Many Molokans Near Beslan

From: david bogdanoff <dboglink@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Molokans near Beslan
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004
 
..... Thinking about this terrible massacre in Beslan in the North Caucasas, I realized that it is at least in the general area of Mololkan communities. Could some Molokans been affected?
---David Bogdanoff,  ....S.F.
Dr. Bogdanoff (Ph.D. in statistics) is correct. All Molokans in the Nothern Caucasus -- thousands in Stavropol'skii krai, over 50 congregations -- have been afraid since 1995 when hostages killed 165 at the hospital in Budennovsk, northern Stravropol'skii krai, close to 8 Molokan congregations in Levokumkoe, and another dozen nearby. Some Molokans worked at the hospital. Also bombs have detonated in public areas in Stavropol', Piatigorsk, and other cities were Molokans live.

About 100 miles southeast from Piatigorsk, where I have over 100 relatives, there are 2 congregations just south of Beslan (marked in pink, right). The map area in blue rectangle is enlarged below. Closest to Beslan is the Prygun (or Dukhovnie) congregation in Mikhailovskoe (about 8 miles), then the very large Postoyannye congregation in Vladikavkaz (about 12 miles, presbyter Bobylev Feodr Pet., deceased). After the 1992 Congress in the Ukraine, about 30 American Molokans visited the church in Vladikavkas and a few of us Pryguny were taken for a short visit to Mikhailovskoe. These two congregations arrived in the early 1800s and never lived in the Caucasus, nor did the congregations in Grozny or Nal'chik.

Before perestoika Vladikavkas was named Ordzhonikidze, and Beslan was named Tulatovo or Tulatovskoye, and in 1941 Iriston. In the early 1800s, thousands of sectarians migrated through Vladikavkas to cross the narrow mountain pass to T'blisi and further into the Caucasus.

Immediately after the Belan bombing, Russia closed the border into Georgia at the Larsi Checkpoint. See: Russian Border Closure Impacts Armenia.


Cities with Molokans are underlined in yellow. The Molokan congregation
in Groznyy, Chechenia, closed and fled throughout Russia due to war.
Most Molokans in Prokhladnyy converted to Adventists due to a strong
evangelist there. The Nal'chik congregation had about 27 members in
1992 (presbyter Shubin Stepan Vas.). The large congregation in
Vladikavkaz exists, but long-time presbyter Bobylev Feodr Pet.died; and
there is a "Molokan region" near the "Molokan bazzar-chik". And the San Francisco Pushkarow family has relatives in Mozdok. There are about 12
Molokans congregations in the Mineral Waters region, about 100 miles
from Beslan.


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