“The goal of any sect is power and money. Naturally, money increases power, while power brings even more money.” — Alexander Dvorkin
Alexander Dvorkin is the president of the Russian pro-religious association RACIRS — the Internal security service of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). This organization is known for its inquisitorial role in suppressing many peaceful organizations and using the dehumanizing Nazi labels “cult” or “sect” to discredit them. However, unlike its artificially discredited victims, the very network of anticult centers headed by Dvorkin and united under RACIRS fully corresponds to the characteristics of a totalitarian sect with a distinct hierarchy and a charismatic leader — Alexander Dvorkin himself. As Alexander Dvorkin who knows everything about the establishment and management of a totalitarian sect says, the goal of such a destructive organization is power and money.
The infiltration of Alexander Dvorkin’s adherents into government entities, legislative bodies, law enforcement agencies, and the entire repressive punitive apparatus that has emerged in the Russian Federation nowadays, as well as the seizure of actual power in various industries has been repeatedly exposed on this portal, actfiles.org. In addition to power, which is the key goal of RACIRS, we consider it equally important to consider the second crucial feature of this classic totalitarian sect — its pursuit of money.
A look at the financial aspect of RACIRS’ existence will reveal a broader understanding of this entity and shed light on the meaning and goals of this only totalitarian sect that actually exists today. In this article, we explore how an organization, created under the patronage of the ROC (MP) and ostensibly committed to fighting “dangerous sects,” has transformed its mission into a lucrative business — churning out services like a conveyer aimed at eliminating rivals or simply silencing unwanted organizations. Over the decades of its “work,” it has unlawfully seized funds belonging to the state and Russian citizens. At the same time, through its affiliated organizations abroad, it has been robbing citizens of other countries for many years, while systematically undermining democracy and destabilizing populations everywhere. We will especially focus on such a European country as France. Moreover, we will examine the life stories of several victims of Alexander Dvorkin, whose personal tragedies were the result of yet another well-paid assignment carried out by RACIRS at someone else’s request.
Million-ruble grants received by the Center for Religious Studies in the name of Irenaeus of Lyons
RACIRS’ president Alexander Dvorkin is also the president and founder of the Center for Religious Studies in the name of Irenaeus of Lyons — the key anticult center in Russia. In 2011, under the decree of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev “On Ensuring State Support in 2011 for Nonprofit Non-Governmental Organizations Involved in the Development of Civil Society Institutions,” dated March 2, No. 127-rp, six NGOs, including the interregional human rights public organization “Soprotivleniye” (“Resistance”), received 1 billion rubles from the federal budget for holding competitions and allocating grants to other nonprofits for implementation of socially significant projects. As a result, in 2011, the Center for Religious Studies (CRS) in the name of Irenaeus of Lyons (which is the main RACIRS’ center headed by its president A. Dvorkin), received a grant of 2,500,000 rubles.
In the following year 2012, the CRS in the name of Irenaeus of Lyons also received a cash grant of 2,500,000 rubles for the project “Helping People Affected by Totalitarian Sects.” In 2013, the CRS received a grant of 4,500,000 rubles from the Institute of Civil Society Problems. In general, over the past three years, only through the three grants currently known from open sources, the Center for Religious Studies in the name of Irenaeus of Lyons received government support in the amount of 9,500,000 rubles. According to the Center for Economic and Political Reforms (CEPR), the CRS kept receiving grants from 2013 to 2015. Below are confirmations of the above data.
On the list of winners of the 2011 grant competition, the Center for Religious Studies was number 55. The grant amount was 2,500,000. If you wish to personally review a relevant document, please see the List of Winners in the 2011 Grant Award Competition at link 1 at the bottom of this webpage. The list is currently unavailable online, so you have to download it.
On the list of winners of the 2012 grant competition, the Center for Religious Studies was number 45. The grant amount was 2,500,000. Similarly to the previous example, in order to view the document, you need to download it. Please see the List of Winners in the 2012 Grant Award Competition at the bottom of this webpage, link 2.
The webpage containing information about the 2013 grants is currently unavailable, it has presumably been deleted, but it’s available in the web archive 3. The Center for Religious Studies is listed at number 57 among winners of the 2013 grant award competition. The grant amount was 4,500,000.
Regarding grants awarded in 2015, partial information has been preserved in a number of news portals with reference to a report issued by the Center for Economic and Political Reform (CEPR). In this report, CEPR experts analyzed the work of the government and grant operators since 2006 when the President of the Russian Federation started providing financial support for the nonprofit sector in Russia. Today, this report is available in the web archive 4. The report section dedicated to the 2015 grantees pays special attention to the Russian Orthodox Church and organizations affiliated with it, among which we find the Center for Religious Studies in the name of Irenaeus of Lyons.
“One of the main beneficiaries of presidential grants is the Russian Orthodox Church.”
“In addition, grantees include dozens of regional and federal public organizations close to the ROC, such as the Center for Religious Studies…”
In the report conclusions, it is stated that this systematic assistance in the form of grants is provided from year to year to the same organizations and movements, which reveals the mechanism of using presidential grants to fund loyal entities or those directly affiliated with government circles. It is also noted that implementation of projects using those grants is close to zero, merely formal, fragmented, and doesn’t meet the project goals and objectives.
“Selective analysis indicates that implementation of a number of grant-awarded projects is close to zero. Grants for Internet projects are particularly indicative, where implementation looks formal, fragmented, and does not meet the declared goals and objectives.
Thus, the array of projects that have won presidential grants needs a comprehensive, unbiased check for compliance with regulatory requirements, competitive principles, public importance, and true effectiveness.”
Let’s recall the official title of the project thanks to which the CRS in the name of Irenaeus of Lyons received millions of rubles in grants: “Helping People Affected by Totalitarian Sects.” It is noteworthy that the CRS not only fails to report on the process or outcomes of helping victims of sects and cults — assuming such efforts ever existed in its practice at all. Moreover, this activity is not mentioned anywhere on its website — not in articles, news updates, or press releases. Despite receiving multimillion grants and pledging to assist people, in practice, the only visible output is so-called “educational activity,” which amounts to the dissemination of content aimed at dehumanization, slander, propaganda, incitement of interreligious discord, hate speech, and the promotion of an ideology of superiority. At the instigation of Alexander Dvorkin and his adherents, labels like “totalitarian sect” and “destructive cult” can be attached to any organization or individual — and certainly not for free.
Here’s a quote from the official website of the Center for Religious Studies, section “About the Center”5: “The main task of the Center for Religious Studies in the name of Hieromartyr Irenaeus of Lyons… is to disseminate reliable information about the teachings and activities of totalitarian sects and destructive cults.”
There is no mention of assistance to victims of sects and cults either in the above passage or in the entire section “About the Center.” At the same time, on all pages of the CRS website throughout its existence, one thing has always remained unchanged — a request for donating money, just like on all similar anticult websites of other centers of this sort.
Let us add a few more facts to the information about grants. In 2018, an interregional public organization “Center for Religious Studies” applied for another presidential grant 6 with a requested amount of 12.5 million rubles. In its contact data, the applying entity specified the website iriney.ru that belongs to the CRS in the name of Irenaeus of Lyons. The purpose of requested funding is again quite “decent” — “to protect human and civil rights and freedoms from religious fraud, radicalism, and extremism.”
The Center for Religious Studies is a key entity in RACIRS. As indicated on its official website, it is in constant cooperation with similar anticult organizations in Russia and abroad. RACIRS’ leadership include president Alexander Dvorkin and two vice-presidents — archpriest Alexander Novopashin and archpriest Arseny Vilkov. Let’s focus on such an individual as Arseny Vilkov who is the rector of the Ascension Church and chairman of the Missionary Department of Ryazan Diocese, a regional cell of RACIRS 7.
It is noteworthy that on January 31, 2021, a round table was held at the Ascension Church of Ryazan diocese, where RACIRS’ vice-president Arseny Vilkov is the rector. The round table was dedicated to the results of the information and education project “Secrets of Provincial Ryazan.” Notably, the said project was implemented thanks to a grant from the Russian President and provided by the Presidential Grants Foundation 8. Thus, in 2021, members of RACIRS continued to be directly involved in receiving presidential grants. It should be recalled that in addition to the grants allocated for the CRS in the name of Irenaeus of Lyons, the bulk of grants goes to the Russian Orthodox Church as a whole, which amount to tens of millions of rubles every year. Many of ROC priests are members of RACIRS, represent regional dioceses of ROC, and implement numerous local projects beneficial to RACIRS and Alexander Dvorkin. They generally obey Alexander Dvorkin since there is a rigid hierarchy and a total lack of free thinking within RACIRS, as former RACIRS members shared.
Here we can see yet another pattern when the same people who at first glance belong to different centers and organizations are actually members of the same anticult network of RACIRS and are controlled by one man. Such a multitude of diverse units allows RACIRS’ management to simultaneously have access to lots of financial flows through its adherents, while remaining in the shadows.
It should be noted that Alexander Dvorkin, as the boss of priest Arseny Vilkov, visited Ryazan diocese. In particular, he paid a working visit to Ryazan on September 25-28, 2024 9. The essence of such “working” visits will be discussed in more detail below using examples from people’s lives. It’s not surprising that anticult rhetoric prevails on the website of Ryazan diocese, and the news there is dominated by information about the fight against “cultists” and “sectarians” as well as illustrations of cooperation between RACIRS vice-president Arseny Vilkov and his boss — RACIRS president Alexander Dvorkin.
European anticult federation FECRIS and the French government as its major source of funding
FECRIS is a European anticult federation that has included dozens of associations from various countries. FECRIS is registered in France as a nonprofit organization in accordance with the “Law on Associations” of 1901. From 2009 to 2021, Alexander Dvorkin (president RACIRS) was the vice-president of FECRIS, after which he remained on FECRIS’ board of directors. However, even before 2009, along with other Russian anticultists, he was its member and actively participated in its annual workshops, conferences, and meetings of FECRIS members.
The main source of funding for FECRIS is the French government. FECRIS branches located in various countries, including its three French member associations UNADFI, CCMM, and GEMPPI, are also almost entirely funded or have been funded for many years either by the government or by state institutions.
The book “Freedom of Religion or Belief. Anti-Sect Movements and State Neutrality. A Case Study: FECRIS” 10 provides a detailed overview of how FECRIS and its French subsidiaries are funded. The book was published in 2013. Below is an excerpt and funding tables from this book.
“Over the last ten years, FECRIS has been financed almost entirely by the French State, in the form of special funding by the Prime Minister. Its ratio of public funding by the French State compared to its private memberships/donations has averaged 92% since 2001.
FECRIS has three member associations in France, which are also almost entirely funded by the French State or public institutions (tables with the precise figures are provided in the Annex to this article).”
- FECRIS
Since 2001, the share of FECRIS funding provided by the French government has been 92% of the total funding, including membership fees and private donations.
- UNADFI
For at least 17 years, the amounts received by UNADFI from French authorities averaged 96% of the total funding.
- GEMPPI
Over the period from at least 2003 to 2011, the amounts received by GEMPPI from the authorities averaged 94% of the total funding.
- CCMM
During 1999-2011, the amounts received by CCMM from the authorities averaged 98% of the total funding.
When it comes to allocation of French taxpayers’ money, it is also worth mentioning the French anticult organization MIVILUDES which, throughout its existence, has been closely collaborating with FECRIS (where Alexander Dvorkin is the board member). It has also served as a platform for speeches by many Russian anticultists and close interaction with them. Joint conferences, meetings, exchanges of experiences and information, and so on have been conducted with their involvement. Interestingly, members of the aforesaid French anticult organizations and even leaders of several of them at once have sometimes been close relatives or even members of the same families. It’s important to note that the role of MIVILUDES as a French governmental agency is not only to combat “cultic deviations,” but also to operate as a cash dispenser that distributes taxpayers’ money among private anticult organizations.
For many years, Alexander Dvorkin has been playing a key leadership role in the main umbrella anticult organizations — the centers of international anticultism — RACIRS and FECRIS. This has allowed him, through various associations and affiliates, to access diverse funding streams from the budgets of multiple countries for many years. Yet, the international totalitarian sect he established did not stop there. Victims deceived by Dvorkin can be found not only in Russia, but also in Europe and even in the United States. Let’s consider several illustrative examples where a well-paid order from a third party became the reason for unjust persecution and someone’s ruined life at the hands of Dvorkin’s inquisition.
Sectologists on call. Story of Elena Bressem
“Sectologists on Call” is the title of an article detailing several stories from the lives of people who faced discreditation and harassment organized by Alexander Dvorkin and his adherents 11. Here is the first story from the life of Elena Bressem.
“…Elena’s story does not evoke smiles — her ex-husband stole her child and accused her of sectarianism. Here’s what Elena told me: ‘It’s been four years since I left my husband. I left together with our two children: we had a son and a daughter in our marriage. I worked a lot, rented an apartment, and I started earning money – I’m an independent partner at Herbalife. I filed for an official divorce and got a relevant stamp in my passport. By that time I had started a serious relationship with a man from Moscow, and I decided to move in with him from Perm — he proposed to me, and we were going to get married. I’d like to note that before this decision, my ex-husband hadn’t been worried about me or the kids. But as soon as he found out that I had moved to Moscow with my children, moreover to another man, he stole my son from me and accused me of sectarianism. I don’t know why he did that or who put him up to it in the first place — I think he just couldn’t find another reason, while I’d been dealing with Herbalife for about seven years then. He could hardly find any other reason to carp at me: my daughter is an excellent student, I do earn money and have income, everything is fine with me, and I’m even registered as an individual entrepreneur. This means I work for myself, being an independent partner of Herbalife.
However, my ex-husband stole my son from me and hired a lawyer named Korelov who, as far as I know, is Alexander Dvorkin’s attorney. As a result, for the trial where the court was supposed to determine the place of residence of our children, they concocted a whole “scientific” work with blue seals from some Orthodox St. Tikhon University of Humanities, stating that a study had been carried out and confirmed that Herbalife is a totalitarian commercial sect, while I’m its adherent! As evidence, a large number of various works were cited whose author was Dvorkin only. In addition, they presented such “evidence” as materials from certain conferences, also confirming that Herbalife is a sect. Consequently, there were two volumes of case files stating that I’m a sectarian. In addition, Dvorkin appeared in court personally as a witness and said that I belong to a sect. I saw him for the first time in my life then. How could this stranger even know anything about me? But he acted as a witness. There was also another witness, Oshmarin [Evgeny Oshmarin, deputy head of the Missionary Department of Perm Diocese of ROC, local anticultist, official representative of RACIRS in Perm — author’s note]. I’d never seen him before the trial either, but he also claimed I was in a sect.
I became curious about who these people were and started surfing the internet. I discovered that all of them, including Alexander Korelov, are members of RACIRS (Author’s note: RACIRS is the Russian Association of Centers for the Study of Religions and Sects, also known as the Information and Consultation Center in the name of St. Irenaeus of Lyons — an organization that unites regional centers dealing with the issue of totalitarian sects. Head of the association is Alexander Dvorkin). In other words, the entire group testifying against me in court and trying to prove that I’m a cultist are all members of the same organization! I decided to check how they operate, so I called RACIRS and told them that my husband supposedly works for Amway which they also consider a cult (I didn’t mention Herbalife and used another example), and that he recently became fond of yoga. I asked what I should do. They immediately outlined a general scenario: I can hire them, they will come, tell me what to do, fabricate documents, and testify in court as witnesses — all for a certain fee. This confirmed that my case was a well-planned operation funded by my ex-husband. I’m sure he’s paying them well; he even paid this sectologist to arrive. I don’t think Dvorkin would travel from Moscow to Perm for free, and Korelov obviously wouldn’t work for free either.” [You can find the touring cult expert’s “rider” on his official website: Mr. Dvorkin prefers to fly by plan and travel to the airport solely by taxi — author’s note)”
Let us delve on this event and, in confirmation of Elena Bressem’s words, cite materials from the official website of the Center for Religious Studies where there are details of “how to invite Professor A.L. Dvorkin for lectures and talks in your region” 12. It turns out it’s not enough to simply pay for Dvorkin’s declared “professional” services. It is necessary to plan his visit carefully in advance, take into account all the nuances indicated on the website, pay for the trip, ensure transportation — a car or a plane ticket (RACIRS president prefers travelling by plane), and provide a taxi to the airport, taking into account the cost of a taxi, which in Moscow is equal to the cost of a plane ticket. Simply arranging hotel accommodation isn’t enough either: it is necessary to take into account a number of conditions, including those related to Alexander Dvorkin’s health, but also those going beyond his specified health problems, etc. Moreover, considering that Alexander Dvorkin may be accompanied, all of that is multiplied by the number of travelling RACIRS adherents.
Let’s return to the story of Elena Bressem.
“The situation escalated into a surreal nightmare: Elena’s ex-husband along with his lawyer Korelov devised a plan to have her declared mentally incompetent and committed to a psychiatric facility. To push this scheme forward, they submitted to the court what they claimed was an expert assessment, alleging she was mentally unstable.
However, she wasn’t going to give up:
“Understanding that these people would stop at nothing, I sent a request to Moscow, to the Federation of Forensic Examinations, and they informed me that the tests conducted did not match the expert conclusions. I submitted this information to the court, and it accepted it. Apparently, they didn’t expect me to find the strength and resources to verify their so-called ‘expert assessment’… So when I presented my evidence, the court declared their assessment invalid and ordered a new one. My daughter and I underwent the new assessment, but my husband and my son whom he is hiding did not show up for it. That’s because the assessment would have revealed that my son does not want to be with him. I also think my husband wouldn’t have passed the assessment himself because no sane person would do what he’s doing. For example, he recently burned my new car…”
Thus, the anticult lawyer and Bressem’s ex-husband developed a strategy to “subdue” the former wife. When it became clear that the court would not be satisfied with Dvorkin’s “scientific literature,” they switched to “Plan B” and attempted to use forged documents to have the woman committed to a psychiatric institution.
At the end of the conversation, Elena shared an interesting detail: “It is curious that after my ex-husband got involved with RACIRS members, he went ‘deep underground:’ neither his relatives nor friends know his whereabouts. Those who accidentally encountered and spoke to him are convinced that he was brainwashed, moreover, at his own expense. One way or another, through Dvorkin, my ex-husband is trying to ruin my life. I’ve been slandered (I filed a defamation lawsuit), and they are systematically trying to destroy my career. They’ve deprived me of a whole year of life because I spent this year dealing with courts and Dvorkin: going to assessments, meeting with lawyers, collecting documents, and traveling to Perm. I spend so much time on this when I could have been working and contributing to society.”
Elena shared the copies of the materials from her case: expert assessments, court rulings and protocols. It became clear that anticultists have a well-oiled system for “serving the client’s interests.” For instance, Korelov’s attorney inquiry was answered by none other than Dvorkin himself; the “conclusion” on Herbalife was prepared by Dvorkin’s student Alexey Voat, and as supporting evidence, materials from their own sectology conference were attached. A finely coordinated effort, no doubt about it.
It is exceptionally interesting to compare how this situation is described by Dvorkin himself 13:
“This is my third visit to Perm, but this time I’m here on personal business — to take part in a litigation. So, I’m in a work-focused mood. I was invited to testify as an expert. The case involves a woman who fell under the influence of two cults at once, left her husband, and disappeared without a trace, taking their two young children with her. The husband eventually tracked her down with difficulty, only to discover that the cult had already arranged her marriage with another man. Now, he is fighting in court to regain custody of his children.”
![Screenshots from an article on the Orthodox Perm website, available in the web archive [13]](https://actfiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/21-1.jpg)
The next example is the story of Zhanna Tsaregradskaya, another victim of Dvorkin’s totalitarian sect.
Story of Zhanna Tsaregradskaya
“…In 1989, Zhanna Tsaregradskaya founded the Center for Perinatal Education and Breastfeeding Support, ‘Rozhana.’ A few years later, the Center became the most well-known and popular Russian organization in the field of so-called ‘natural motherhood.’ ‘Rozhana,’ originally intended as a nonprofit, also began to generate revenue — and a rather significant one. That’s when the trouble began: in 2006, Tsaregradskaya was accused of running a cult disguised as a perinatal center; in 2008, cultologists rallied behind ‘independent’ opponents of Rozhana; and in 2010, law enforcement took an interest in the Center — so much so that Tsaregradskaya was taken into custody, and her husband ended up behind bars.
At the same time, Zhanna Tsaregradskaya has stated in numerous online publications that everything happening is nothing more than a classic gangster-style takeover of a successful business project. According to Tsaregradskaya, interested parties involved the sectologist to discredit the Center’s work. Moreover, active attacks on Rozhana across the internet also involved Dvorkin — apparently to amplify the effect.”
“Dvorkin, meanwhile, executed the job brilliantly: it turns out the attacks on Rozhana coincided with the market debut of another similar organization, ‘Mother and Child,’ which views ‘Rozhana’ as a competitor. For the record, ‘Mother and Child’ is traded on the London Stock Exchange, and its stock is worth several hundred million(!) dollars. And Dvorkin’s attacks are likely directly connected to the interests of this competing business project. I believe analysts from a serious business outlet like Wall Street Journal couldn’t imagine such an effective method of business warfare even in their wildest dreams! That’s why Zhanna Tsaregradskaya poses a logical, though partly rhetorical, question: ‘What kind of scum one has to be to destroy the nation’s health for personal gain?! Who can answer me?!’”
What we see is a well-oiled, flawlessly executed money-making machine. Traveling around the country, funded by the zombified relatives of those allegedly “trapped in a cult,” or simply by competitors in various sectors, Dvorkin and his followers fabricate false expert reports, testify in court against people they’ve never met before, and manipulate public opinion through articles, lectures, and media appearances. RACIRS, under the leadership of Alexander Dvorkin, has already destroyed the decades-long efforts of many successful and accomplished entrepreneurs and businesspeople, along with the lives of innocent people. For money, they’ve sold not only their honor and conscience, but also the remnants of democracy in Russia. They’ve dismantled the rule of law and the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and trampled on what is most sacred to the Russian people — Dvorkin’s adherents cynically exploit the core values of Orthodox Christianity and spirituality.
Dvorkin’s influence on laws and religious freedom in Russia
Let’s recall that since April 2009, Alexander Dvorkin has been holding the position of chairman of the Expert Council on State Religious Evaluation under the Russian Ministry of Justice. He is also a member of the Expert Group on Improving Legislation in the Field of Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations, part of the Expert Council of the State Duma Committee on Development of Civil Society, Issues of Public Associations and Religious Organizations 14,15 . In other words, beyond money flows, the RACIRS guru has had access to legislative influence for many years. This clearly demonstrates the two main pillars of a totalitarian cult’s existence — money and power.
It is worth noting that the list of members of the Expert Group on Improving Legislation in the Field of Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations includes, in addition to Alexander Dvorkin, another of his acolytes — Larisa Astakhova, listed as number 3. Larisa Astakhova is known for her expert reports on Scientologists. In the past, her scientology-related evaluation was found to include fabricated quotes she invented and falsely attributed to the founder of Scientology. Based on those fabrications, she issued a negative expert opinion. Later, she developed a course titled “Judicial Religious Studies Expertise” and began teaching it to students at Kazan Federal University. But that is already the subject of another article.
RACIRS is, in fact, a shadow organization whose adherents have been embedded in numerous government and security agencies. Its official members, hiding behind anticult activities, propagate extremist ideology, carry out provocations against members of various religious (including ROC MP) and civil organizations, spread hate speech and religious intolerance, manipulate law enforcement, fabricate bogus judicial reports, engage in other courtroom manipulations, produce commissioned articles in their controlled media, and manufacture criminal cases against peaceful organizations and their members — all of this, naturally, not for free.
Forced treatment of “cultists” in Russia, paid for by their relatives
In addition to a number of these criminal schemes, another profitable activity that should be noted is deprogramming. Such attempts at deprogramming and the prior abduction of individuals from organizations labeled as “sects” or “cults” by anticultists at the request of their families are not widely publicized in Russia. However, international experts on religious freedom and human rights advocates have repeatedly pointed out that a process akin to deprogramming is carried out in Russian “rehabs” operated by organizations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church 16 and directly linked to RACIRS (Human Rights Without Frontiers International, Russia Correspondent 2012, 279–80).
This is essentially another form of commission paid by relatives who, influenced and misled by anticult propaganda, pay for the violent and forced abduction of their family members from certain religious or social organizations, followed by their confinement in so-called “rehabs.” In these Russian “rehabs,” priests, psychiatrists, and psychologists affiliated with RACIRS “work” with the detainees. Any objection or resistance from the abducted “cult members” is easily interpreted by anticultists as a symptom of their supposedly altered mental state — evidence that they need to be “rescued” from the “cult” and helped to break free, since they are supposedly incapable of doing so on their own.
Deprogramming in the United States
The process of deprogramming has American roots and was once carried out by the notorious criminal organization CAN. Many experts and researchers trace this group’s origins to Alexander Dvorkin’s time in the United States prior to his return to Russia. CAN’s deprogrammers charged exorbitant fees to the relatives of alleged “cult members” for services that included abduction, forcible detention, and the use of deprogramming techniques. According to some reports, these services ranged in cost from several thousand to tens of thousands of U.S. dollars. Such actions were framed as “exits” from organizations previously labeled as “cults” by anticultists.
Two “veteran” American deprogrammers continue to engage in anticult activities in the U.S. to this day, despite their criminal pasts — Rick Alan Ross and Steven Hassan .
Apparently, deprogramming is a truly profitable field, as Rick Ross found it more fulfilling than his earlier career as a professional jewelry store robber 16. Despite years of manipulation and anticult-related crimes, Rick Ross has published exposing material on his website regarding his former colleague Steven Hassan. What caused a rift between the American anticultists and former associates remains unclear, but the material Ross released about Steven Hassan is worth your attention. Here are some excerpts 17,18 :
From a 2013 article:
“Former cult deprogrammer Steve Hassan has a long history of borrowing upon the ideas of others for his writings without proper attribution and charging exorbitant fees for his services. In recent years his fees have ranged from $2,500.00 to $5,000.00 per day. He also promotes ‘team’ interventions, which consists of former cult members and other professionals assisting him before, during and/or after an intervention effort. The other team members charge additional fees and expenses. All of this means that hiring Mr. Hassan can be a very expensive proposition. Some families have mortgaged their homes and/or raided 401k retirement accounts to pay the bill.
RI has received repeated complaints about Mr. Hassan. Families have said that his approach has failed and/or produced questionable results at great expense.”
From a 2017 article:
“The complaint concerned the fees and questionable conduct of Steve Hassan concerning the counseling he provided to a former cult member. Hassan charged thousands of dollars for his services, draining the former cult member’s savings.
Steven Hassan’s former client said that Hassan’s counseling was worse than his bill. The former client characterized Hassan’s counseling as debilitating and damaging. The former cult member stated, ‘I did feel traumatized both during and after my therapy with [Steve Hassan].’ Hassan’s former client subsequently sought and received professional help to recover from the counseling. The former cult member noted that ‘other professionals in the field’ who were subsequently consulted described Steve Hassan’s counseling ‘as both unprofessional and potentially dangerous’.”
In 2013, Rick Ross published a disclaimer on his website regarding Steve Hassan, which also includes some revealing facts about Hassan’s financial practices 19.
“Steve Hassan does not publicly disclose his fee schedule, but according to complaints he has charged fees varying from $250.00 per hour or $2,500.00 per day to $500.00 per hour or $5,000.00 per day. This does not include Steve Hassan’s expenses, which according to complaints can be quite substantial.
Steve Hassan has charged families tens of thousands of dollars and provided questionable results. One family that recently complained about Steve Hassan cited total fees charged of almost $50,000.00 and said that the very expensive intervention effort ended in failure.”
It’s worth noting that both Rick Ross’s Cult Education Institute website and Steven Hassan’s Freedom of Mind website are listed on the official FECRIS site 20. While their inclusion on the FECRIS website may not indicate official membership, it clearly points to a shared ideology. Moreover, the collaboration between these American anticultists and Alexander Dvorkin, as well as other FECRIS members, including joint appearances at anticult conferences, has been repeatedly exposed on the actfiles.org portal.
Kidnapping people, subjecting them to coercive deprogramming methods involving psychological and physical abuse — often including sexual abuse — and then collecting tens of thousands of dollars for these crimes from the deceived families of their victims: this is the height of cynicism, inhumaneness, and total lack of empathy. These are covert maniacs of an international totalitarian sect. However, their guru, Alexander Dvorkin, has gone even further. Beyond his private business ventures, he has, with the help of his followers, seized actual power in Russia, trampled on people’s freedoms, and dismantled democracy across the entire country. Let’s take a closer look at the activities of the leader of this international totalitarian sect, Alexander Dvorkin, and highlight yet another fact related to his financial manipulations.
Dvorkin’s financial manipulations
According to some reports, during a certain period of RACIRS’ operations, religious organizations in Russia were required to pay dues. If a group wanted to operate freely on Russian territory, it had to pay. Initially, RACIRS charged a one-time payment of $10,000, followed by annual fees of $3,000. The amount was fixed and had nothing to do with the size of the organization 21.
“For example, when a Rodnovery cult applied for registration with the Ministry of Justice, a representative of the organization would receive a phone call within a couple of days and be summoned to a meeting under specific conditions. They’d be asked to pay the required sum in exchange for being allowed to operate comfortably. Otherwise, the organization would be labeled a sect. After handing over the bribe, the religious group would receive ‘protection’ from some serious players. And from then on — $3,000 annually ‘to maintain that protection.’”
“There are enough major religious associations in Russia for the yearly cash flow to reach up to half a million dollars, if each one pays a $10,000 fee.”
It’s clear the cited source is just a copy of an original publication. Unfortunately, the original has since been deleted, along with other evidence of RACIRS’ criminal activity. However, it’s worth noting that this copy was published in early February 2017. Soon after, the situation shifted dramatically. By the end of April 2017, Russia officially banned the Jehovah’s Witnesses, marking the start of a wave of prohibitions and repression against that group and others.
Apparently, RACIRS’ lucrative business model could no longer survive in its existing form due to the need to establish a single titular religion in the country — namely, the ROC MP — and the full-fledged revival of Nazism. However, the business operations of the RACIRS totalitarian sect only grew stronger within the Orthodox Church itself.
Commissions for RACIRS within the ROC
Over the years, the totalitarian sect RACIRS embedded its agents within the ROC, enabling it to destroy the lives of numerous Orthodox clergy and drastically distort the church’s internal ideology. Targets of these smear campaigns were often priests who were respected and loved by parishioners, who had gained recognition among the people, and who sought to follow the teachings of the Bible rather than fanatically align with the political agenda of their church leadership. In plain terms, the growing popularity and success of such priests began to threaten the authority of the patriarchate. The ones commissioning RACIRS to carry out such attacks were often influential bishops within the ROC who, apparently, were eager to advance their own ecclesiastical careers by cozying up to ROC leadership through any means necessary.
Here’s a quote from Orthodox priest Vladimir Golovin, who in 2018 was brutally targeted by RACIRS. Notably, he was widely loved and respected by many ROC parishioners as well as fellow clergy. Thanks to his long-standing connections within the church, Father Vladimir Golovin uncovered certain facts about his persecutor, Alexander Dvorkin.
“And many sincere people in the Church… say this themselves that our dear comrade Dvorkin does more harm to the Church than good. They also consider him some kind of double agent, who wages a war against cults in such a way that it simultaneously tarnishes the image of our Russian Orthodox Church and turns people against it. Of course, it’s a grim picture. But lately, Dvorkin and those with him have launched a new form of business — that’s what I was told. They invent sects, create schisms within Orthodoxy where there are none, aggressively crush and suffocate so-called ‘sectarians’ within the Church — all of which are commissioned. That’s the business, that’s the profit. I was even told about the payments Dvorkin received from Kazan, and the sums involved… Everything happening around Bolgar right now is a very serious commission, a major operation by people with very narrow, self-serving interests.”
— Archpriest Vladimir Golovin 22
Outside observers of the public smear campaign against Father Vladimir Golovin carried out by RACIRS adherents noted that in just a few months, Dvorkin and Novopashin published more so-called “exposing” defaming articles about Golovin than they had written in years about all the so-called non-Orthodox “sects” and “cults” combined. Considering their insatiable thirst for money, it appears the client paid more than generously. Here’s an excerpt from the website of another Russian anticultist, Vitaliy Pitanov, which clearly illustrates the operating principle of anticultists and serves as a teaching guide for others:
“You need to gather compromising materials on sects and spread them! I should point out that this approach can easily be used against anyone — against Orthodox laypeople, priests, and even Church hierarchs. We live in a transparent society, and if desired, compromising material can be found on anyone or simply made up. This method can to some extent help in prevention, in cases where it’s possible to demonstrate that a sect’s teachings encourage or approve of behavior that is, from the perspective of current legislation, criminal.”
— Vitaliy Pitanov 23
Pitanov’s website hosts numerous training materials on organizing anticult operations, including works authored by Alexander Dvorkin. These include “The ABCs of Practical Sectology,” “How to Create an Apologetic Center,” and others.
To conclude, here’s a quote from what could be considered the sacred text for Dvorkin’s adherents, “Sectology: Totalitarian Sects” by their guru, Alexander Dvorkin — which they seem to follow more closely than the Bible or the teaching of Jesus Christ:
“Since all totalitarian sects believe the end justifies the means, they all place their own interests above the law. They all share a ‘double morality’ and ‘double standard.’ If their members believe that the goal they are pursuing is ‘righteous’ and ‘just’ (or more precisely, if their members have been ordered to believe that the goal imposed on them is ‘righteous’ and ‘just’ — A.Dvorkin), they won’t hesitate to lie, steal, deceive, engage in mind control of their fellow members, or ultimately defame officials and public figures who resist them. They can even physically eliminate anyone (or any group) whom they deem undesirable. In fact, we are dealing with mafia-like entities bound by iron discipline and unquestioning obedience to their leadership.”
— Alexander Dvorkin, “Sectology” (“Cult Studies”) 24
We are indeed witnessing the activities of an international mafia-like entity — a totalitarian sect in the form of RACIRS and the anticult organizations under its control, bound by iron discipline and unquestioning obedience to their guru, Alexander Dvorkin.
