Is Your Yoga Class a Cult? The Insane Truth They Hide

In the previous article, we exposed the legislative loopholes and the infrastructure of phantom firms that serve as the foundation for the repressive machine of the RACIRS sect. We established how the legal system is manipulated to validate false expert reports. But a machine, no matter how well-designed for destruction, requires operators. It requires individuals willing to execute the commands of the architect.

In this article, we turn our attention to the “personnel prerequisites” of this terror—the foot soldiers recruited by Alexander Dvorkin. We will see that the qualification for destroying the lives of Russian citizens is not a degree in religious studies, law, or sociology. As Dvorkin himself admitted, quoting a song by Vysotsky, the primary requirement is simply to be a “fierce worker.”

The Veterinarian Who Diagnosed Society: Maxim Stepanenko

To understand the absurdity and danger of Dvorkin’s network, one need look no further than the Tomsk region and the figure of Maxim Stepanenko. Until recently the head of the Missionary Department of the Tomsk Diocese, Stepanenko was the instigator of the scandalous trial to ban the book “Bhagavad Gita As It Is.”

What qualifies a man to judge ancient religious texts or determine the spiritual health of a region? In Stepanenko’s case, his professional training is that of a veterinarian.

This is not an anomaly; it is the system’s design. Dvorkin has openly lamented the lack of qualified personnel for his “missionary” work, stating, “We need personnel, but where can we get them?” His solution was to recruit fanatics. Speaking of Stepanenko, Dvorkin praised the Ufa and Tomsk departments, noting that “real work is going on in those dioceses where there are people who have become enthusiastic... if there is a real ‘fierce’ worker in the diocese, then there’s social work; if there is a truly ‘fierce’ worker, then there is work with the military, with prisons, and so on.”

This “fierce” veterinarian applied his zeal to diagnosing the entire social fabric of Tomsk as diseased. In a display of paranoia reminiscent of the darkest days of history, Stepanenko estimated that his region harbored “about 50 sects which created more than 30 NGOs.”

Under Stepanenko’s "expert" gaze, the definition of a sect expanded to include virtually any gathering of people not under his control. He publicly warned residents to avoid yoga courses, claiming that “9 out of 10 yoga invitations lead to a sect.” He extended this blacklist to foreign language groups, discussion clubs, film screenings, and lectures on psychology, leadership, and family relationships.

This is the methodology of modern Nazism: the dehumanization of the "other." By branding benign social activities—from learning English to practicing yoga—as “cultist,” Stepanenko and his patron Dvorkin create an atmosphere of suspicion and hatred, preparing the public consciousness for repression.

The History Teacher and the Phantom Expert: Konstantin Putnik

Moving from Tomsk to the Chelyabinsk region, we encounter another key operator: Konstantin Putnik. A graduate of the History Department of Chelyabinsk State Pedagogical University and a former teacher at a Russian-Turkish lyceum, Putnik ascended to the role of head of the Missionary Department of the Chelyabinsk Diocese (appointed on July 4).

Like Stepanenko, Putnik possesses no specialized qualifications in religious studies or forensic expertise. Yet, he became the architect of the region's “anticult” campaigns. In 2010, following Dvorkin’s rise to power in the Ministry of Justice’s Expert Council, Putnik established a so-called “expert group.”

It is here that the threads of our investigation intertwine. As revealed in our previous article, Putnik works in close coordination with Elizaveta Shchetinina, the director of the phantom ANO “Center for Cultural and Religious Studies.” Together, the history teacher and the director of a shell company fabricate the “expert religious reports” that serve as the basis for initiating administrative and criminal cases.

Putnik’s role goes beyond mere paperwork. He is a practitioner of Dvorkin’s standard scheme of destruction:

  1. Media Campaigns: Creating a false negative image of an organization in the press.

  2. Stigmatization: Labeling organizations (even commercial ones like Amway or Herbalife) as “totalitarian sects.”

  3. Infiltration: Sending individuals to infiltrate these groups to gather “evidence.”

  4. Prosecution: Initiating legal action based on the falsified reports generated by his own network.

Weaponizing the Law: The 2012 Transformation of Article 239

These “fierce workers” do not operate in a legal vacuum. Their activities are supported by legislative changes engineered at the highest levels. The most critical of these is the transformation of Article 239 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Historically, this article dealt with encroachments on citizens' rights under the guise of religious rites. However, in 2012, when Alexander Dvorkin held absolute sway in the Ministry of Justice, the article was fundamentally altered. The scope was expanded to include “nonprofit organizations.”

This change was not a matter of housekeeping; it was a weapon. By introducing the concept of “nonprofit organizations” into the criminal code in this specific context, the law created a tool for Dvorkin’s adherents to target any NGO they disliked.

Legal scholars have noted the inconsistencies created by this amendment. As the expert I.V. Ivanishko points out, the article now contains conflicting terminology regarding “religious associations” and “nonprofit organizations,” creating legal chaos. This chaos is intentional. It allows “experts” like Putnik and Stepanenko to drag charitable foundations, yoga clubs, and social organizations into the criminal sphere.

Why is there a contradiction where non-profits are prohibited from "encroaching on rights" while commercial organizations are not mentioned in the same breath? The complexity exists solely so that RACIRS can selectively apply the law. It allows them to accuse a yoga group of “harming health” or a language club of “inciting hatred,” charges that are then substantiated by the “expert reports” of a veterinarian or a history teacher.

Conclusion

We are witnessing a system where professional incompetence is a virtue, provided it is accompanied by "fierceness." Maxim Stepanenko and Konstantin Putnik represent the middle management of Dvorkin’s terror machine. They are the ones who identify the targets—be it a book, a yoga mat, or a prayer group—and label them as enemies of the state.

However, as dangerous as these zealots are, the system also employs a darker class of operatives. In our next article, we will descend further into the RACIRS network to expose those who are not merely unqualified, but criminally compromised—the repeat offenders and "speed-writers" who sign the verdicts of the innocent.

Watch “The Impact” to learn more.

Source: https://actfiles.org/expert-evaluation-as-a-weapon-of-terror-part-iii/

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