About 5 Million of Russian nationals involved in sects

Itar - Tass News Wire/June 2, 2001

Moscow -- About 5 million of Russian nationals are involved in religious sects that are active in cities, head of the Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Untraditional Religions Rev. Oleg said Friday.

Most of the sects are protestant, pseudo-Buddhist or neo- pagan, he said. More than 5,000 sects are functioning in Moscow alone, and they have about 1 million followers.

The sects are opening their regional centers in Rostov Veliky, Novosibirsk and Tomsk.

Almost all the sects act under the disguise of public organizations and stealthily mesmerize people.