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

ion from Pobedonostsev's 1882 memorandum to the Minister of the Interior: "As early as 1880 I was told that Mr. Pashkov and his agents persuaded the working people in the foundry to throw away their crucifixes, backing their persuasions by presents and help in need." 59 V. G. Chertkov, "V. A. Pashkov (Nekrolog)," Svobodnoe slovo (March 1902), no. 3, p. 23. 40 with means to manifest his solicitude and love ... and to help with the advancement of his kingdom; that is what the word teaches us, our sole guide here below. If there are brothers in Petersburg who are truly in need, it is our duty ... to come to their aid. It is empty piety, not love, if, seeing a brother in need, we shut our heart to him. 60 A different message The Pashkovites supplemented their philanthropy with efforts to "enlighten" the people, as well. Pashkov constructed schools on his estates for the peasant children, but it was his publishing endeavors which contributed greatly to the spread of his teaching. By considering some of these publications, we can gain a sense of the models and ideals the Pashkovites hoped to instil in their followers. Pashkov helped to found the Society for the Encouragement of Spiritual and Ethical Reading in 1876, which published numerous tracts, Bibles, and song books for free or inexpensive distribution until it was closed by the government in 1884. 61 Judging by their titles, in many of these the Gospel message was paramount: What is a Christian? . The Life of Jesus Christ According to Holy Scripture . Come to Jesus Christ . He Loves Me . Joyful News . Christ is All and in All . Heaven and Hell , and Today or Never . 62 60 PP 2/1/C/47. 61 Heier, p. 118. Heier gives the number copies of these published items as "several million." 62 A Novoe Vremya article, September 25 (old style), 1884, lists these and additional titles to be withdrawn from circulation by the Holy Synod. See also Pashkov Papers 4/1, p. 43; Heier, pp. 119-20; Skvortsov, pp. 75-81. 41 A tract in Pashkov's archive (although not necessarily- published by his own society) provides a jnore detailed example of the message they sought to spread among people of all classes. "You are now not your own, for you have been bought for a high price. And what a price!" Because of Christ's death and resurrection, the reader should "give to God your entire being, give yourself utterly to Him, for Him to refine you and to make you able to serve Him f otdai Bocru vse sushchestvo tvoe, vsetselo dai Emu ochistit' tebya i sodelat' sposobnym na sluzhenie Emu l . " 63 In addition to the Bible as an obvious source of practical instruction, John Bunyan's Puritan classic. Pilgrim's Progress , was a particular favorite of the Pashkovites. Yuliya Zasetskaya had translated into Russian this allegory of the Christian's pilgrimage through trials and temptations. The work was among those confiscated from Pashkov's printing society by the H