---

---

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 21287 • Posted: Monday April 28, 2008  

---

Eleven members of a doomsday sect holed up in a muddy cave since November in expectation of the end of the world are unlikely to emerge Sunday, a regional official said according to news agency Interfax.

“It is as it was before. There have been no signals from the hermits of a possible exit today,” deputy governor of the Penza region Oleg Melnichenko was reported as saying.

Former cave inhabitant Vitaly Nedogon said the remaining sect members underground would emerge April 27, the Orthodox Easter Sunday, Melnichenko said.

But those still holed up have said nothing about coming out Sunday, said Melnichenko, who has been in talks with them.

Led by their bearded guru, Pyotr Kuznetsov, the initial group of 35 entered the cavern in November, saying they would wait for the world to end in May.

Most have gradually emerged, but 11 are believed to still be in the cave located near the village of Nikolskoye in Penza district, some 700 kilometres (435 miles) southeast of Moscow.

They have threatened to blow themselves up with gas canisters if police intervene.

Many of those who have left the cave continue to await the end of the world at Kuznetsov’s wooden cottage in the village.

The sect members adhere to an extremely simple lifestyle, believing among other things that bar codes on food products are a symbol of the devil.

Kuznetsov’s followers come from other parts of Russia and from Belarus, a neighbouring former Soviet republic.

Five Belarussian sect members, who emerged from the cave last month, have returned to Belarus, Interfax reported.

---

What You Can Do From Here

---

Read More Articles On These Topics Categories: Heavenly Jerusalem, True Russian Orthodox Church Tags: doomsday sect, Penza, Russia Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article Subscribe Religion News Blog RSS feed [What is this?] RSS by topic: Heavenly Jerusalem, True Russian Orthodox Church Read Another Article Previous entry: Gainesville ‘therapist’ charged with rape, facing additional charges Next entry: Minority sect’s mosque torched in Java RNB Homepage with latest headlines Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults Find Related Books Heavenly Jerusalem Most Popular Today Juanita Bynum, Thomas Weeks willing to reconcile? Police: Girl died as parents prayed instead of seeking help Christian sex magazine in demand Wacky Cult Leader Beds Naked Virgins, Son’s Wife People who have left sect go to Texas to help Bishop Weeks Still Loves Me, Juanita Bynum Tells Monica Pearson New Mexico Apocalyptic Church Leader Michael Travesser Arrested on Sex Charges Sex cult claims it is living by the law of love Lesbian vampire jailed for sex killing Porn movie on Dutch public tv causes row

---

Share This Article

---

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:

• Post a link on your blog or website:
  
• Send in an email or IM:
  
• Post on a forum:
  

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.