Eastern European Baptist History: New Perspectives, 2007

day after day makes her appearance in the prison-cells, one who bears an honoured and princely name in the Russian metropolis.’ Pashkov himself was a frequent visitor to prisons, and many reportedly deserted their lives of crime and misery due to his word and example." Minister of Justice Count Constantine von der Pahlen [Konstantin fon der Palen] granted Pashkov permission to visit all prisoners in the capital, including political prisoners, a privilege Pashkov lost when Pahlen no longer held the position.” Princess Sophie Lieven recalls her aunt Vera Gagarina speaking to a young political prisoner, who claimed that Nihilist teachings were no different than those of Christ to love your neighbour. Upon hearing this, '' Ada von Krusenstjerna, Plauderstunden mit meinen Freunden (Giessen: Brunnen-Verlag, 1937), pp. 44-47. See also Dalton, “Recent Evangelical Movements in Russia’, pp. 110-111; Mrs Edward Trotter, Lord Radstock: An Interpretation and a Record, 2nd edn (London: Hod- der and Stoughton, 1914), p. 195; Korff, Am Zarenhof, 34-35; Khronika sotsialisticheskogo dvizheniia v Rossii 1878-1887: ofitsial’nyi otchet (Moscow, 1906), pp. 84-85. '2 Dalton, “Recent Evangelical Movements in Russia’, p. 110. '? Emile J. Dillon, “A Russian Religious Reformer’, The Sunday Magazine, no. 4 (April 1902), pp. 333-334. '* Pashkoff Papers, Buswell Library Archives and Special Collections, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, USA, fiche II/1/a, pp. 8-9. 57 the princess asked him if he loved all people. “Yes”, he replied without hesi- tation. “Even that policeman?” she questioned. Receiving an answer in the negative, the princess reportedly explained: “You see, this is the difference. Jesus Christ teaches us to love all people, just as He died for all, even that policeman.”’° On another occasion Pashkov visited in prison a young man who had killed a child to rob him of one hundred roubles for something to eat. The murderer, Petr Smirnov, later shot himself, but the police called a doctor to remove the bullet from his breast. Smirnov nonetheless refused to coop- erate, and the doctor finally called upon Colonel Pashkov, who had a repu- tation for calming difficult prisoners. As the young man lay near death, the colonel read aloud to him Luke 15:4-7, about Jesus searching for the lost sheep. At this the prisoner reportedly became alert: “What? Jesus came to rescue the lost? I am a murderer!” When Pashkov assured him that Jesus had come to save even him, Smirnov broke into tears, and Pashkov knelt beside his bed with the man’s hands in his own. Sentenced to hard labour on Sakhalin Island, the murderer witnessed to those around him, distrib- uting Christian literature and New Testaments, which Pashkov regularly provided. Pashkov maintained his relationship with Smirnov for years to come, writing and sending him literature even after his own banishment abroad."* Such close and long-term relationships of the highe