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communities, the aid of persecuted families, establishment of colonies,
and so forth.
The Schalaputi have the distinguished honour of being
branded by the authorities as “a very dangerous sect,” and
have suffered severe persecution. Yet they have many
thriving communities scattered about the empire, and chiefly in
Northern Caucasia, while there are great numbers of adherents
in other places who are prevented from organising themselves
into communities, but practise their principles of “brotherly
love” as individuals.
The followers of the celebrated peasant Suttajeff, whose
tenets so much resemble those of Tolstoi, also lead as far as
possible a communistic life, and other sectaries of different
names are Christian Socialists.
We have already described a meeting of the Molokhani (p. 79).
The literal meaning of this term is “milk eaters,” because
they consume milk in Lent. They are, in fact, an evangelical
sect who reject ecclesiastical authority and ceremonials, and
apply their common sense to religious matters. The
Dukhobortsi, or “Spiritual Fighters,” are another division of
Evangelicals. Like most others, they are firmly opposed to
all militarism and the use of violence, and are of much higher
character than the Orthodox generally. They are at present
suffering great persecution in some parts.
The Stundists, of whom much has been said and written of
late, form one of the most prominent and influential Russian
sects of the present day. The name of this sect, as is well
known to many, is derived from the German word Stunde, an
hour, because it received its principal impetus from German
pietists who had settled in Southern Russia, and were in the
habit of meeting for “an hour” of prayer, singing, reading and
meditation on the Gospel.
A Russian peasant named Ratuschni, who had worked for
these people, became converted at one of their meetings, and
began to preach the “Stunda” among his countrymen, and
quickly gained a large following. This was in 1864. Since
then the denomination has spread very rapidly, especially in
Southern Russia, so that at the present time its adherents may
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