Pentecostals in Eastern Europe and Western Siberia: Shared History in the ХХ Century

Abstract

The article compares the lives of the Evangelical Pentecostals in Eastern Europe and Western Siberia in the XX century. The study relied on archival sources, as well as foreign and domestic publications on history and religious studies. The analysis covered such aspects as genesis, developmental stages, religious policy, population, and the role of charismatic leaders, e.g., Ivan E. Voronaev, who initiated the migration from Ukraine to Western Siberia. All Pentecostal communities shared the same expansion strategy, i.e., proselytism: they gained new members by converting Evangelical Christians and Baptists. The followers of the Voronaev movement lived in Western Siberia and were reluctant to unite with the local Evangelical Christians and Baptists. They avoided official registrations and made no compromises with the authorities. The Pentecostals contradicted the official policy of Soviet states and the Polish People’s Republic. Pentecostal communities sought independence from the state, glossolalia, active missionary work, and other denomination canons.