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that he had done it to awaken the people from their godless
slumber and to protest against the power of Antichrist. Under
the fearful punishment to which he was sentenced he did not
utter a murmur.
Let us see the special characteristics of some of these sects.
First the “Wanderers” and “Fugitives.” Their roots lie deep
in Russian history. Long before the institution of serfdom, in
the twelfth century, the semisavage free men betook themselves
in large numbers to the forest depths and distant steppes to
escape the newly-establislied Muscovite despotism. In later
times they fled from slavery under the tyrannous landlords.
At the present day they seek in flight refuge from oppressive
taxation, forced military service, official rigour, police
persecution, and other nameless miseries. Small wonder, then, that
they are the most numerous of all the sects, and enjoy the
reputation among the police of being the “most dangerous.”
But it was only a little more than thirty years ago that they
assumed the characteristics of a “sect,” properly speaking. A
certain Sovva took refuge from persecution in the village of
Marosova, government Oloujetsk, and for a long time secretly
taught the people that they should flee from the wickedness of
the world and the tyranny of the officials into the forests, and
gained many adherents. The authorities sought to arrest him,
but he received timely warning and escaped to Archangel.
The leader of the sect at the present day is said to be one
Nikanov, who numbers many persons of repute among his
adherents.
There are two divisions of this sect: the skritniki, who
carefully conceal both themselves and their tenets, and the
pristano djershdjeteli, or those posted near the steamboat
stations on the Volga and other rivers, whose houses have
secret doors, subterranean passages, &c. Their business is to
receive and conceal wandering brothers, who mostly make
their appearance by night. All who belong to this sect must
destroy their passports and all documents that could give any
information about any one. Such are held to be Satan’s
instruments. A new baptism is also necessary, and is
performed as follows: A square enclosure is made by means of
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