Officials Invite Russian Neo-Pagans To Belarus

Vice-PM promised support to the representatives of the new religious movement.

The Russian Independent Newspaper published an article about this today.

Those who wish to build an “ancestral estate” can now count on the state’s help, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Rusy said on July 7. “The movement caused great resonance. We are preparing a report to the head of the state,” – BelTA quotes the Vice-PM. – There are many young people there, interesting by their profession and generally, they want to live in ecologically pure places in families.”

This could be the first case of the governmental support to the new religious movements in Belarus.

The concept of "ancestral estates" was developed by the Russian businessman Vladimir Megre in his books, and today his ideas are considered in the context of Russian neo-paganism. The prospects of living in harmony with the surrounding world and the "space of love" in self-sufficient settlements consisting of such "estates" attracted many followers to Megre's ideas. The website of the movement "The Chiming Cedars of Russia", the so-called Anastasians, reports 368 settlements located only in the Russian Federation.

In Belarus, according to the information provided by Rusy, over 570 people reckon themselves as owners of such “estates”. In his opinion, the existing normative-legal base which allows to obtain 15 ares for household purposes, does not let them realize their potential: “If you want to build some enterprise to grow ecologically clean products, this is not enough. That is why we are meeting with them, preparing a report to the head of the state, in order to define the form of functioning, the size of these populated areas, and provide them legal base.”

Belagroprombank will probably help in building and acquiring the necessary equipment.

According to Rusy, Valozhyn and Vitsebsk regions appeared the most atractive for those who wish to get an “ancestral estate”. However, the Belarusian adherents of Megre can be found not only there. “There are settlements there, not just one, they are all alive and active. The residents have long claimed they were getting help from the state,” – researcher at the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography Yulia Andreeva told the Russian Independent Newspaper’s correspondent. She considers attention to "ancestral estates" part of the overall program of support for agriculture: "I do not think this is support for the religious trend. As a rule, no one cares about the ideological foundations of the "ancestral estates". This situation exists in the Belgorod region, where the law on "ancestral estates" was adopted at the regional level - the land is given out for free, the governor came to the conference of the "Chiming Cedars", but did not mention any esotericism. He is interested in this project only as a revival of the village."

Not only the Belarusian authorities are not interested in the ideological foundations of the movement. So, the VII Festival of the creators of "ancestral estates" called the "Day of the Earth" ended on July 16 this year in the Zvenigovo region of the Republic of Mari El. It was held with the support of the administration of the Ismenitsky rural settlement. During the existence of the movement, it has achieved some success in building its own economy and production chains. The “Anastasians” are frequent guests at festivals of neo-pagans, like the annual Moscow "Heritage of the Ancestors." Thus, on the economic front, the authorities are eagerly cooperating with the new religious movement, both in Russia and in Belarus.