Peterburgian Vedism, also called Pagan School of Saint Petersburg, or more broadly Russian Vedism and Slavic Vedism, is one of the earliest branches of the Slavic Native Faith and one of the most important schools of thought within it. The earliest Vedic organisations were established in Saint Petersburg by Viktor Bezverkhy, between the late 1980s and early 1990s. The use of the term "Vedism" to refer toSlavic religion goes back to Yuri Mirolyubov, the writer or discoverer of the Book of Veles. Besides Bezverkhy's organisations, the term "Vedism" is adopted by many other leaders within Rodnovery, for instance Aleksandr Asov, who equates it with the term "Orthodoxy" as belief in the Rod, affirming that it is a primordial religious knowledge that later gave rise to various regional traditions, including Indian Vedism; Russian Vedism, in his view, is that which has transmitted Vedic teachings in the most genuine way.
Theory and terminology
Viktor Bezverkhy borrowed the term "Vedism" from Yuri Mirolyubov and his interpretation of the Book of Veles. In Bezverkhy's thought, it defines the worldview of ancient Aryans, building upon empirical observation of the phenomena. He asserts that the word "Vedism" comes from the verb "to know" —a semantic root which is shared in Slavic and Sanskrit languages alike—, and it expresses the difference between sight or knowledge and dogmatic belief, the latter being typical of non-Vedic doctrines. According to one of the contemporary leaders of the Peterburgian Vedic movement, Roman Perin, "Rodnovery" defines the practised religion, while "Vedism" defines the philosophy or knowledge at its core. Vedism therefore is not a religion but pure knowledge. According to Bezverkhy, dogmatic religions such as Christianity, but also Brahmanism, were created in order to control the masses. Bezverkhy codified his ideas in a series of eleven books, namely Rigveda, History of Religion, History of Philosophy, Philosophy, Physics, Astrology, Anthropology, Sociology, Ethics, Aesthetics and Philosophy of Religion. According to its theorists, Vedism is the fundamental philosophical core common to all Indo-Europeans. The Slavic Native Faith is one of its expressions, among others, so that in their view Vedism increasingly resembles an overarching category encompassing many local religions, just like Orthodox Christianity encompasses a number of autocephalous churches.
History and organisations
Viktor Bezverkhy graduated in philosophy at the N. G. Kuznetsov Naval Academy of Saint Petersburg and later taught at Leningrad State University and in military academies. In 1986 he founded the "Society of the Mages" and in 1990 the "Union of the Veneds", the earliest Vedic organisations. His promotion of nationalism and conservatism led Bezverkhy to have troubles with Soviet authorities on various occasions, and he received an official warning from the KGB. In the early 1990s he was prosecuted for inciting hatred towards Jews, but he was found not guilty. There are many other organisations that employ the term "Vedism", including the "Krasnodar Slavic Orthodox Community—Vedic Culture of Russian Aryans", the "Satya-Veda Aryan Gentile Community" founded by Ilya Cherkasov, and the "Khara-Khors Slavic Vedic" movement. Also the Ringing Cedars' movement started by Vladimir Megre calls itself "Vedic".
The early Union of the Veneds
The early "Union of the Veneds", founded by Bezverkhy himself, emphasises down-to-earth ideas, to the point of defining itself an "assembly of grain cultivators". The organisation incorporates elements of Ivanovism, a movement of natural living and healing started by the mysticPorfiry Ivanov. After the fall of the Soviet Union, in the Yeltsin era, the Union of Veneds outspokenly supported right-wing and conservative political currents.
Other Unions of the Veneds and other groups
After the death of Bezverkhy, the early Union of the Veneds split into two organisations of the same name. They continue to follow the ritual calendar of the first organisation and to recognise Bezverkhy as their spiritual founder. At the same time, the original organisation is still operational in Saint Petersburg, led by Oleg Gusev and Roman Perin, known for their many publications including Za Russkoe Delo and Potaennoe.
''Skhoron ezh Sloven''
Skhoron ezh Sloven is categorised by the scholar Igor Popov as an organisation of Slavic Vedism. Skhoron ezh Sloven was founded in 1991 in Saint Petersburg by a former member of the Union of the Veneds, Vladimir Y. Golyakov, born in 1968. The original community was named "Step of the Wolf". Skhoron ezh Sloven recognises Victor Bezverkhy as a spiritual authority. Golyakov claims that the ashes of Bezverkhy are buried at the temple of the organisation in Saint Petersburg. According to Aitamurto, Skhoron ezh Sloven may not be considered as one of the offshoots of the Union of the Veneds, since it is largely based on the family tradition of Golyakov. However, Golyakov may be regarded as a legitimate heir of Bezverkhy for having initiated much of the new generations of Peterburgian Vedists after Bezverkhy's death. In the books of Skhoron ezh Sloven all the gods are considered manifestations of a single God, the pantheistic concept of Vsebog. The organisation is engaged in nationalistic politics and has affiliated communities in Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Tyumen, Vladivostok, Belarus and Ukraine.
