patriarch Nikon marked the victory of the forces of evil. The world has come under the control of the Antichrist, and accordingly, all its manifestations bear the mark of the devil. The stranglers did not attend church, did not venerate icons or holy books.

They considered martyrdom, following the example of the biblical forty martyrs, to be the main way of salvation from enslavement by the Antichrist. Violent death turned a person into a righteous person, so the stranglers dreamed of being brutally killed by someone.

Peasants of Mezensky district

There were ominous rumors about them. Allegedly, members of the sect strangled their fellows so that they would go to heaven, which is how the sect got its name. As soon as a member of the sect fell ill and it became clear that he would soon die, he was smothered with a pillow so as not to leave traces. This was called “reduction to angelic rank.” Violent death, in their opinion, atoned for all lifetime sins. However, not a single case of such murders proven in court has been recorded in the Russian Empire. Several similar cases fell apart in court due to lack of evidence.

The sect was not numerous and was most active in the Saratov and Kostroma provinces. By the beginning of the 20th century it had completely died out.

Shaloputy

The sect originated in the second half of the 19th century in the Tambov province. The Shaloputs interpreted the Holy Scriptures in a very specific way, as a result of which they developed not so much a sect as their own religion. They categorically denied such postulates of Christian teaching as the Second Coming, the resurrection, rejected all church sacraments and believed that God dwells in his prophets - Moses, Jesus and their followers, right down to the leaders of the rogues themselves.

Members of the sect lived in communes, did not eat meat, and did not drink alcohol. “Marriage by spiritual affinity” was considered preferable to church marriage, but love affairs were not encouraged.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the movement spread to the current border territories of Russia and Ukraine, but gradually faded away and dissolved into more massive Christian movements (for example, the Stundists).

Yegovist-Ilintsy

Nikolay Ilyin

The current was created in the mid-19th century by artillery captain Nikolai Ilyin. The officer, carried away by his thoughts, eventually developed his own original religious system with a strong dualistic principle (Jehovah and Satan are waging an ongoing struggle with each other, which at the end of time will end with a decisive battle and the establishment of the Jerusalem Republic, a kind of analogue of heaven on earth).

Yehovists consider the Bible to be distorted by Satan, do not recognize most Christian holidays, honor Saturday instead of Sunday, do not serve in the army and do not participate in wars. Unlike most pre-revolutionary sects, the Yegovists successfully survived both the pre-revolutionary persecution and the Soviet period, and still exist. For a long time, the center of the Yegovist movement was the Urals (retired captain Ilyin lived in what is now the Sverdlovsk region, where his first followers appeared), but in the twentieth century their teaching spread to many other regions.

The exact number of Yegovists is currently unknown due to the traditional closed nature of the movement (outsiders are not allowed to attend services). Because of their name, they are often confused with Jehovah's Witnesses*, but the latter are not related to them. In addition, they appeared about two decades later than the Yegovist-Ilyinites.

Skoptsy, they are white doves

Skoptsy

One of the most powerful and famous sects of the pre-revolutionary period, which has been known for almost three centuries. It is believed that the founder of the movement in the mid-18th century was the fugitive serf Kondraty Selivanov. However, some researchers believe that Selivanov was only one of the earliest known leaders, and the movement itself is much older and existed even in the pre-Petrine era. In the 18th century, the Skoptsy separated from the Khlysts, one of the oldest Russian sects.

Despite the fact that their paths diverged, the Khlysts and Skoptsy retained a certain kinship. The communities of both were called “ships” led by a “helmsman” or “steerman”. Christian holidays were not recognized, but for the sake of secrecy it was allowed to go to church. Both preached strict sexual abstinence. Their devotions (worships) are also similar in many ways.

The Skoptsy were distinguished by extreme unity, the movement was popular among merchants, therefore the Skoptsy were famous for their capital. Wealth attracted new followers to them. During the era of serfdom, rich eunuchs often ransomed serfs in exchange for their consent to undergo the ritual of “whitening”, i.e. emasculation.

The need to attract new members was dictated by a disapproving attitude towards childbearing (however, in some regions the eunuchs preferred to give birth to one or two children before undergoing “whitening”), which made it difficult for the sect to replenish its ranks “naturally”. The eunuchs attracted newcomers either with promises of material benefits or with religious arguments. Often newcomers were allowed to live in the community for a long time without being emasculated, until the person finally matured enough to do so.

"Ship" of the eunuchs

Castration, practiced by the eunuchs, was their most famous distinguishing feature. To justify this practice, they cited many quotations from the sacred books, interpreting them in favor of the godly nature of castration. There was a distinction between the small seal (removal of the testicles) and the royal seal (removal of the testicles and penis). In women, removal of the clitoris and breasts was also practiced.

The Skoptsy celebrated their own holidays and did not celebrate Christian ones. However, for the purposes of secrecy, they were allowed to attend church, which they often did.

The heyday of this movement occurred in the pre-revolutionary era. They were persecuted during Soviet times, but still survived this period, and a few followers of the once powerful movement still exist. True, after the death of the last pre-revolutionary eunuchs, surgical castration is no longer practiced among their ranks.

Paniashkovites, they are also gas emitters

This small current broke away from the whips at the end of the 19th century. Its founder was the peasant Gavrilov, known under the nickname Paniashka.

Paniashkovites believed that a demon, an evil spirit, lives in a person. It is he who forces a person to fulfill his natural needs. Therefore, while preparing food, eating or performing natural needs, they said: “on you, demon.” Unlike the Khlysty, who kept strict fasts and did not eat meat, the Paniashkovites ate everything.

Peasant common table in a village near Simbirsk

However, there was a way to temporarily expel a demon from the body. Immediately after eating, it was necessary to emit intestinal gases as loudly and loudly as possible, saying: “I conquered the damned demon.” The same was supposed to be done during prayers. After emitting gases, the person was temporarily considered free from demons. If for some reason this could not be done, the demon was driven out by beating on the back until the required result was achieved.

Paniashkovites existed in the Samara province, where Gavrilov lived. After his death at the end of the 19th century, his followers revered him as a saint and long awaited his resurrection. However, by the beginning of the Soviet era, the sect had completely died out, never becoming widespread.

Immortals

A sect that appeared in Moscow in the last quarter of the 19th century. It was radically different from most Russian sects and movements. If they considered the world full of dirt, lust, sin, the kingdom of the Antichrist and simply a disgusting place, they tormented themselves in every possible way for the sake of an afterlife, then the immortals, on the contrary, believed that the world was created for eternal life.

Nikolay Berdyaev

They believed that the world was too beautiful and that God originally intended it to be a place for eternal life. To achieve immortality, you only need to believe with all your might in Christ and his teachings. The fact that even the most devoted followers of Christ, including the apostles, sooner or later died was explained by the immortals by the fact that they simply misunderstood the essence of the teaching. They believed in their own mortality, when they should have believed in their own immortality. The death of the adherents of the immortal movement themselves was also explained by flaws and errors in their faith.

The famous religious philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev, who often met with representatives of the sect for conversations, showed great interest in immortelle.

The immortelle movement died out in the 10s of the 20th century. After the beginning of the Soviet era, mentions of them completely disappear.

* extremist organization banned in Russia

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Reasons for the growth of sectarianism in recent years

Religious sects in Russia have received a powerful impetus for their development over the past two decades. An important role here was played by the deterioration of the economic situation of a number of segments of the population and the political instability of recent years. Apologists of various sectarian movements, using these internal difficulties, try to exploit them, attracting new members to their ranks. Converted members of such sects who believe the propaganda promises come under severe psychological pressure. Often the result of their gullibility is severe mental illness, loss of property, and separation from family.

What sects are called totalitarian?

In order to protect citizens from the harmful influence of such religious movements, legislative measures were taken. In particular, certain courts have approved a list that includes sects banned in Russia.

Their activities are suppressed, and those involved in them are subject to punishment in accordance with the law. The so-called totalitarian, or destructive, sects are especially strictly persecuted. In world practice, a striking example of such an organization is the Peoples Temple.

In our country, a ban has been imposed on the activities of all religious associations that infringe on the rights of their members and cause harm to them. Totalitarian sects in Russia and their activities are widely covered in the media to prevent and prevent their influence on people. Much work in this direction is being carried out by representatives of the church. Teachers are not left out either. There are many sects that do not seem to pose a threat, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses sect. Why are they dangerous? The answer is obvious - any enslavement of mass consciousness is fraught with a real danger to society.

God Kuzi Sect

Despite the funny name, what was happening inside this sect does not at all cause a smile. The sect, in which Andrei Popov “Kuzya” proclaimed himself a god, preached the destruction of the institution of the family, the murder of relatives considered “demons”, and promoted the deception of others in order to take away money and property. Humiliation, collective beatings, and sexual violence were practiced at the meetings.

Huge amounts of money were earned through deception. At Orthodox exhibitions, “kondrats,” as adherents of the Church of God Kuzi called themselves, rented 30-40 retail outlets, posed as monks of a distant monastery and offered to order a prayer service or service. With such public coverage, we were talking about huge amounts of money that went to Popov.

Moscow. Leader of the religious sect Andrei Popov (“god Kuzya”) (right), accused of fraud on an especially large scale and leadership of a destructive religious association, before the announcement of the verdict in the Presnensky court. Photo: Stanislav Krasilnikov / TASS

A harem for the head of the church, beatings to a pulp, fraud, calls for murder, deprivation of property, blackmail, intimidation, torture, psychological influence - all this could not fail to attract the attention of law enforcement agencies.

From 2014 until recently, trials were ongoing in the case of Andrei Popov and his accomplices. On July 16, 2021, the court sentenced Popov to five years in prison for fraud and creating a sect.