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How scientology began in Russia (the way I rememer it)

Happy Days

Silver Meritorious Patron
I want to correct some historical detail here and add some comments:



When I joined SO ("Hubbard Humanitarian Center" officially, to us, OTL CIS) in March 1994, it had 16-18 members. Walter Cotric was the CO. Zara (his young and beautiful wife) was his deputy. Birtha Heldt was OSA... and there some more foreign SO members (names escape me now).
I was there until June 3 1997 (when I left for SO US).

I know that the McClintock family, Sue, Malcolm and their children, from the Sea Org here in Australia was sent on mission to Russia for a few years.
 

VaD

Gold Meritorious Patron
I know that the McClintock family, Sue, Malcolm and their children, from the Sea Org here in Australia was sent on mission to Russia for a few years.

Yes, I heard of them, too.
More Australians. :omg:

At the time they replaced Fears family I was not there... I was in US.
 

FinallyMe

Silver Meritorious Patron
I know that the CoS was sending scientologists to Russia back around 1986-87 via their Social Coordination International (SOCO INT) organization (now called ABLE ). I believe that Ron Kule (???) was going their on behalf of Social Coordination, or at least working closely in coordination with them and/or some of the Scientology front groups under it, such as Applied Scholastics, as I was there when a number of these trips were being prepared for.

OMG, now you hit a nerve! When you knew of him, was Ron Kule on staff or something? Any clue as to his whereabouts now?
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
OMG, now you hit a nerve! When you knew of him, was Ron Kule on staff or something? Any clue as to his whereabouts now?

No, I don't believe he was officially a staff member at that time. However Social Coordination would fire off "missions" to various countries using "public" scientologists. And they might promote Applied Scholastics or some other scientology front group, and it is all with the intention to get their foot in the door of these countries so that the cult can later move in. So I'm pretty sure that Ron was a public during the time period I mentioned, but again, he would come directly to SOCO INT which was on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles at the time and would work with the Sea Org staff to prepare for these trips to other countries.

I wasn't so personally involved with the Russian trips so much, but I was more so with China. I worked directly with the Mission I/C on a China mission where we sent off a dozen celebrities to China to do a series of concerts over there to promote Applied Scholastics, and I believe Dianetics as well. Martha Levitsky was the mission I/C and she reported directly to Author Services Inc on this particular mission.
 

Stat

Gold Meritorious Patron
Vadim, I am pretty sure I saw you there a few times, sometimes around 1994 :coolwink: Small world. :) Dima Medvedenko was my good buddy and a twin for a few month, during our Supe training. I know/met personally almost every person mentioned so far. Remember Andrey Makarenko/Makarov -Sup/DofT, Lada's husband at the time, I think? He was the first Russian SO member. Good times. Thanks for this thread, Yulia/Vadim and everyone else.
 

Arthur Dent

Silver Meritorious Patron
I know that the CoS was sending scientologists to Russia back around 1986-87 via their Social Coordination International (SOCO INT) organization (now called ABLE ). I believe that Ron Kule (???) was going their on behalf of Social Coordination, or at least working closely in coordination with them and/or some of the Scientology front groups under it, such as Applied Scholastics, as I was there when a number of these trips were being prepared for.


Lynn Irons was involved in Russia. I think I recall it as having been later though. Anyone know what his involvement there was?
 

Stat

Gold Meritorious Patron
Lynn Irons was involved in Russia. I think I recall it as having been later though. Anyone know what his involvement there was?

As far as I know, he was used through the WISE lines, early on, to create a great PR within business/political communities in Russia, as far as "a successful model businessman", in order to promote LRH's teachings of any kind, etc. I am pretty sure he was very instumental in "opening Russia". He probable donated a lot of money/materials too. Haven't heard of him much since then for some reason.
 

Arthur Dent

Silver Meritorious Patron
Lynn Irons

As far as I know, he was used through the WISE lines, early on, to create a great PR within business/political communities in Russia, as far as "a successful model businessman", in order to promote LRH's teachings of any kind, etc. I am pretty sure he was very instrumental in "opening Russia". He probable donated a lot of money/materials too. Haven't heard of him much since then for some reason.

Just found these:
Opportuni$tic intercepted WISE emails just post 9/11:
http://www.cosvm.org/disruptd.htm
And a letter to the editor of St. Pete Times posted as ED Tampa Org. in 2009. Don't know if he's still there or not. But looks still in.
 

Stat

Gold Meritorious Patron
Just found these:
Opportuni$tic intercepted WISE emails just post 9/11:
http://www.cosvm.org/disruptd.htm
And a letter to the editor of St. Pete Times posted as ED Tampa Org. in 2009. Don't know if he's still there or not. But looks still in.

He might be still in, but it seems a bit surprising he never get much, if any coverage at "the international events" and in CoS' magazines over the last 10 years or so... He was/possibly still is a big shot in CoS. May be he spends too much time on internetz and then in ethics. :coolwink: Who knows.
 
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VaD

Gold Meritorious Patron
Yes, I remember the name.

Lynn Irons was Hubbard College guy. Even remember his (very manly) face with somewhat gray hair, mustache and beard (unless I'm confused).

There (in Hubbard College) was also that very energetic guy with the name Bud Ricle (I think I missspelled it).
 

VaD

Gold Meritorious Patron
Vadim, I am pretty sure I saw you there a few times, sometimes around 1994 :coolwink: Small world. :) Dima Medvedenko was my good buddy and a twin for a few month, during our Supe training. I know/met personally almost every person mentioned so far. Remember Andrey Makarenko/Makarov -Sup/DofT, Lada's husband at the time, I think? He was the first Russian SO member. Good times. Thanks for this thread, Yulia/Vadim and everyone else.

That's cool, Stat! We seem to have some past in common. Love that!

Were you in Kopenhagen with Dima?

Andrey Makarov. Yes! - He was the first SO member in Russia.
He, in addition to joining the SO, donated his old (?) home furniture to SO. We were happy to have LRH books in the bookcases freely donated by Andrey.
He is still in SO. He is Professional ("Fully-Hatted") Registrar. Up to recent times he was my friend in social networks. When he, somehow, sniffed about my changed attitude to Scn, he immediately disconnected (didn't even ask questions). His current wife (Anna Makarova, ED ABLE EU (?), who was my long-time friend as well, has done the same as Andrey at the same time).

Lada Pischugina (now Lada Pasha) was one of the reasons I wanted to join the SO. She was just drop-dead gorgeous, and - such affectionate. (Well, she still is). ( I was too slow to hit it with her, but I know now from her that we could make a great couple with her back then)
She left the SO when I was in LA (to my disappointment). She, after having divorced, married Eugene Pasha. They left together.
In 2008 Lada joined the SO again (even tried to get me to re-join).. She thought that there was nothing worthwhile doing in the "wog world" and signed up with AOSH EU.
After EPF, she returned home (to her husband, who wouldn't join right after her as she intended, and they both had some mortgage obligations after all)

I might have more of the data on some people you are interested about. Feel free to ask. I'll try to answer (if/what I know).
 

Arthur Dent

Silver Meritorious Patron
He might be still in, but it seems a bit surprising he never get much, if any coverage at "the international events" and in CoS' magazines over the last 10 years or so... He was/possibly still is a big shot in CoS. May be he spends too much time on internetz and then in ethics. :coolwink: Who knows.

One can only hope!
 

thefiredragon

Patron Meritorious
Does anybody know what happened to the girl named Ulyana Leskina?
She used to work in cloakroom. She was 12 and she was going to join SO with her 8 year old brother Artem but then she got pregnant. She was my best friend and I used to hide her in my dorm and her brother and her sometimes would come to sleep over and I stood with her family for a while when I could not afford the motel room. Her mom worked as an auditor. We used to get on subway train at night and just hang out all night, then come inOTL in the morning and nap in the courceroom.She was awesome friend.
I always wondered what happened to her.

--
 

thefiredragon

Patron Meritorious
And does anybody know what happen to Vladimir Sitnikov? He was FSM I/C?

And who else.. Slava ( TRs supervisor)

Oh,yea.. One more person I'd like to find out about- Vadim Mihalyan.
He was a great auditor (he was my auditor). He also worked as an interpreter for Richard Fear.
Hewas going to go on freewinds to work as interpreter there and I don't know ifhe went or not. He also was going to join SO but his ex-wife had a kids,so he could not.
Shit, now I keep remembering more and more names, but can't remember last names..
 

VaD

Gold Meritorious Patron
Yulia, keep it going!
I'll keep it going, too.

I like the past! :coolwink:
Sometimes, I just need a prompt to get my memories unraveled.

I see that, talking between you and me, we make other people to kinda "audit that out" from their long neglected and pushed aside past.

Past is the part of what we are now.
Thus, having past straight, makes us having and seeing brighter present and future.
(Folks, you don't have to agree or disagree. It's just a thought I had)
 

thefiredragon

Patron Meritorious
Got any more pics?
I've seen pics you posted on FB but do you have any more?
Where in Moskow do you live now? Is there any way you can take some pics of the staff now?Iknow, they disconnected with you and probably won't let you in but can you like..send a friend there with a camera or something? I'd like to see the pics of org bord up close
 

Illegal Alien

Patron with Honors
Russia and Scientology.
I remember the drive to get Way to Happiness books into Russia. Infact I had just joined the Sea Org at Flag and had my bridge paid for to OT8. As I figured well I am on staff I do not need it paid for as I will receive it anyway :duh: and of course with help from the reg at the time I donated my OTVI to OT8 package to Way to Happiness Books for Russia. I think it was about 10000 books.:confused2:
Man was I naive in my early scio days.:blush:
 

VaD

Gold Meritorious Patron
And we thought of such donos as "OTs contribute into 4th dynamic" (which meant they would get back an abundance from all other dynamics)...

Well, that's what we believed in...
It's pretty much like Co$ puts it across now, "The more money/time/efforts you contribute into Scn, the more benefits/gains will come your way from other dynamics". :duh:
 
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