Citing the capital's M24 news, "The Moscow Times" said Moscow city legislature plans to release a booklet warning Muscovites against unorthodox religious "cults" operating in Russia, and providing instructions on how to report such organizations to the authorities , trying to raise awareness for the cults.
About 80 organizations were identified as cults in Russia.Those range from domestic movements to transplants from international groups, including the Unification Church, or Moonies, Russia's "God Kuzya" movement, whose leader has been detained on swindling charges, and the Grigory Grabovsky group — whose founder proclaimed himself the second coming of Christ and offered to resuscitate the dead, but was sentenced to prison for swindling.
"God Kuzya" leader Andrei Popov
Renat Laishev,of the Moscow Duma committee for public movements and religious groups said in comments with M24 news that many people are searching for spiritual calmness now, while charlatans, such as the 'God Kuzya' and his likes, are exploiting that.
The booklets will instruct readers on how to recognize a cult, stressing that "cults do not necessarily take a traditional form, many of them are posing as lectures, personal development courses, or even yoga classes," and will provide instructions on "where to turn to, if a citizen discovers a cult".
