Colonel V. A. Pashkov and the Late Nineteenth-Century Protestant Movement in Russia, Jan M. Surer, 1999

ion. Having come to believe in the forgiveness of sins, he then "gave himself r otdalsya ]" to God and could say: "I now belong not to myself, but to Him; I live not for myself but for the one who died for me and rose again." From 1878 Pashkov began to hold meetings of his own, and this was the message those who gathered in his large mansion each week heard. Like Radstock, he based his sermons on various Biblical texts, and to some listeners this approach seemed incoherent, while to others, his addresses were "impressive and powerful." 23 According to Pobedonostsev, who visited the meetings, 1,500 people were present on one occasion. 24 Following the pattern of Radstock's meetings, Pashkov convened those assembled with extemporaneous prayer. They sang from a collection of hymns, many of which were 22 This and subsequent quotations in this section are from Pashkov's letter of 9 April 1880 to I. Yanishev and published in Tserkovnyi Vestnik . no. 19, 10 May, 1880. See also Pashkov Papers 4/1, pp. 16f f . 23 This was how one of the daughters of Count von der Pahlen remembered his preaching years later. See S. Lieven, pp. 11-12. According to Heier, Pashkov was distinguished "by his brilliant exposition of Scripture." See Heier, p. 109. 24 W. T. Stead, Truth about Russia . London, 1888, p. 373. 30 translated from English, with the Russian title Lvubimye stikhi ( Favorite Verses ) . There followed a sermon,- preached by Pashkov or perhaps by his fellow-converts Count Korf and Count Bobrinsky. 25 Little detailed information concerning the manner of life of the Pashkovites before their conversion is available, so it is not possible to gauge just how radical was the change in their lives under the influence of these doctrines. Sophie Lieven in her memoir describes Pashkov as "a kind and honorable gentleman by nature." 26 Still, prior to his conversion he does not appear to have engaged as avidly in philanthropy and certainly did not concern himself with the preaching of this gospel. Lord Radstock's message had similarly altered the lives of other aristocrats to the extent that much public attention was focused on their new activities. As Pashkov wrote to Yanishev: I say to all that by our deeds we are not justified before God, but we are justified through faith in Jesus Christ [Rom. 3:26, 28; Gal. 2:16]; but of course, true faith must show itself f ne mozhet ne proyavlyat' sya ) in works. 27 Thus, while remaining a religious movement, the ideal of "living for God" necessarily affected the social sphere. 25 For descriptions of Radstock's and Pashkov's meetings, see Leskov, Schism in High Society , pp. 71-91 and two unattributed articles, one of which seems to be written by a reporter for the Sankt-Petersburg Vedomosti and probably dates from 1880, in an album of press clippings in the Pashkov Papers 4/1, pp. 12-14. 26 S. Lieven, pp. 9-10. 27 See note 22 above. 31 Phil