Los
Angeles Times, dated Sep 10, 1964, pg. A1
Russian Sect Members Flee ‘Sinful L.A.’
Prophets of the Russian Molokan Christian Holy Spiritual Jumpers for months have been telling 20,000 members of the sect in Southern
California that “soon we will have to move again.”
That day came Wednesday for the first eight familes-32 men, women and children who boarded the P&O liner Oriana at San Pedro to migrate to a rural area near Perth, Australia.
The Molokans, as they are called, have been looking for new lands to settle because “there are too many worldly activities and too much sin to tempt our children in Southern California.”
‘MORALS HIGHER’
“In Australia, the bars close at 6 p.m. Everything is closed from Saturday to Monday morning. There is much less divorce. Morals are higher than they are here,” said an elder of the sect.
Bill Chernekoff, 33, of LaHabra, who sailed with his wife and three children, explained why he is moving:
“Our prophets have been looking for another land. A year ago, they began to investigate Australia.”
VISIONS RECEIVED
The prophets, Chernekoff said, are respected elders of the faith who receive visions from God and deliver the Holy Spirit’s message to members of the sect.
Those who left after a fervent religious ceremony at the Consolidated
Marine Terminal at
Los Angeles Harbor have sold all their possessions to start a new life on the other side of the world. Twenty other families will leave in November.
Bearded elders led prayers, songs and chants for the more than 2,000 members on hand to see the eight families depart.
“God protect them. Send angels with them on their long journey,” intoned their leader, John Suesoff (
Susoeff), pastor of the Old
Romanski Church in East
Los Angeles.
Men, women and children chanted tearfully over and over in Russian:
“Where are you going? Over deep seas and hot sun in search of God in the name of Christ.”
As they prayed and sang, they jumped “in rejoicement of the manifestation of God.”
Those remaining behind presented a large loaf of blesses bread, salt, prayer books and gifts to the young families leaving. The bread is eaten each day of the voyage as a symbolic observance of their religion.
The ceremony was identical to one nearly 60 years ago when the Molokans left Russia to migrate here. They were granted permission to leave Russia, where they claimed to have been persecuted because they are conscientious objectors. They came to
Los Angeles between 1905 and 1913.
Every Molokan in the terminal kissed each of those departing as their forefathers did in Russia four generations ago.
And then the ship sailed.
