It’s difficult to imagine a more inaccessible place for photographers. And there really is something to marvel at – a magnificent building, covert rituals, a beautiful atrium, secret electronic equipment and even pink teddy bears. One amateur Moscow correspondent managed to not only get inside this closed organization, but to go out of it with a great photo report.
The Scientology religion was founded by L. Ron Hubbard. This word comes from the Latin “scio” which means “to know” or “to recognize” and the Greek “logos” meaning “a proper cause” or “an inner thought”. Thus, it means “the science of wisdom or knowledge” or “knowing about knowing”. At the same time, Scientology is defined as the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, universes and other life.
In Moscow, there is the large Church of Scientology located on Taganskaya Street. Several missions, small organizations providing initial services of Dianetics and Scientology services and ceremonies.
“Cafe”
The number of Moscow’s followers reaches 150.000, 5.000 of which are active parishioners. Each day the Church is visited by more than 500 of them. The Church staff, administrative staff and priests make up 350 people.
At the moment there are about 12.5 million followers of Scientology all over the world. 9000 organizations and churches are located in 189 countries.
In Russia, there are up to half a million followers of this religion, and about 70 organizations in 50 regions.
“The only wealth is understanding. And this is all Scientology can offer you” - L. Ron Hubbard
Scientology hasn’t been accumulating wealth and property for hundreds of years, as other religions have – it must make its way in this world by its own. Cultural and architectural traditions of Scientology Churches are different depending on countries and their locations. Scientology religious rites are all united and fully described by L. Ron Hubbard in his book “The Scientology religion: its origins, ceremonies, sermons and services”.
“Responsible for freelancers”.
“Services for the public”.
“Hiring of personnel”.
“Cashier”
The Church of Scientology, just like any other churches, take donations from its parishioners in order to maintain the vitality of the Church, finance its large-scale social reform programs and help people who otherwise would never know about Scientology.
In some churches a system of ecclesiastical tithes is practiced, while others require their members to pay for the rent of a pew, or for religious ceremonies and services. As for the Church of Scientology, parishioners here make donations for auditing (assisting a person with regaining his lost abilities) and studying of whatever they wish sections of religious philosophy. These contributions are the main source of funding of the Church and constitute the financial basis of all its activities, both religious and those which aim to improve society. Scientologists are not required to pay a tithe or make some other contributions.
“The head of the authenticity department”
If we take into account the costs of at least one hour of auditing that requires specialists with a high level of training, and the costs of the maintenance of the premises of the Church, the need for donations is becoming quite clear.
“An organizing scheme of the evening organization”
Needless to say that no donations are expected from people who come to church not for spiritual advice or studying the sections of the religious scriptures, but for taking part in some other services such as listening to tapes of lectures by L. Ron Hubbard, reading the Scientology Church materials in the library, meeting with other parishioners or getting advice from the chaplain, as well as for those who come to Sunday services, sermons, weddings, baptisms and funeral services.
In addition to the system of donations, the Scientology churches have so-called free Scientology centers, where those who are not able to make a donation can receive free auditing.
The number of donations is different for different people depending on what way they selected. The first way is to make a donation for auditing and, being audited, to reach the state of “Clear” (“Clear” is the word meaning a particular state which is achieved through auditing, or a person who reached this state. The “Clear” is a creature that no longer has its own reactive mind and therefore does not suffer from the painful effects that can be caused by his reactive mind).
However, the way that is preferred by most Scientologists (the second one) is training for auditors and auditing with other Scientologists. This way requires much smaller donations, and at the same time allow you to help another person reach spiritual perfection.
Regardless of the chosen way, all who have reached the state of “Clear”, speak about how invaluable is that spiritual freedom which they have achieved.
An E-meter (short for the Hubbard Electrometer) is the electric device that is used to guide a “Preclear” in auditing. It can be used only by a Scientology priest or a person undergoing training for a Scientology priest. The E-meter helps the “Preclear” find the area of spiritual suffering and quietly examine it.
The E-meter defines the mental state of a person and improves the clarity and speed of auditing. It is not suitable and not effective for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases.
“Specifications of the highest level”
“Stairs”
“Library”
L. Ron Hubbard left a great legacy – many finished works on Dianetics and Scientology which contain a large body of knowledge and provide practical solutions to many questions on various aspects of life and existence.
However, L. Ron Hubbard asks not to take everything on trust and encourages to observe, think and make decisions based on the principle of maximum benefit for people.
The distribution of leaflets is one of the ways to help other people. Scientologists do it because, they themselves received great help and now want others to have the same success. Besides, it’s quite natural that a man wants to help his family, group, mankind and simply all living beings.
“See the thought”
“Brilliants of wisdom at a reduced price”
“Don’t disturb”
Location: the Church of Scientology, Moscow
via ottenki-serogo
scary quasi-military cult. Should be watched at all times.
Sounds like somebody has already been brainwashed!
These are some really sick people. This isn’t a church, it’s a SCAM!
That “e-meter” is nothing more than a “lie detector”, and they find out stuff about you, then they use that information against you!.
Oh the horror stories I have read about! I’ve know people getting into this.
I mean, there is nothing right about these people. Nothing!
scientology? Thank you but no thanx!
i was hoping to see tom cruise jumping on a couch…
I’m not surprised. What are they doing with a picture of a Russian Orthodox Church on their walls?
Well, this is the nicer side of this little religion. Before joining you’d best do your research on lawsuits, harassments of ex-members and such. Just as bad or worse than Jehovas witnesses.
Utter propaganda.
Everybody knows that you have to pay thousands of dollars (rubels in this case) to get those trainings, and that when you want to leave the church, it’s mere impossible. (Because of stalking, intimidation, etc).
In Germany Scientology is considered a sect, which it is!
This is propaganda for scientology! Contrarily to what is said, this organization is extremely wealthy, and targets principally wealthy people. And you have to buy expensive materials to be member! Devilish!
I tried reading “Dianetics” many years ago. I chucked the book out before reading even fifty pages, it was so boring. But compared to Islam, Scientology is pretty harmless.
Organized crime.
Just wait until they find themselves locked into a 100,000,000 year contract to keep Tom Cruise’s lawn nice and trimmed.
Thanks for labeling the stairs. Never would have guessed that one.
Man maybe i should make up a religion like that scifi writer did with Scientology then i can surely bank alot of money.
Mooism. Hey can I get onto the ground floor?
SYmbol? Hmmm.. how about a cow, or a cow bell?
Milk would be important, we could use it for wine, the blood of our object of adoration.
So how much did Scientology pay you for this Advertisment? Are you Scientologist?
This reads more like an advertisement for the company than a text written from a neutral perspective.
$cientology is the cult of greed. I can’t believe how intelligent people can become ensnared in this “religion”. L. Ron Hubbard himself said “If you want to make money, start your own religion.” And so he did. Ludicrous.
No thank you. I’ll buy my wisdom from a university, and gain experience from my own life.
I see any and all religions as: 1. Social clubs 2. Refuges for lazy people (someone “up” there has all the answers -all we have to do is believe) 3. Capitalist exploitive enterprises (making money and not properly compensating the workers i.e. givers) 4. Tools of governments to keep the masses docile/peaceful/ignorant 5. All of the above
ACtually, Marxism and religion are very similar. They present themselves in a different form. But the people who adhere to these monolithic beliefs, be it a faith or an extreme political party, possess many similar traits:
1. An unserving belief in their own righteousness
2. A complete rejection of anything that competes or disavows their beliefs.
Both the Church, and Marxism, share one thing:
“give me a person from 6 to 16 and I will give you
a. a Catholic, b. a Marxist, c. a Jew, for life.
Spotless palace. No place for a beatnik like myself. They’d lock the door if they saw me shuffling up to the front door.
“See the thought?” No, I see no thought in these sheep.
Nothing more than a cult of mentally ill loonies.
In several countries this cult has been banned and outlawed, as it should be in all countries, as should be ALL “religion” everywhere. Religion is bogus, all religion is a sham and a scam, it’s all fairy tales and lies made to trick and deceive the simple minded.
There is no god. There never was, there never will be.
The closest thing to a god that has ever existed is MONEY. All men worship money as their god. How sad and disgusting. But these kooks, are dangerous kooks. Many people have died when crossing the path of these criminals.
The science of the religion!
That “church” is full of masonic symbols like pyramids etc..
I am very sad for Russia that this corporate cult has infested there as well. So sad that people cannot see through this thinly veiled grab for money in the name of “religion”.
Horrible, horrible brain washing/numbing nonsense.
Sad to see this nonsense spreading in Russia.
I always wondered how they lure in all the dumb people. But with this shiny fancy building it’s no wonder at all…
This blog post is a massive fail. It reads like a advertisment written by Scientology. Scientology ist not a religion, it is a massive fraud.
A. Bunka here. I just want to say I agree with just about all of you about this bogus institution invented by that leech L. Ron. Hubbard.
However, if we sought out to outlaw every bogus institution in the world there would be precious few left.
Let’s talk Catholicism: Many people don’t care for it. That doesn’t change the fact that if it weren’t for the Monks of yesteryear, nearly all knowledge of the ancient world would be lost. Why? Because the monks sat in their monasterie’s for a thousand years copying ancient texts non-stop. These guys were the one’s who kept the lamp lite in the dark ages. In the Vatican library, there are texts thousands of years old, and if it wasn’t for the continuity of this institution, it would have all been lost in the dark ages. To me personally, this justifies it’s existance.
Many people see the need to grab hold of something. You see it in these pages: Russians lamenting the loss of “their” thing: the USSR.
Marxism, is in many ways, is based on, and mirrors religion:
a. Their symbol? the hammer and sickle.
b. Their god? Marx.
c. His son? Lenin.
d. Lenin’s Judas? Stalin.
Christ was good. But his followers betrayed him, denied him, and turned their back on his principals. Sound familar? How about Lenin and Stalin?
Plus the fact both Marxism and religion, are dedicated to utterly stamping out all opposition, particularly, each other. What did the marxists do when they seized power in Russia? THEY BLEW UP THE CHURCHES AND IMPRISONED OR SHOT THE PRIESTS.
The marxists couldn’t tolerate the competition. Napoleon called Moscow, “a city of churches”. In such a devout country, the new religion did it’s best to destroy the old. Who won? You tell me?
Hey John, thanks for the story. I,ve never been to Clearwater but there are many stories like this on the internet. The CS’s managed to get “tax=exempt status in the USA by blackmailing the director. They infiltrated it by sending their followers there and getting jobs, broke into his office and stole all the ammunition they needed.
Russians, always a superstitious lot, will eat this stuff up like it was ice cream. The ‘pay for knowledge’ aspect of Scientology won’t alarm them because many Russians believe that if something is expensive it MUST be good… because if it wasn’t it wouldn’t cost so much.
Yeah, because the rest of the world doesn’t have any wacky cults/religions…
Was about to make a comment on how horrible Co$ is.
Think Xenu beat me to it.
There is an organized hate-propaganda agains Scientology on the internet, but the truth is that scientologists are the most beautiful and nice people I have ever met! Scientology saves lives and it’s actually a great group. Rtry to read some of their books and see for yourself. It’s not a mystery why the greatest group on Earth were and still are attacked by few powerful criminal groups and their programmed status-quo. SCN is clearly hated by Big-Pharma and attacked by the media that this industry “own’ by its huge advertisement of drugs. but sheep can’t see that somehow.
Marxism as formulated by Marx and Engels was a scientific philosophy which allows for experimentation and modification (unlike religion). Just my interpretation… I know Marx was a stubborn old guy but there were times when he even bent a little. He even acknowledged that in a letter to Russian Marxists in 1881 when he said Russia might be able to “skip” the classic capitalist phase and go directly into a revolutionary socialist state. Which is pretty much what happened…
Everything you ever wanted to know about scientology but was afraid to ask:
http://www.xenu.net/
I am very dissapointed English russia would endorse such a destructive and parasitic cult.
i bet someone will be severly punished in there when they will find out this , apparently, unauthorized photo “leak” lol
WOW!
In Russia???
Didn’t see that coming…
Where is the whole big money HOLLYWOOD-STATUS influence that makes the headlines over here?
Spit that poison out quick!
This is a very sad day for Russia, this organization has ruined Americans and it will ruin Russians. Russian people, beware of organizations from America bearing “pyramids” “eye” “sun” in their logos, they are not there to help you. They are there to manipulate, just as they have done in America.
Drive them from Russia before it is too late.
http://www.xenu.net/
Great article! Good to see the expansion of Scientology and the Russians again able to address their spirituality.
People of Moscow… RUN AWAY SCREAMING when you see Scientologists coming your way. These are people peddling quack medical treatments and pseudo-science, and they hurt people, attempt to silence critics, and exploit the people who work for them.
In Soviet Russia, You get rid of Scientology! For real!
it takes anywhere from $500,000-1,000,000 US to reach the highest level of OT 8(operating thetan) which is where ‘the truth’ is finally revealed…these ‘churches’ bring in some serious $$$ at the expense of peoples sanity and wealth