The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-01-20
QUEER CULT ON
T0LST0Y ESTATE
They Practice Doukh0b0rS Ideal
ism, With a Mingled Belief
in Buddhism.
MANUAL LABOR A RELIGION
Declared Enemies of Destruction of
Property, Human or Animal Life,
and Oppose Soviet Gov
eminent.

Yasnaya Polyana, RuSsia.-Fifteen
young men, two young women and an
elderly matron have recently estab-
lished on the Tolstoy estate what they
term IAN improved bolshevik COM
munity." Described as an attempt to
rectify failure of communism, the
members Of the colony are the declared
enemies of the destruction of property,
human or animal life, and thus are ar
rayed against the soviet government
The members of the colony make
religion of manual labor and declare
its chief tenet to be embodied in the
phrase Love thy neighbOr as myself"
They declare themselves like Count
TOlstoy, "searchers for the truth in all
things" They arrived here in early
September with a permit from Moscow
to occupy portion of the estate now
classed as national institution.
Teacher Organizes Movement.
A teacher whose brother is director
of the colony, organized the movement.
The Is members, all of whom profess
the practical idealsm of the DoukhO-
bors sect, with mingled belief in
Buddhism were allotted quarters in a
once handsome but now tumble-down
one-story building of the estate built
in 1850 for the serfs of Prince Volkon-
ski, father of Tolstoy's mother.
The new arrivals have made the
building habitable and have started to
prepare for the cultivation of the 100
acres included in their grant. Food SO
far has been supplied free by the soviet
government, the same as to all visitors |
to the Tolstoy home. The three women |
do the cooking.
The correspondent came first In con-
tact with member of the colony in
rather strange manner.
After long journey. he hard been
enrolled as a pilgrim at the Tolstoy /
home, according to the rules of the in
stitution. He was given a bed in the
ground floor room. characterized by a
brick arch. a room occupied by TolstOy
some fifteen years. Just as he was
dropping off to sleep, he was reused
by pleasing chords on the grand piano
located in the room The playing was
done by a young man who wore high
boots belted jacket and sheepskin
zap. Seeing the correspondent, he
stopped playing and apoogized, saying
ne didn't know the room was occupied.
Then he went on to explain who he
about the possibility of walking to In
liza, by way of Turkestan. He wanted
o study philosophy there. he said.
Orchard Trees Whitewashed.
The 1O0-acre farm includes a big or
hard planted by the famous Russian
luthor, and one of the first acts of the
was to whitewash all the
rees. This operation was preceded by
IN animated discussion as to whether
t should be done. The young men care
oily debated this problem. If the trees
re not whitewashed the orchard will
,e ruined by insects, but if the white
wash is applied the insects will die of
tarvation and it is wrong to destroy
ife AS the members of the colony
re vegetarians and fruit is therefore
he prime article of food to them. ne
essity prevailed over ideals and the
was done.
A second problem was solved much
fter the same reasoning. For many
ears the manager of the Tolstoy es-
ate has been Prince Obolinski, who
a building once used by the
uthor as peasants school. The
ewcomers declaring that the presence
f an overseer might restrict their
liberty of action" have decreed that
lie prince must go, and the Obolinski
,mily soon must seek food and shell
II elsewhere.