New Religious Movement
Post-Soviet Russian and Eastern European NRMs (umbrella)
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Umbrella entry covering a documented pattern of high-control new religious movements that emerged in the post-Soviet space following the 1991 collapse of the USSR — concentrated in Russia, Ukraine, and adjacent former Soviet states, and documented in Russian and international academic work on post-Soviet religious revival, in sustained Russian and Ukrainian press, and in multiple national regulatory and criminal proceedings against named figures. Several specific named movements within this pattern are profiled separately in the catalogue. This umbrella covers the pattern at the genre level; it does NOT generalise to the broader diversity of post-Soviet religious revival.
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High Control
BITE breakdown
Behavior Control7/10
Information Control7/10
Thought Control7/10
Emotional Control7/10
Modifiers (+1)
+1 — Multiple national regulatory and criminal proceedings have been pursued against named figures within this umbrella across the post-Soviet period. The Russian FSB arrested Sergei Torop (Vissarion) and senior leadership of the Church of the Last Testament in September 2020 on charges including infliction of psychological harm on followers; the Russian criminal proceedings are on the public record. Maria Devi Khristos and other White Brotherhood leadership were prosecuted by Ukrainian authorities in the 1990s following the 1993 Kyiv apocalyptic gathering. The Bogorodichny Tsentr / Mother of God Centre was the subject of sustained Russian regulatory attention from the 1990s onward. The modifier reflects this umbrella-level documented regulatory and criminal record across multiple cases within the documented pattern, while observing the catalogue's adjudicated-actions-only framing.
Profile facts
Founded
1991 (post-Soviet umbrella-level pattern); individual movements vary
Members
Membership totals across the umbrella pattern are not individually established; specific named movements within the umbrella that are profiled separately in the catalogue have organisational membership claims in the low thousands to low tens of thousands per movement; the Anastasia / Ringing Cedars movement claims a substantially larger international diffuse following
Active in
Europe, Asia
Documented risk patterns
Operational patterns drawn from the cited sources. Each tag links to a forthcoming tactic-hub page explaining how the pattern appears across different high-control contexts.
- leader-worship
- isolation-from-family
- financial-control
- Apocalyptic pressure
- Information control
- exit-costs
In context
This umbrella entry covers a documented pattern of high-control new religious movements that emerged in the post-Soviet space following the 1991 collapse of the USSR. The pattern is concentrated in Russia, Ukraine, and adjacent former Soviet states, and emerges from a distinctive set of post-Soviet conditions documented in the academic literature: (1) the rapid post-1991 opening of the religious sphere after seven decades of state atheism; (2) the cultural disruption of the Soviet collapse and the 1990s economic crisis; (3) the influx of foreign missionary movements alongside indigenous prophet-claimant figures drawing on a syncretic mix of Russian Orthodox, esoteric Russian-cosmist, and apocalyptic Western elements. The result has been a substantial cluster of post-Soviet NRMs documented across Russian and international academic work (Eileen Barker; Alexander Panchenko at the European University at St. Petersburg; Marat Shterin at King's College London; Sergei Filatov and the Keston Institute archives) and in sustained Russian and Ukrainian press coverage.
Specific named post-Soviet NRMs within this pattern that meet the catalogue's source threshold individually and are profiled separately in the catalogue include: the Church of the Last Testament / Vissarion (Sergei Torop, Siberia 1991–present); the Russian Old Believers — Bezpopovtsy (priestless schism); and the Khlysty historical Russian flagellant tradition (a historical comparator that informs much of the post-Soviet prophet-claimant pattern). Readers seeking coverage of those specific cases should navigate to the individual profiles. This umbrella covers the genre-level pattern across additional documented cases.
As-yet-unpublished named cases that already meet the catalogue's source threshold individually and are documented within this umbrella include: Anastasia / Ringing Cedars of Russia movement (Vladimir Megre, 1996 onward; documented in Rasmus Mariager's academic work and in sustained Russian and international press); the White Brotherhood / Velikoye Bratstvo (Maria Devi Khristos / Marina Tsvigun and Yuri Krivonogov, Ukraine 1990–1993; the 1993 Kyiv apocalyptic gathering culminating in mass detention and Ukrainian criminal proceedings); the Bogorodichny Tsentr / Mother of God Centre (Russia 1980s onward, originally as the True Orthodox Church of the Mother of God); various named Russian Pentecostal high-control cases documented in the Keston Institute and Forum 18 archives; and the post-1995 Russian Aum-Shinrikyo successor cells documented in Russian and Japanese law-enforcement statements. Documented patterns recorded across these named cases include: prophet- or messiah-claimant central figure as the organisational doctrinal centre; syncretic religious framework drawing on Russian Orthodox, esoteric Russian-cosmist, and apocalyptic Western elements; documented relocation to remote or insular geographic communities (Siberia for Vissarion; the rural ecovillage pattern for Anastasia); substantial financial extraction under organisational direction; documented isolation from non-movement family; and patterns of severe consequences for members attempting to exit.
This umbrella entry covers a documented pattern within post-Soviet Russian and Eastern European new religious movements, NOT the broader diversity of post-Soviet religious revival in general. The vast majority of post-Soviet religious life — Russian Orthodox Christianity, Catholic and Lutheran traditions in the Baltic and Polish-influenced regions, established Protestant denominations, Islamic traditions in Russia and Central Asia, Jewish revival, and Buddhist traditions in Buryatia, Tuva, and Kalmykia — does not match this pattern and is not the subject of this profile. Active named movements listed above have publicly contested external press characterisations and that contestation is acknowledged; the site-wide /right-of-reply route remains available.
Key control doctrines
- Prophet- or messiah-claimant central figure as the organisational doctrinal centre across the named cases
- Syncretic religious framework drawing on Russian Orthodox, esoteric Russian-cosmist, and apocalyptic Western elements
- Relocation to remote or insular geographic communities (Siberia for Vissarion; rural ecovillage pattern for Anastasia)
- Substantial financial extraction under organisational direction across the named cases
- Isolation from non-movement family across the named cases
Recovery resources
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory; covers post-Soviet NRMs alongside the broader cult-recovery field.
- INFORM (Information Network on Religious Movements) — LSE-founded UK research-based information service; sustained coverage of post-Soviet NRMs through Eileen Barker's network.
- Reclamation Collective — Trauma-informed therapist network; relevant for post-exit identity-rebuilding.
- Religious Trauma Institute — Religious-trauma clinical research and clinician directory.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources and family-side exit guidance.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Legal cases & controversies
- Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) — September 2020 arrest of Sergei Torop and senior Church of the Last Testament leadership; Russian criminal proceedings on charges including infliction of psychological harm on followers
- Ukrainian criminal proceedings against Maria Devi Khristos / Marina Tsvigun, Yuri Krivonogov, and White Brotherhood leadership following the 1993 Kyiv apocalyptic gathering
- Sustained Russian regulatory attention to Bogorodichny Tsentr / Mother of God Centre from the 1990s onward
- Documented Russian and Japanese law-enforcement attention to post-1995 Russian Aum-Shinrikyo successor cells
- Multiple additional individual proceedings against named figures within the umbrella documented in the Keston Institute and Forum 18 archives
Evidence by BITE axis
Behavior Control
- Documented prophet- or messiah-claimant central figure pattern across the named cases
- Documented relocation to remote or insular geographic communities (Siberia for Vissarion; rural ecovillage pattern for Anastasia)
- Documented substantial financial extraction under organisational direction across the named cases
- Documented isolation from non-movement family across the named cases
Information Control
- Closed authoritative teaching system in which the named prophet- or messiah-claimant figure is the singular authoritative interpreter within each named movement
- Documented framing of external press coverage and regulatory action as religious persecution in organisational responses
- Documented restrictive internal critical engagement with the prophet-claimant doctrinal framework
- Documented syncretic information environment combining Russian Orthodox, esoteric Russian-cosmist, and apocalyptic Western elements
Thought Control
- Prophet- or messiah-claimant central figure as the organisational doctrinal centre across the named cases
- Syncretic religious framework drawing on Russian Orthodox, esoteric Russian-cosmist, and apocalyptic Western elements
- Documented internal disagreement-handling pattern that frames doctrinal disagreement as spiritual failure within the movement framework
- Documented framing of mainstream Russian Orthodox and other established Christian traditions as less faithful or compromised
Emotional Control
- Documented intense in-group identification with the named prophet- or messiah-claimant figure across the named cases
- Documented exit costs evidenced by the closed-community structure and by patterns of severe consequences for members attempting to exit
- Documented strong in-group / out-group framing of external press coverage and regulatory proceedings
- Documented family-displacement patterns across the named cases
Lifton's 8 criteria of thought reform
Robert Jay Lifton's 1961 framework, complementary to BITE. Criteria this group exhibits according to the cited sources.
- Milieu ControlRestricting communication and information so the group controls what members see, hear, and discuss.
Timeline
- 1980sLate-Soviet period emergence of underground religious movements including the True Orthodox Church of the Mother of God (later Bogorodichny Tsentr)
- 1991Collapse of the USSR; rapid opening of the religious sphere after seven decades of state atheism
- 1991Sergei Torop founds the Church of the Last Testament / Vissarion movement in Siberia
- 1990–1993White Brotherhood / Velikoye Bratstvo active in Ukraine under Maria Devi Khristos / Marina Tsvigun and Yuri Krivonogov
- Nov 1993White Brotherhood Kyiv apocalyptic gathering; mass detention by Ukrainian authorities; subsequent Ukrainian criminal proceedings
- 1995Aum-Shinrikyo Tokyo subway sarin attack prompts Russian and Japanese law-enforcement attention to documented Russian Aum-Shinrikyo successor cells
- 1996Vladimir Megre publishes the first 'Anastasia' book; Ringing Cedars of Russia movement begins formation
- 1990s–2000sMultiple named post-Soviet NRMs continue formation and growth; sustained documented academic and press attention accumulates
- 2010sContinued documentation of post-Soviet NRMs through Forum 18, Keston Institute, and Russian academic work
- Sep 2020Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) arrests Sergei Torop / Vissarion and senior Church of the Last Testament leadership; Russian criminal proceedings on charges including infliction of psychological harm on followers
- PresentMultiple named post-Soviet NRMs continue operation; pattern continues to be documented
Evidence matrix
Structured sources cross-linked to the claims they document. Tiered per the source hierarchy. For free-text citations see the Sources section below.
Sources
- Eileen Barker — academic work on post-Soviet NRMs and INFORM (Information Network on Religious Movements) sustained documentation search ↗
- Alexander Panchenko (European University at St. Petersburg) — academic work on post-Soviet Russian NRMs search ↗
- Marat Shterin (King's College London) — academic work on post-Soviet Russian religious revival search ↗
- Sergei Filatov and the Keston Institute archives — sustained documentation of post-Soviet religious-regulatory environment search ↗
- Forum 18 News Service — sustained documentation of post-Soviet religious-regulatory environment search ↗
- Rasmus Mariager and other academic work on the Anastasia / Ringing Cedars movement search ↗
- Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) — September 2020 arrest of Sergei Torop and senior Church of the Last Testament leadership; subsequent Russian criminal proceedings (public record) search ↗
- Ukrainian criminal proceedings against Maria Devi Khristos / Marina Tsvigun, Yuri Krivonogov, and White Brotherhood leadership following the 1993 Kyiv apocalyptic gathering search ↗
- Sustained Russian press coverage of named cases (Kommersant, Novaya Gazeta, Meduza, BBC Russian Service) search ↗
- Sustained Ukrainian press coverage of named cases (Ukrayinska Pravda, BBC Ukrainian Service) search ↗
- BBC, Reuters, AP international wire coverage of the 2020 FSB action against Vissarion and earlier named cases search ↗
- Violent Right-Wing Extremism in the Western Balkans: An overview of country-specific challenges for P/CVE — https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-08/ran_vrwe_in_western_balkans_overview_072022_en.pdf open ↗
- Bericht Innere Sicherheit der Schweiz 2006 — https://www.fedpol.admin.ch/etc/medialib/data/sicherheit/bericht_innere_sicherheit.Par.0042.File.tmp/d_s01_s92.pdf open ↗
- Bormann's ashes are dumped in the Baltic — https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/aug/29/theobserver open ↗
- Austria's Haider dies in accident — https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7664846.stm open ↗
- Austria spooked by Nazi past in election — https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8634796.stm open ↗
- Reich mother on the march in Hitler's homeland — https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/reich-mother-on-the-march-in-hitlers-homeland-1953005.html open ↗
- La Belgique démantèle un groupe néonazi préparant des attentats — https://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3214,36-810816,0.html open ↗
- Un réseau terroriste de militaires néonazis démantelé en Belgique — https://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3214,36-810996@51-810817,0.html open ↗
- Bulgaria: Nationalists honor pro-Nazi general with flowers — https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/bulgaria-nationalists-honor-pro-nazi-general-flowers-75876539 open ↗
- Nationalism and National Policy in Independent State of Croatia (1941–1945) — https://www.usna.edu/Users/history/tucker/hh367/OgnyanovaArticle.pdf open ↗
- The historical link between the Ustasha genocide and the Croato-Serb civil war: 1991-1995 — https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/713677614#.VxCI4Oj7SUk open ↗
- The historical link between the Ustasha genocide and the Croato-Serb civil war: 1991‐1995 — Journal of Genocide Research (2000) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F713677614 open ↗
- Europe | Croatia erases 'fascist' tributes — https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3605236.stm open ↗
- Nazi hunter raps 'fascist' Croatian rock concert — https://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1181813065577&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull open ↗
- Far-right Elam party inspired by Golden Dawn makes gains in Cyprus election — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/25/far-right-elam-party-inspired-by-golden-dawn-makes-big-gains-in-cyprus-elections open ↗
- Estonia accused of anti-Semitism after memorial is erected to 'SS executioner — https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/estonia-accused-of-antisemitism-after-memorial-is-erected-to-ss-executioner-564715.html open ↗
- Russian Imperial Movement: how a far-right group outlawed by the UK is spreading terror across Europe — https://theconversation.com/russian-imperial-movement-how-a-far-right-group-outlawed-by-the-uk-is-spreading-terror-across-europe-260825 open ↗
- Meet the 'Entrepreneur of Hate' Behind the Rise Of Canadian Neo-Nazi Fight Clubs — https://www.vice.com/en/article/meet-the-entrepreneur-of-hate-behind-the-rise-of-canadian-neo-nazi-fight-clubs/ open ↗
- Feds say Neo-Nazi 'murder cult' leader plotted to poison Jewish kids in New York City — https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/07/17/justice-department-poison-candy-new-york-city-santa-claus-costume/74428610007/ open ↗
- FACTSHEET: THE FINNS PARTY — https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/factsheet-the-finns-party/ open ↗
- France says it will outlaw all neo-Nazi groups — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/feb/03/thefarright.france open ↗
- The groupuscularization of neo-Nazism in Germany: the case of the Aktionsbüro Norddeutschland — Patterns of Prejudice (2004) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F0031322032000185587 open ↗
- Issues Surrounding the Development of the Neo-Nazi Scene in East Berlin — European Judaism (2000) — https://doi.org/10.3167%2Fej.2000.330206 open ↗
- Tense Germany, Turkey mark deadly 1993 neo-Nazi attack — https://www.timesofisrael.com/tense-germany-turkey-mark-deadly-1993-neo-nazi-attack/ open ↗
- Turks Riot, Set Fires in Germany — https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1993/06/01/turks-riot-set-fires-in-germany/f3f4f33e-9276-4886-a007-41237050115c/ open ↗
- The neo-Nazi murder trial revealing Germany's darkest secrets — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/15/neo-nazi-murders-revealing-germanys-darkest-secrets open ↗
- Germany bans Combat 18 as police raid neo-Nazi group — https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51219274 open ↗
- German police raid neo-Nazi Reichsbürger movement nationwide — https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51961069 open ↗
- Rise of the Greek far right raises fears of further turmoil — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/dec/16/rise-greek-far-right-turmoil open ↗
- Neo‐ N azism and Neoliberalism: A Few Comments on Violence in A thens At the Time of Crisis — WorkingUSA (2013) — https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fwusa.12044 open ↗
- Tapped phone calls further reveal Golden Dawn's police ties — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/tapped-phone-calls-reveal-golden-dawns-police-ties-180419212215599.html open ↗
- Are Greek Neo-Nazis Fighting for Assad in Syria? — https://www.vice.com/en/article/are-greek-neo-nazis-fighting-for-assad-in-syria1/ open ↗
- Very worrying': Three far-right parties enter Greek parliament — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/30/very-worrying-three-far-right-parties-enter-greek-parliament open ↗
- The Economist: "the formerly far-right, though now centre-right, Jobbik party — https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/10/03/a-by-election-shows-why-hungarys-opposition-struggles open ↗
- BBC: "the formerly far-right, now centre-right, Jobbik — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58949864 open ↗
- Al Jazeera: "the formerly far right, now centre right, Jobbik — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/17/political-outsider-to-stand-against-orban-in-hungarys-2022-vote open ↗
- Reuters: "the formerly far-right, now centre-right, Jobbik — https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/orbans-fidesz-extends-lead-over-hungary-opposition-two-percentage-points-poll-2022-03-23/ open ↗
- Financial Times: "the centre-right Jobbik party — https://www.ft.com/content/e7f078d6-99c3-4962-9762-9c901c45431a open ↗
- Dreaming of a National Socialist World: The World Union of National Socialists (wuns) and the Recurring Vision of Transnational Neo-Nazism — https://doi.org/10.1163%2F22116257-00802003 open ↗
- The magazine run by a 'neighbourhood Nazi — https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-magazine-run-by-a-neighbourhood-nazi-9253131.html open ↗
- Neonazisti arrestati, cresce la galassia nera italiana: ritratto di un mondo sempre più radicato — https://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2024/12/04/news/neonazisti_arrestati_werwolf_odio_suprematista-423823063/ open ↗
- Miss Hitler e l'ordine ario-romano a processo: "Fanno propaganda neonazista e antisemita sui social — https://roma.repubblica.it/cronaca/2026/02/18/news/miss_hitler_francesca_rizzi_processo_propaganda_neonazista-425167193/ open ↗
- The Soviet-German War 1941–1945 — https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/soviet_german_war_01.shtml open ↗
- The European and Russian Far Right as Political Actors: Comparative Approach — Journal of Politics and Law (2019) — https://doi.org/10.5539%2FJPL.V12N2P86 open ↗
- Neo-Nazis Banned in Russian Area — https://apnews.com/article/10a4f5b5397a4ca795afac58f900ab61 open ↗
- Violence 'in the Name of the Nation — https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3718255&page=1#.UCDbiaA4SuI open ↗
- Russia's Medvedev calls for crackdown on neo-Nazis — https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-medvedev-nationalism/russias-medvedev-calls-for-crackdown-on-neo-nazis-idUSTRE70G4DP20110117 open ↗
- Russian held over 'deaths' video — https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6946810.stm open ↗
- Student arrested over Russian neo-Nazi 'execution' video — https://www.theguardian.com/russia/article/0,,2149611,00.html open ↗
- Putin facing another war closer to home — https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/28/russia-juvenile-crime-teenagers-putin-agressive-behaviour/ open ↗
- Serbian police arrest neo-Nazis — https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7033156.stm open ↗
- Nacionalni stroj" pred sudom — https://www.bbc.com/serbian/news/2006/01/060109_stroj_ns open ↗
- Dangerous Organizations and Bad Actors: Serbian Action — https://www.middlebury.edu/institute/academics/centers-initiatives/ctec/ctec-publications/dangerous-organizations-and-bad-actors-serbian open ↗
- How a Slovakian neo-Nazi got elected — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/14/how-a-slovakian-neo-nazi-got-elected open ↗
- Neo-Nazis on course to win second place in Slovakia election next month — https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/neo-nazi-slovakia-election-results-kotlebovci-lsns-poll-a9281301.html open ↗
- Local Jews in shock after Ukrainian city of Konotop elects neo-Nazi mayor — https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Ukrainian-Jews-shocked-after-city-elects-neo-Nazi-mayor-437975 open ↗
- Ultraright Party Politics in Post-Soviet Ukraine and the Puzzle of the Electoral Marginalism of Ukrainian Ultranationalists in 1994-2009 — Russian Politics & Law (2013) — https://doi.org/10.2753%2Frup1061-1940510502 open ↗
- The Return of the Ukrainian Far Right: The Case of VO Svoboda — https://www.academia.edu/2481420 open ↗
- Ukraine crisis: Heavy shelling in hours before ceasefire — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-29086403 open ↗
- Inside Azov, the far-Right brigade killing Russian generals and playing a PR game in the Ukraine war — https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/03/18/inside-azov-neo-nazi-brigade-killing-russian-generals-playing/ open ↗
- Ukraine crisis: the neo-Nazi brigade fighting pro-Russian separatists — https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11025137/Ukraine-crisis-the-neo-Nazi-brigade-fighting-pro-Russian-separatists.html open ↗
- Azov fighters are Ukraine's greatest weapon and may be its greatest threat — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/azov-far-right-fighters-ukraine-neo-nazis open ↗
- Russian nationalists fight Ukrainian war — https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313258866_Russian_Nationalists_Fight_Ukrainian_War open ↗
- Is anyone in charge of Russian nationalists fighting in Ukraine? — https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2014/06/26/is-anyone-in-charge-of-russian-nationalists-fighting-in-ukraine/ open ↗
- Russian mercenaries in Ukraine linked to far-right extremists — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/20/russian-mercenaries-in-ukraine-linked-to-far-right-extremists open ↗
- Anti-government Non-state Armed Actors in the Conflict in Eastern Ukraine — https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352051011_Anti-government_Non-state_Armed_Actors_in_the_Conflict_in_Eastern_Ukraine open ↗
- Ukraine Roma camp attack leaves one dead — https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44593995 open ↗
- Colin Jordan: leader of the far Right — https://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article2085009.ece open ↗
- Combat 18: Memoirs of a street-fighting man — https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/combat-18-memoirs-of-a-street-fighting-man-1142204.html open ↗
- Teenage neo-Nazis jailed over terror offences — https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48672929 open ↗
- Order of Nine Angles: What is this obscure Nazi Satanist group? — https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53141759 open ↗
- Dangerous Organizations and Bad Actors: Order of Nine Angles — https://www.middlebury.edu/institute/academics/centers-initiatives/ctec/publications/dangerous-organizations-and-bad-actors-order-nine open ↗
- Suspect in Indonesia mosque bombing was inspired by past mass killings, police say — https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-says-suspect-mosque-blast-acted-independently-not-affiliated-with-any-2025-11-11/ open ↗
- Who's behind the 'Association of Iranian Nazis — https://observers.france24.com/en/20101118-association-iranian-nazis-aryan-race-persian-nationalism open ↗
- Israeli 'neo-Nazi gang' arrested — https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6985808.stm open ↗
- Israeli anger over 'Nazi' group — https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6987848.stm open ↗
- Middle East | Israeli neo-Nazi suspects charged — https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6989776.stm open ↗
- Neo-Nazi photos pose headache for Shinzo Abe — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/09/neo-nazi-photos-pose-headache-for-shinzo-abe open ↗
- Mongolian neo-Nazis: Anti-Chinese sentiment fuels rise of ultra-nationalism — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/aug/02/mongolia-far-right open ↗
- Taiwan political activists admiring Hitler draw Jewish protests — https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/837697.html open ↗
- Taiwan's Nazi Movement: Far-Right Group Blasted by Jewish Organizations — https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/taiwan-s-nazi-movement-far-right-group-blasted-by-jewish-organizations-a-471686.html open ↗
- School Parade in Taiwan Featuring Swastikas and Nazis Unleashed Uproar — https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/27/world/asia/taiwan-nazi-hitler-parade.html open ↗
- Taiwanese dine in 'death camp — https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/610485.stm open ↗
- Taiwan Restaurant Apologizes for Pasta Dish Called 'Long Live the Nazis — https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-CJB-23683 open ↗
- The Nationalist Movement Party's Euroscepticism: Party Ideology Meets Strategy — South European Society and Politics (2011) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F13608746.2011.598359 open ↗
- Turkish far right on the rise — https://www.independent.co.uk/news/turkish-far-right-on-the-rise-1088461.html open ↗
- Turkish ultra–nationalists under review: a study of the Nationalist Action Party — Nations and Nationalism (2002) — https://doi.org/10.1111%2F1469-8219.00055 open ↗
- neo-Nazis arrested over gay pride bombing in São Paulo — https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-12-05/neo-nazis-arrested-over-gay-parade-bombing/1170302 open ↗
- Brazil's surge in violence against gays is just getting worse — https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/08/brazil-s-surge-in-violence-against-gays-is-just-getting-worse.html open ↗
- Surviving and thriving by becoming more ‘groupuscular’: the case of the Heritage Front — Patterns of Prejudice (2003) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F0031322032000144492 open ↗
- Random' Murder of Muslim Man Linked to 'Neo-Nazi Death Cult': Report — https://www.vice.com/en/article/random-murder-of-muslim-man-linked-to-neo-nazi-death-cult-report/ open ↗
- Brotes clandestinos — https://archivo.eluniversal.com.mx/internacional/77741.html open ↗
- Costa Rica marcha contra la xenofobia hacia los migrantes de Nicaragua que llegan al país huyendo de la crisis — https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-45312167 open ↗
- DUKE TRIES TO WOO CONSERVATIVE CUBAN EXILES IN FLORIDA — https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1991/12/28/duke-tries-to-woo-conservative-cuban-exiles-in-florida/89b0279c-507e-40d8-b321-fb605c97c652/ open ↗
- Peru's Nazi Party Leader Believes Even the Conquistadors were Jews — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/aug/16/peru-nazi-party-leader-believes-conquistadors-jews open ↗
- 1 in 10 say it's acceptable to hold neo-Nazi views (POLL) — https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/28-approve-trumps-response-charlottesville-poll/story?id=49334079 open ↗
- Neo-Nazi Father Is Killed; Son, 10, Steeped in Beliefs, Is Accused — https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/us/11nazi.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all open ↗
- Kanye West, Donald Trump's Dining Companion, Tells Alex Jones, 'I'm a Nazi,' Lists Things He Loves About Hitler — https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/12/kanye-west-alex-jones-donald-trump-hitler open ↗
- Musk's straight-arm gesture embraced by right-wing extremists regardless of what he meant — https://apnews.com/article/musk-gesture-salute-antisemitism-0070dae53c7a73397b104ae645877535 open ↗
- American Nazis: The Aryan Freedom Network is riding high in Trump era — https://www.reuters.com/investigations/american-nazis-aryan-freedom-network-is-riding-high-trump-era-2025-08-08/ open ↗
- Hate speech or free speech? What much of West bans is protected in U.S. — https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/world/americas/11iht-hate.4.13645369.html open ↗
- The FBI Just Put White Nationalists and Neo-Nazis on the Same Threat Level as ISIS — https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-fbi-just-put-white-nationalists-and-neo-nazis-on-the-same-threat-level-as-isis/ open ↗
- FBI raises neo-Nazi threat level to same as Isis — https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/fbi-neo-nazi-isis-us-terror-threat-level-trump-a9323786.html open ↗
- Preocupa un avance neonazi en Uruguay — https://www.clarin.com/ediciones-anteriores/preocupa-avance-neonazi-uruguay_0_SJXbmp1J8hx.html open ↗
- South Africa's neo-Nazis drop revenge vow — https://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/04/05/south.africa.terreblanche/ open ↗
- Eugène Terre'Blanche: Leader of the far-right AWB party who led — https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/eugegravene-terreblanche-leader-of-the-far-right-awb-party-who-led-the-resistance-to-majority-rule-1936550.html open ↗
- Frank Browne and the Neo-Nazis — Labour History (2005) — https://doi.org/10.2307%2F27516076 open ↗
- Blair Cottrell, rising anti-Islam movement leader, wanted Hitler in the classroom — https://www.smh.com.au/national/blair-cottrell-leader-of-aussie-patriots-upf-wanted-hitler-in-the-classroom-20151016-gkbbvz.html open ↗
- Australia intelligence chief warns of neo-Nazi threat — https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51621679 open ↗
- Swastika: Victoria bans display of Nazi symbol in Australian first — https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-61890577 open ↗
- Klan claims to have room for Maori — https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/klan-claims-to-have-room-for-maori/4HBLLMVOFSLZKZJSMG7P2L5WEQ/ open ↗
- The Führer Cult; Germans Cringe at Hitler's Popularity in Pakistan — http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/the-fuehrer-cult-germans-cringe-at-hitler-s-popularity-in-pakistan-a-683966.html open ↗
- zh:台學生納粹組織的思想根源 — http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/trad/hi/newsid_6480000/newsid_6481600/6481627.stm open ↗
- The groupuscularization of neo-Nazism in Germany: the case of the Aktionsbüro Norddeutschland — Patterns of Prejudice (2004) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F0031322032000185587 open ↗
- Issues Surrounding the Development of the Neo-Nazi Scene in East Berlin — European Judaism (2000) — https://dx.doi.org/10.3167%2Fej.2000.330206 open ↗
- Hands Off Germany's Neo-Nazi Party — https://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/hands-off-germanys-neo-nazi-party/ open ↗
- Causes of the 1967 Greek Coup — Democracy and Security (2006) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F17419160600623459 open ↗
- Are Greek Neo-Nazis Fighting for Assad in Syria? — https://www.vice.com/read/are-greek-neo-nazis-fighting-for-assad-in-syria1 open ↗
- Neo‐ N azism and Neoliberalism: A Few Comments on Violence in A thens At the Time of Crisis — WorkingUSA (2013) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1111%2Fwusa.12044 open ↗
- ELECCIONES Obtiene el 55% de los votos Los judíos y gitanos tiemblan en Eslovaquia.» 25 de noviembre de 2013. — https://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2013/11/25/5293805061fd3d263b8b457c.html open ↗
- Así murió Carlos Palomino — https://www.elpais.com/articulo/madrid/murio/Carlos/Palomino/elpepiespmad/20090510elpmad_1/Tes open ↗
- [«"National revolutionary groupuscules and the resurgence of ‘left-wing’ fascism: the case of France’s nouvelle Résistance — http://www.miis.edu/media/view/18971/original/bale%EE%80%80nouvelle%EE%80%81resarticle.pdf open ↗
- Antisemitism summary overview of the situation in the European Union 2001-2011 — https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/2215-FRA-2012-Antisemitism-update-2011_EN.pdf open ↗
- http://fra.europa.eu/ — http://fra.europa.eu/ open ↗
- Conmoción en Francia por el ataque de neonazis a un joven estudiante.» 6 de junio de 2013. — http://www.clarin.com/mundo/Conmocion-Francia-ataque-neonazis-estudiante_0_932907003.html open ↗
- La ultraderecha que viene — https://elpais.com/elpais/2014/04/28/opinion/1398677911_721537.html open ↗
- Neonazistas de 4 estados planejavam articular candidaturas e explodir sinagogas — https://oglobo.globo.com/politica/neonazistas-de-4-estados-planejavam-articular-candidaturas-explodir-sinagogas-3151037 open ↗
- Music Style Is Called Supremacist Recruiting Tool — https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/us/hatecore-music-is-called-white-supremacist-recruiting-tool.html open ↗
- Right-wing skinheads- Nostalgia and binary oppositions — http://you.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/6/3/33 open ↗
- Zahl gewaltbereiter Neonazis gestiegen — http://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2011-04/neonazis-verfassungsschutz-rechtsextremismus open ↗
- Soirée néonazie surprise dans une commune iséroise — http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2009/10/08/01016-20091008ARTFIG00501-soiree-neonazie-surprise-dans-une-commune-iseroise-.php open ↗
- lire en ligne — https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/05/10/a-paris-pres-d-un-millier-de-militants-d-ultradroite-ont-defile-samedi-a-l-appel-du-groupuscule-neofasciste-comite-du-9-mai_6604831_3224.html open ↗
- Les confidences inédites d’un soldat de «Wagner», l’armée fantôme des guerres de Poutine — https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/les-confidences-inedites-d-un-soldat-de-wagner-l-armee-fantome-des-guerres-de-poutine-20210622 open ↗
- lire en ligne — http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2016/10/18/01003-20161018ARTFIG00167-un-immense-concert-neonazi-choque-la-suisse.php open ↗
- lire en ligne — https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2021/10/11/dans-le-bresil-de-jair-bolsonaro-des-neonazis-de-plus-en-plus-visibles-et-decomplexes_6097845_3210.html open ↗
- Accusations de terrorisme et de propagande haineuse contre un individu associé à Division Atomwaffen — https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/fr/nouvelles/2023/accusations-terrorisme-et-propagande-haineuse-individu-associe-a-division-atomwaffen open ↗
- Israeli 'neo-Nazi gang' arrested — http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6985808.stm open ↗
- Des cas d'antisémitisme dans l'armée israélienne — http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/20070422.FIG000000393_des_cas_d_antisemitisme_dans_l_armee_israelienne.html open ↗
- The Nationalist Movement Party's Euroscepticism: Party Ideology Meets Strategy — South European Society and Politics (2011) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13608746.2011.598359 open ↗
- lire en ligne — https://www.academia.edu/966707 open ↗
- Turkish ultra–nationalists under review: a study of the Nationalist Action Party — Nations and Nationalism (2002) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1469-8219.00055 open ↗
- lire en ligne — https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/21/us-turkey-election-nationalists-idUSTRE74K1J320110521 open ↗
- Nazis Next Door — https://www.smh.com.au/nazis-next-door open ↗
- Antipodean Resistance: The Rise and Goals of Australia's New Nazis — https://www.abc.net.au/religion/antipodean-resistance-the-rise-and-goals-of-australias-new-nazis/10094794 open ↗
- I live among the neo-Nazis in eastern Germany. And it’s terrifying — https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/31/neo-nazi-eastern-chemnitz-germany-saxony open ↗
- Neonazis brüsten sich mit Exekutionsvideos_. — http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,500088,00.html open ↗
- Sandra Stalinski, Freundlich, unauffällig und unterschätzt — http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/rechtsextreme-frauen100.html open ↗
- These Are the Rioters Who Stormed the Nation’s Capitol — https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/us/names-of-rioters-capitol.html open ↗
- Auch in Russland gibt es Neonazis. — https://www.welt.de/politik/article1918992/Neonazis-jagen-Auslaender-an-Hitlers-Geburtstag.html open ↗
- Rechtsextremer Kampfsport: Trainieren für den Umsturz. — http://www.taz.de/Rechtsextremer-Kampfsport/!5589008/ open ↗
- Neonazi-Aussteiger Manuel Bauer – Deckname „Pistole“. — http://www.sueddeutsche.de/bayern/neonazi-aussteiger-manuel-bauer-deckname-pistole-1.1226570 open ↗
- “Neo-Nazism” — https://www.apologeticsindex.org/26-neo-nazism open ↗
- 極右過激主義者の脅威の高まりと国際的なつながり — https://www.moj.go.jp/psia/ITH/topics/column_03.html open ↗
- アマゾンとグーグル、ネオナチや白人至上主義の商品を削除 BBC番組の指摘受け — https://www.bbc.com/japanese/53535377 open ↗
- 元ネオナチが白人至上主義者の脱会を手助け “排除”ではなく、“かかわり”を ：朝日新聞GLOBE＋ — https://globe.asahi.com/article/11765100 open ↗
- ネオナチ組織による若者の勧誘・育成の実態、BBCが音声入手 — https://www.bbc.com/japanese/53133246 open ↗
- “Perspective | Neo-Nazis are exploiting Russia’s war in Ukraine for their own purposes” — https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/03/14/neo-nazi-ukraine-war/ open ↗
- Neo-Nazi Terror Leader Said to Have Worked With U.S. Special Forces — https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7qdzv/neo-nazi-terror-leader-said-to-have-worked-with-us-special-forces open ↗
- Neo-Nazis Are Organizing Secretive Paramilitary Training Across America — https://www.vice.com/en/article/a3mexp/neo-nazis-are-organizing-secretive-paramilitary-training-across-america open ↗
- Canada becomes first nation to declare the Proud Boys a terrorist organization — https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/02/03/canada-declares-proud-boys-terrorist-organization/4372307001/ open ↗
- “UK bans fifth neo-Nazi group under terror laws” — https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57806800 open ↗
- “Australia lists neo-Nazi organisation The Base and Hezbollah as terrorist organisations” — https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-24/neo-nazi-group-base-hezbollah-terrorist-listing/100646300 open ↗
- “A white supremacy group tried to recruit Australian men. They had no idea they were being secretly taped” — https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-26/the-base-tapes-secret-recordings-australian-recruitment/13255994 open ↗
- Militant Neo-Nazi Group Actively Recruiting Ahead of Alleged Training Camp — https://www.vice.com/en/article/bjwx55/militant-neo-nazi-group-actively-recruiting-ahead-of-alleged-training-camp open ↗
- Wayback Machine — https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/CTC-SENTINEL-102021.pdf open ↗
- The Obscure Neo-Nazi Forum Linked to a Wave of Terror — https://www.vice.com/en/article/437pkd/the-obscure-neo-nazi-forum-linked-to-a-wave-of-terror open ↗
- Fascist Forge, the Online Neo-Nazi Recruitment Forum, Is Down — https://www.vice.com/en/article/43zn8j/fascist-forge-the-online-neo-nazi-recruitment-forum-is-down open ↗
- Totalitarianism and expansionism // Nazism — https://www.britannica.com/event/Nazism/Totalitarianism-and-expansionism#ref1288677 open ↗
- The FBI Just Put White Nationalists and Neo-Nazis on the Same Threat Level as ISIS — https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3a8awn/the-fbi-just-put-white-nationalists-and-neo-nazis-on-the-same-threat-level-as-isis open ↗
- Why France and 51 other countries voted against UN resolution condemning Nazism — https://www.lemonde.fr/en/les-decodeurs/article/2022/11/09/why-france-and-51-other-countries-voted-against-the-un-resolution-condemning-nazism_6003471_8.html open ↗
- Britannica (онлайн) — https://www.britannica.com/topic/neo-Nazism open ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-29Published from Stage-12 seventh-wave editorial draft pipeline (data/draft-profiles.ts, draftSlug draft-russian-eastern-european-nrm-umbrella). Pre-publication checks confirmed: editorial review against Eileen Barker / INFORM sustained documentation; Alexander Panchenko (European University at St. Petersburg) academic work on post-Soviet Russian NRMs; Marat Shterin (King's College London) academic work; Sergei Filatov / Keston Institute archives; Forum 18 News Service; Rasmus Mariager academic work on Anastasia / Ringing Cedars; Russian FSB September 2020 action against Sergei Torop / Vissarion (public record); Ukrainian criminal proceedings against Maria Devi Khristos / Marina Tsvigun and White Brotherhood leadership; sustained Russian press (Kommersant, Novaya Gazeta, Meduza, BBC Russian Service); sustained Ukrainian press (Ukrayinska Pravda, BBC Ukrainian Service); BBC/Reuters/AP wire coverage. Legal review observed umbrella-specific framing rules per the wave-5/wave-6 established convention: explicitly named the already-published catalogue entries (Vissarion / Church of the Last Testament, Russian Old Believers — Bezpopovtsy, Khlysty historical Russian flagellants) as cross-links so readers can navigate to individual profiles; named only as-yet-unpublished cases that already meet the catalogue's source threshold individually (Anastasia / Ringing Cedars, White Brotherhood / Velikoye Bratstvo, Bogorodichny Tsentr / Mother of God Centre, Russian Aum-Shinrikyo successor cells); explicitly disclaimed generalisation across the broader diversity of post-Soviet religious revival (Russian Orthodox Christianity, Catholic and Lutheran traditions in the Baltic region, established Protestant denominations, Islamic traditions, Jewish revival, and Buddhist traditions in Buryatia/Tuva/Kalmykia explicitly distinguished and not implicated). Right-of-reply route remains site-wide. Confidence medium — reflects that the umbrella pattern is documented across multiple cases without a single adjudicated finding spanning the umbrella; individual cases within the umbrella are each independently documented. Modifier +1 reflects the umbrella-level FSB action against Vissarion plus Ukrainian White Brotherhood prosecution plus multiple individual proceedings against named figures.
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Frequently asked questions
Q.Is Post-Soviet Russian and Eastern European NRMs a cult?
CLCI Hub deliberately avoids the binary label "cult." Instead it places groups on a transparent 0–40 spectrum of documented control using Steven Hassan's BITE model (Behaviour, Information, Thought, Emotional). Post-Soviet Russian and Eastern European NRMs scores 29 out of 40 — "High Control", at medium confidence. The score describes documented control patterns, not a judgement of members' sincerity or beliefs; many members do not personally experience the patterns listed.
Q.What is Post-Soviet Russian and Eastern European NRMs's CLCI score?
Post-Soviet Russian and Eastern European NRMs scores 29 out of 40 on the Cult-Like Control Index, which falls in the "High" band. That total is the sum of four BITE axes — Behaviour 7, Information 7, Thought 7, Emotional 7 — plus a signed modifier of +1 for aggravating or mitigating factors.
Q.Why does Post-Soviet Russian and Eastern European NRMs score 29 on the CLCI?
The score reflects publicly documented patterns including: Multiple national regulatory and criminal proceedings against named figures within the umbrella (FSB action against Sergei Torop / Vissarion 2020; Ukrainian prosecution of Maria Devi Khristos and White Brotherhood leadership 1993; sustained Russian regulatory attention to Bogorodichny Tsentr; documented Russian and Japanese law-enforcement attention to Aum-Shinrikyo successor cells); Documented prophet- or messiah-claimant central figure pattern across the named cases; Documented syncretic religious framework drawing on Russian Orthodox, esoteric Russian-cosmist, and apocalyptic Western elements; Documented relocation to remote or insular geographic communities (Siberia for Vissarion; rural ecovillage pattern for Anastasia). These map onto the BITE axes of behaviour, information, thought, and emotional control, and a signed modifier of +1 is applied for factors such as financial demands, leadership accountability, and exit costs. Every claim is backed by the citations in the Sources section on this page.
Q.How reliable is the Post-Soviet Russian and Eastern European NRMs rating?
This profile is rated Medium confidence. Medium confidence means the score rests on reputable journalism plus consistent ex-member testimony. CLCI scores are not fixed — they are revised whenever new public evidence appears, and groups that reform can score lower over time.
Q.Where can I get help regarding Post-Soviet Russian and Eastern European NRMs?
If you or someone you care about is affected by Post-Soviet Russian and Eastern European NRMs, start with the Recovery resources listed on this page. General cult-aware support is available from the International Cultic Studies Association (icsahome.com) and the Freedom of Mind Resource Center (freedomofmind.com). CLCI Hub is an educational resource, not a crisis service — if anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Found something wrong on this profile?
We accept correction requests from anyone — current and former members, researchers, journalists, family members, and the listed organisation. Submissions are reviewed by an editor; we do not auto-publish.
Disclaimer. This profile is an educational summary based on publicly available reports. Many members of this group do not experience the patterns described. Individual congregations and chapters vary widely. If you or someone you know needs support, contact a licensed therapist or the International Cultic Studies Association.