True Russian Orthodox Church: Pyotr Kuznetsov

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by asoapymessromances

by asoapymessromances

The Penza Recluses (Russian:Пензенские затворники, True Russian OrthodoxChurch, TROC; Russian: Настоящая русскаяправославная церковь) was an Independent Russiandoomsday cult founded by Pyotr Kuznetsov which borrowed someideas from Eastern Orthodoxy. The self-name of the group was"Heavenly Jerusalem" (Russian: ГорнийИерусалим). This group broke away from the Russian OrthodoxChurch, considering it insufficiently orthodox. Its members were notallowed to eat processed food, watch television or handle money. Theyrejected bar codes, National identification numbers, and passportsbecause they contained satanic symbols ("the number of theBeast").

In November 2007, between 29 and 35members of the group holed themselves up in a cave in Russia's Penzaregion, near the village Nikolskoye, threatening mass suicide ifauthorities tried to intervene. Kuznetsov had told them to hideaway to await the end of the world, which he predictedwould take place in May 2008. Kuznetsov himself was not with thegroup but had been placed under police arrest.

On March 28, 2008, seven women who hadholed up in a cave for months were being treated by emergencyworkers, regional officials said. Three days later 14 members emergedfrom the cave after melting snow caused part of the cave to collapse.

On April 3, 2008, Kuznetsov was takento a hospital where "Officials said that he may haveattempted suicide after realizing his prediction had been wrong."In subsequent years, he was in a psychiatric ward with a diagnosis ofparanoia. In 2016, the court once again extended the period of hiscompulsory treatment at the request of the Chief of the regionalpsychiatric clinic.

On May 16, 2008, the last nine membersof the cult emerged from the bunker due to the toxic fumes producedby two cult members who had died over winter. On May 21, afterremoving the bodies of the dead, the cave was blown up. Officially,it was done because of its danger to the local population and curiousvisitors.

After leaving the cave, most of thesect members left the village, except for one family. Several peoplemoved to a deaf village in Belarus. Vasily Nedogon, head of thefamily remaining in Nikolskoye, in 2012 continued to live with hiswife and three children without electricity and passports; he stillwaited that the end time will come soon.