Thread: Religion in Russia and the ex-Soviet countries

Originally Posted by Юрка

У нас запрещаются секты, опасные для людей... Если же культ не требует кончать с собой и отдавать квартиры секте, то их не запрещают.

But this is a relatively new development, isn't it? I mean, my impression is that historically -- both in pre-Revolutionary times and in the Soviet era -- there was a lot of discrimination by the State against any sect that did not have "long historical roots in Russia," which in practice excluded many Protestant churches.

And perhaps the real reason was not that these newer sects were truly опасные для людей, but that they were опасные для гегемонии Православной церкви! (After all, some Evangelical Protestant sects make it very simple and quick for an adult "convert" to join the church, whereas conversion to Catholicism or Judaism can take a couple years of mandatory study.)

But this is a relatively new development, isn't it? I mean, my impression is that historically -- both in pre-Revolutionary times and in the Soviet era -- there was a lot of discrimination by the State against any sect that did not have "long historical roots in Russia," which in practice excluded many Protestant churches.

Yes and no. Definitely yes about Soviet times. You can see the short documentary below about the public trial over sect "Христиане веры евангельской" to evaluate the scale of communist brainwashing in 1960s long after Stalin’s death.



No, about pre-Bolshevik times of the 20th century. Nicholas II was pretty enlightened and interested in unorthodox spiritual movements. For example, he participated in Martinism and its leader Dr. Papus was his spiritual adviser and a physician of the tsar family for quite a while.

"В 1905 году император Николай II пригласил Папюса и его учителя мэтра Филиппа Низье в Царское Село, чтобы получить от них совет по поводу проблем во внутренней политике, вызванных русской революцией 1905 года[37]. Папюс бывал в Российской империи трижды: в 1901, 1905, 1906 годах. Целью приезда были лекции по магии и оккультизму, и укрепление Мартинистского Ордена в Российской империи. Также он консультировал царскую семью, как врач и оккультный советник. Именно Папюс посвятил Императора Николая II в Мартинизм. По версиям некоторых историков, Папюс предсказал гибель царя Николая II."

Мартинизм — Википедия

Needless to say, that martinists as well as any other alien to communism unorthodox spiritual movement was cracked down after the coup d’état of 1917 and its leaders arrested, trialed, jailed, and died in concentration camps.

20 мая 1926 года Б. В. Астромову, Г. О. Мебесу, его жене и другим оккультистам было предъявлено официальное обвинение. Г. Мёбес как и ряд других масонов, мартинистов и розенкрейцеров получили 3 года ссылки. После чего им было добавлено ещё 3 года, Мёбес был сослан в Сыктывкар (Усть-Сысольск).
В середине 1928 года в газетах «Ленинградская правда» и «Красная звезда» появились сообщения, что чекистами была раскрыта Великая ложа «Астрея» во главе с 70-летним «черным оккультистом» Мебесом. Начатое расследование, как утверждала газета, вскоре показало, что в Ленинграде действовали «вполне серьезные масонские ложи с несколькими десятками членов, с магистрами и мастерами, с посвящением, клятвами, подписанными кровью, уставом, заграничной перепиской и членскими взносами».

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/̸%E1%E5...B5.D1.81.D0.B0

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

But this is a relatively new development, isn't it? I mean, my impression is that historically -- both in pre-Revolutionary times and in the Soviet era -- there was a lot of discrimination by the State against any sect that did not have "long historical roots in Russia," which in practice excluded many Protestant churches.

And perhaps the real reason was not that these newer sects were truly опасные для людей, but that they were опасные для гегемонии Православной церкви! (After all, some Evangelical Protestant sects make it very simple and quick for an adult "convert" to join the church, whereas conversion to Catholicism or Judaism can take a couple years of mandatory study.)

I think up to late-30s the Soviet state preferred Catholics and Protestants to Orthodox church, because they saw Orthodox as being monarchist and oppressive. It was Stalin who decided that Orthodox is more useful for patriotism and to keep people consent.

The shift of preference mostly coincided with changing of the main threat from counter-revolutionary monarchists to foreign influence.