Religious Fanaticism in Russia

New Zealand Mail, Issue 852, 29 June 1888, Page 9

Religious Fanaticism in Russia

For more than fifty years past, writes M. N. Tsakni in the Contemporary Review, there has been observable among tlie Russians a sort of religious fermentation, taking the form of. different sects, which number millions of adherents, all in quest of ‘ truth,’ of the ‘ true God,’ and of * salvation.’ And if pessimism is a characteristic mark of-'all Russian life, it is in certain mystic sects that it shows itself particularly strong. In these we see pessimism reaoh its furthest bounds, go so far as to abnegate life itself, often to the point of suicide. They say the world is plunged in sin, vi-tue has disappeared, the devil reigns over the earth, evil triumphs every where j the only means of salvation is to renounce society,' to reorganise social life ou a new basis, or voluntarily to eiqbrace death. 4- HpitRIBLE COMPACT. The writer desoribes one of these sects, which may give an idea of tflis religious and' moral fermentation in the breast of the Russian people : * In; the province pf Perm, on the other side of the Kama, in the depths of the forests, there was enacted about' - twenty years ago a terrible drama, the principal actor in wh|ch was a peasant named Khodkine. _ Khodkine was to a pertain' degree an educated man ; he was passionately addioted to reading, and spent most of his time over religious books, which he ex? pounded after his own fashion, He' soon came 1 to the conclusion that the end of the world was at hand. He plunged; more and' more deeply into these ideas as he oontem. plated the unsatisfactory state of things surrounding him—on the one hand the degradation of the moral tone of the people, their drunkenness, their debasement of manners ; and on the other hand the violence and tyranny of the authorities, who, arro.' gant and oruel, treat the people like a herd of cattle. Khodkine ended by persuading himself that the only way to save one's soul was to leave the world, to 'hide in a forest, and make an end of this life of sin andignominy. He. did not conceal, his views’ from his neighbors, and he soon had devoted disciples, the first of whom were members of his own family—his mother, brother, sister-in-law, and ancle. “ Antichrist is already come, and goes to and fro in the earth,”’ taught Khodkine ; “the end of the world is at baud, let us fly into the forests, bury ourselves alive, and die r.f hunger.” Once in' the woods the men set themselves to dig out actual catacombs, while the women made ; dead-clothes. These preparations lasted r through three days. All the disciples, dressed in these clothes, had three several times to renounce Satan and all his works. The ceremony of abjuration over, Khodkine addressed them in the following werds:— “ Now tljat you have renounced Satan, you must die of hunger. * If yqu take no nourish- * incut, if yoii drink no water for twelve days, you wjll epte|! iuto the Ipngdom of Heaven.” Then began the interminable days of horrible - suffering for thpgo wretphes. 'Tortured - by hunger and thirst, wquieq 4r4 pried' loudly for a few drops of water, Ths children's sufferings touched the hearts' of some of the fauaj;ics, who knelt to their chief 1 praying him to have pity op these little ones. Put Khodjtine was immovable. Tears, 5 prayers, and suffering did not touoh him' and the children wpitned in agony, sucking the grass, chewing fern fronds, or swallowing sand. _ Two of the fanatics could not epdure this sight; and fled during the darkness pf the night. This frightened Khodkine, and he resolved to hasten the death which was so long iu coming. “ The hour of death has come; are yon ready J” he asked. “We are ready,” replied the unhappy people, all their strength exhausted. Then they began to massacre the children; The bodies of the victims were buried iu the earth, and the' survivors decided to continue their fast. But the fugitives had had time to warn thef police, and they came to fhe place. Hearing the steps of wen approaching, and being un? willing to give tbPßjaplyea up aliyo into the hands of the servants of Antichrist, the fanatics reached the height of their religious madness, swore fo shed their blood for Christ, and abandoned themselves to horrible carnage, They.began by killing-the women with hatchets, then they put an end to the meta most weakened by hunger, and. the < leader, Khodkine, an,d three others were the sole survivors. They saw the police and tried to escape into the forest, bat were caught and delivered into the hands of justice.’

terrible scenes of murder and ■ SUICIDE.

Among a great number of religious preachers, one above all, the monk Falare enjoyed great popularity. ‘ He preaohed on the banks of the Volga, not many years ago that the sole mode of salvation for man was voluntary death. “It is impossible,” aaid be “ to continue to live in this world immersed m Bin and falsehood. We must seek safety in death; we must die for Christ.” This barbarous teaching found numbers of disoiples, who attached themselves to the monk with the fixed intention of dying. One night gersons met in a cavern prepared

beforehand near a river. Straw and faggots had been accumulated there that they might perish in the flames, should the police succeed in discovering their projects. These preparations being made, the fanatics began to fast and pray. Happily one of the women present, who had doubts as to the efficacy of suicide, profiting by the darkness of the night, hid herself, and fled to a village, where she told the authorities wbat had happened. The inhabitants went to the cavern, the entrance of which was guarded by one of the sectaries, who gave the alarm. “ Antichrist is coming ! Fly ! Let us not give ourselves up living into the hands of our enemies 1” cried the fanatics, setting fire to the straw. The peasants tried to put out the flames. A terrible struggle , followed. The police and the peasants strove to snatch these wretches from the flames,-but they de- : fended themselves, wrestled with their rescuers, threw themselves anew into the fire, and slew themselves with hatchets. “ We die for Christ !” was heard on all sides. Still a considerable portion of these fanatics were saved. But the affair did not end thus. One oE the condemned, a peasant named Tonachkoff, escaped from prison and continued to propagate dootrines of suicide. His teaching was very successful. More fchansixty persona in the same locality decided to give themselves to a voluntary death. Among them were whole families, fathers, mothers, children. They no longer chose the forest to carry .out their design, but on a day fixed beforehand the massacre took place in the peasants’ izba. Peasant P. j entered the house of his neighbor N., killed his wife and children ; then, still armed with his hatchet, he entered the barn where other fanatics were waiting for him with their wives, who calmly put their heads on the block, while P. played the part of executioner. Then he went to another izba, that of tho peasant-woman W., and killed her and her kinswoman, while'an accomplice killed their children. Then the accomplice put his head on the block, begging P. to cut it off. P., in his turn, was killed by the peasant T. Thirty . five persens thus perished. A woman passing by was terrified at the spectacle and ran quickly to give the alarm.’ '

THE * JUMPERS.’ About twenty-five years ago a new mystical sect appeared in Russia, called the « Jumpers.’ The Caucasus and the neighbor, ing countries serve as the place of exile to which Government send hardened and recalcitrant dissenters, fearing their demoralising influence on the masses of the people. There are to be met representatives of all the Russian sects Molokanes, Skoptsys, Vagabonds, &c. There, because at so great a distance from the centre of government, and because the whole country is in a semi-savage condition, the 'sectaries find greater liberty to arrange their lives according to the precepts of their religion, and they take advantage of thiß to carry on an active propaganda among the natives and the Russian colonists. *lt was among this population of sectaries that the new sect of Prigoony arose and carried fanaticism and religious ecstasy to the highest point. It soon invaded several villages, and attracted a number', of people to its doctrine. Its principal apostle called himself God, and taught chiefly that, since the end of the world was at hand, all mußt prepare for it by repentance and purification from past sin by confession to the elect of ~God. The enthusiasm aroused by this teaching was such that the new disciples left their work and devoted all their time to prayer, and to listening to sermons and instructive discourses. The principal dogma of this sect !a the descent of the Holy Spirit upon believers. This descent takes place only upon the elect during religious meetings, and takes place continually only upon two or three persons in each meeting. Habitually It occurs only at the end of a meeting, when all have been suitably prepared by prayer. The signs of His presence are chiefly an unusual pallor of the face, quickened breath, then a swaying of the whole body, then tha persons begin to tap rhythmically with their feet, and then follow jumpings and violent contortions,' and in the end they fall heavily to the ground. All this does not always follow in the same order. Some of the believers sway, and then, springing on the benches, begin to jump. Others fall from the benches to the floor, and there remain stretched out for a whole hour or more. Others march round the table with theatrical stride shaken by hysteric sob 3. And while twirling in their places, throwing themselves about, falling on the ground, or raising them, selves again, they retain a fixed look of great solemnity and seriousness imprinted on their fades. The meeting ends with a fraternal greeting, the teachers and apostles embracing each other and then retiring to the opposite sides of the room. Then the brothers and sisters come to them successively, throw themselves on the ground three times before them and embrace them three times. Ihis fraternal greeting lasts sometimes an hour or two, and the number of kisses each brother and sister receives reaches a hundred or more.’ .... .