How the «Podgornovites» Sect Fought Against the «Grace-Deprived Soviet Church» in Postwar Ukraine

A sect... One theory suggests that the origin of this term traces back to the Latin verb «secare», meaning «to cut off,» «to separate.» A part severed from the whole. Can a severed branch remain viable, let alone life-giving? The words of the Savior provide a definite answer: «I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing» (John 15:5). History offers abundant illustrations of this truth, bringing us once again to the archival documents of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. This time, they reveal the case of the «Podgornovites.»

From Vasily Podgorny to Monk Stefan

Much has been written about the Podgornovites, yet most accounts reiterate the same information. Establishing the precise ideology of this sect with certainty remains difficult. However, a general understanding emerges. The followers of this quasi-religious movement called themselves "True Orthodox Christians." Such a claim implies that other Christians are not genuine, revealing the Podgornovites' intransigence and religious intolerance. Additionally, they were frequently compared to the Khlysty sect, notorious for their belief that God could repeatedly incarnate in humans and that the Holy Spirit could descend upon individuals through mystical practices. This ideology fueled ongoing phenomena of self-proclaimed «Christs,» «Virgin Marys,» and self-appointed «saints.»

Did the sect’s founder, Vasily Podgorny, see himself in this role, or was it his followers who glorified him? What do we actually know about the man behind this notorious postwar Ukrainian sect?

Vasily Karpovich Podgorny, a former serf from the village of Trostyanets in Kharkiv Province, built a small yet successful business, had a wife and children. Later, he handed over his affairs to his son and traveled to Mount Athos, where he received monastic tonsure from an elder. Upon returning, he established several monastic communities (primarily for young women) and charitable institutions. However, the Holy Synod accused him of sectarianism, imprisoning him in the detention ward of the Spaso-Yevfimiev Monastery in Suzdal, from which he was released in 1913.

Setting aside the question of whether the founder was guilty of the numerous sexual crimes attributed to him by church authorities, if even a fraction of these accusations were substantiated, he would have faced lifelong penal servitude rather than monastic imprisonment. Upon his release in 1913, he renounced his sectarian activities and remained in the monastery under the name Stefan, leading to the alternative name for his sect: the «Stefanovites.»

A study of Podgorny’s activities and those of his followers suggests that the concerns raised by both ecclesiastical and secular authorities were more political and civic than spiritual. Russian religious writer Sergey Bulgakov, in his 1913 Handbook on Heresies, Sects, and Schisms, listed their offenses: undermining family life, disrespecting the official Church, its sacraments, and its clergy, while feigning external reverence toward Orthodox pastors.

Modern historians D.V. Vedeneev and M.V. Shkarovsky highlight how the «Podgornovites» evolved in response to the persecution of Orthodoxy in the 1920s, forced collectivization, the dismantling of traditional village life, and the Moscow Patriarchate’s policy of recognizing Soviet authority. Under these pressures, the sect transitioned from a group opposing canonical Orthodoxy into a quasi-religious form of anti-communist resistance.

The Unyielding

What became of the Podgornovites after World War II?

Archival records from the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine for the first quarter of 1946 report that despite government measures, the sect persisted. However, the authorities had largely dismantled it by then, transferring its churches to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and replacing its clergy with officially sanctioned priests. The report notes a gradual weakening of the sect’s influence, with some members even rejoining the Orthodox Church.

Nonetheless, resistance remained. In villages such as Ugroedy and Bakirovka, sectarians refused registration, gathered secretly, and spread hostility toward the Orthodox clergy. They denounced Moscow Patriarchate priests as «graceless» and urged people to avoid attending their services.

The State’s Grievances Against Them

A government official compiled a list of movement leaders, noting that they deliberately held meetings on the eve of Sundays and religious holidays, gathering 30–40 attendees—allegedly reducing church attendance from 50–150 down to 20–30. Measures were taken to suppress these gatherings.

Why was a Soviet official so concerned about Orthodox church attendance? Clearly, the aim was not to strengthen the legal Church but to settle longstanding scores with the Podgornovites. By the early Soviet period, the sect had lost its radical edge, but the Bolsheviks’ anti-religious policies reignited its oppositional stance. The sect's members distanced themselves from both the state and the official Church, boycotting government activities and social obligations, refusing military service and elections, and fostering apocalyptic sentiments among their youth.

Allies of the Enemy

During the German occupation of Ukraine, Podgornovite communities resurged in Sumy, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, and Dnipropetrovsk. The Nazis, eager to undermine the Soviet-aligned Moscow Patriarchate, viewed them favorably. In 1942, the sect convened an "All-Ukrainian Congress" in Trostyanets, forming a "Governing Council" under Gregory Dudnik, along with clergy members Hryhoriy Sokrut and Ioasaf Cherchenko. The council received German permission to occupy several churches and establish a monastery.

According to Soviet intelligence, the congress urged prayers for the Germans and assistance in fighting partisans. Reports cite preachers such as Ivan Cherchenko and Leonid Furdylo praising Hitler for "liberating them from Judeo-Bolshevik oppression."

Soviet counterintelligence closely monitored the sect, leading to a crackdown in 1944. The operation resulted in the arrest of 15 members, with evidence of collaboration with German forces. Some, like church elder Sergey Kurochkin, were accused of betraying partisans to the Gestapo. Others used Nazi rule to settle old scores; for instance, a sectarian named Ivan Ostapenko denounced fellow villagers, leading to three executions.

In May 1945, Soviet authorities uncovered a "Podgornovite anti-Soviet monarchist organization." In January 1946, a military tribunal sentenced five leaders to five to ten years in labor camps.

A Persistent Shadow

These events, hidden behind bureaucratic reports, raise questions: What was so spiritually compelling about Vasily Podgorny’s teachings that they inspired generations of followers? Despite its weak theological foundations, even critics acknowledged the leader’s charisma and his appeal to those disillusioned by Church and state policies.

Yet schism invariably erodes humility, often replacing condemnation of sin with condemnation of people. Some criticize the Church today for being "militant." But against whom is its voice raised? Not against dissenters, but against sin itself. History shows that searching for God outside the Orthodox Church invariably leads into deception.