Editing True Russian Orthodox Church

{{Short description|2007–2008 doomsday cult in Russia}}
{{distinguish|Catacomb Church|Russian True Orthodox Church (Lazar Zhurbenko)}}
The '''Penza Recluses''' ({{langx|ru|Пензенские затворники}}, '''True Russian Orthodox Church''', '''TROC'''; {{langx|ru|Настоящая русская православная церковь}}) were an Independent [[Russia]]n [[doomsday cult]] founded by [[Pyotr Kuznetsov]] which borrowed some ideas from [[Eastern Orthodoxy]]. The self-given name of the group was "'''Heavenly Jerusalem'''" ({{langx|ru|Горний Иерусалим}}).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.apologeticsindex.org/672-true-russian-orthodox-church | title=True Russian Orthodox Church / Heavenly Jerusalem| date=2008-03-31}}</ref> The group broke away from the [[Russian Orthodox Church]], considering it "insufficiently" orthodox. Its members were not allowed to eat [[processed food]], watch television nor handle money. They rejected [[bar code]]s, [[Social Security number|social security]] and other [[national identification number]]s, and [[passport]]s as they are said to feature [[satan]]ic imagery and other symbols, such as the "[[Eye of Providence]]" and "the [[Number of the beast|number of the Beast]]".<ref name="Times20080304"/><ref name="Chryssides2012">{{cite book|author=George D. Chryssides|title=Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WA12nHRtmAwC&pg=PA348|year=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-8108-6194-7|pages=348}}</ref>

In November 2007, between 29 and 35 members<ref name="CBC_2008" /><ref name="CNN_2007" /> of the group holed themselves up in a cave in Russia's [[Penza]] region, near the village of Nikolskoye, threatening [[mass suicide]] by explosion if authorities or community members tried to intervene. Kuznetsov had told them to hide themselves away, to pray and await the [[Eschatology|end of the world]], which he predicted would take place in May 2008. Kuznetsov, himself, was not with the group, as he had been placed under police arrest.<ref name="CNN_2007">{{cite news | url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/16/doomsday.cult/index.html | title=Doomsday cult threaten suicide | publisher=CNN | date=2007-11-17}}</ref><ref name="BBC_2007">{{cite news | title=Russia cult members in cave siege | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7098671.stm | work=BBC News | date=2007-11-16}}</ref> Nonetheless, policemen, religious leaders, and various media outlets all camped outside of the cave for nearly six months, in the depths of winter, anxiously waiting to see if any members of the group would eventually give up and leave.

On March 28, 2008, seven women who had been in the cave were treated by emergency workers, regional officials said.<ref>{{cite news | author=Mike Eckel | url=http://mikeoncrime.com/article/7846/7-members-of-doomsday-cult-emerge-from-cave | title=7 members of doomsday cult emerge from cave | publisher=AP | date=2008-03-28}}</ref> Three days later, another 14 members emerged from the cave, after melting snow caused part of the cave’s interior to collapse.<ref name="CBC_2008">{{cite news | title=Doomsday cult members emerge from Russian cave | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/doomsday-cult-members-emerge-from-russian-cave-1.769175 | publisher=CBC News | date=2008-04-01}}</ref>

On April 3, 2008, Kuznetsov was taken to a hospital where "Officials said that he may have attempted suicide after realising his prediction had been wrong."<ref name="Times20080304">{{cite news | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3677129.ece  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727000327/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3677129.ece  | url-status=dead  | archive-date=July 27, 2008  | title=Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday |publisher=[[The Times|The Times Online]] | date=April 3, 2008 | first= Tony| last= Halpin| access-date = 2008-04-24 | location=London}}</ref> In subsequent years, he was in a psychiatric ward, with a diagnosis of paranoia. In 2016, the court again extended the duration of his  treatment, per the request of the chief of the regional psychiatric clinic.<ref>{{cite news |title=В Пензе продолжают лечить лидера "бековских затворников" Петра Кузнецова |url=http://www.penzainform.ru/news/social/2016/09/15/v_penze_prodolzhayut_lechit_lidera_bekovskih_zatvornikov_petra_kuznetcova.html |access-date=22 October 2018 |work=Пензенское информационное агентство |date=15 September 2016}}</ref>

On May 16, 2008, the last nine members of the cult emerged from the cave due to [[Decomposition#Bloat|toxic fumes]] produced by decaying corpses; two fellow cult members had died during their stay in the cave.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/16/2247471.htm  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518005027/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/16/2247471.htm  | url-status=dead  | archive-date=May 18, 2008  | title=Corpse stench drives Russian doomsday cult from cave |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] | date=May 16, 2008 | access-date = 2008-05-16}}</ref> On May 21, after removing the bodies of the deceased, the cave was blown-up. Officially, this was done out of safety concerns, and its potential hazards to the local population and curious visitors.<ref>{{cite news | title=The investigation into the death of two cult members in Penza concluded | work = Interface | date=May 21, 2008 }}</ref> Several cult members would relocate to a [[Deafness|deaf]] village in [[Belarus]].

After their stay in the cave, most of the sect members left Nikolskoye, except for the family of Vitaly Nedogon, with his wife and three children. As of 2012, the Nedogons continued to live without electricity and passports; they still wait and pray to [[God]] that the [[Eschatology|end time]]'s arrival will be imminent.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Медведева |first1=Ольга |title=Пензенские затворники ждут другого Армагеддона |url=https://www.kp.ru/daily/26005.3/2930441/ |access-date=22 October 2018 |work=Комсомольская правда |date=20 December 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [[wikinews:Stench of rotting corpses drives Russian doomsday group from cave|Stench of rotting corpses drives Russian doomsday group from cave]] on [[Wikinews]]

[[Category:Christian new religious movements]]
[[Category:Independent Eastern Orthodox denominations]]
[[Category:Eastern Orthodoxy in Russia]]
[[Category:Apocalyptic groups]]
[[Category:2008 in Russia]]