The
Skoptsy were a secret
sectThe historical usage of the term sect in Christendom has had pejorative connotations, referring to a group or movement with heretical beliefs or practices that deviate from those of groups considered orthodox....
of
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
in imperial
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The Skoptsy are best known for practicing
castrationCastration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testicles or a female loses the functions of the ovaries...
of men and the
mastectomyIn medicine, mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. Mastectomy is usually done to treat breast cancer; in some cases, women and some men believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation prophylactically, that is, to...
of women in accordance with their teachings against sexual lust. The movement originated as an offshoot of the sect known as the "
People of God"People of God", as a term used for the Jewish or the Christian people, is found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. While for that reason it has always continued to be in use, it acquired new prominence when employed in some documents of the Second Vatican Council.-The Bible:In the...
" and was first noted in the late eighteenth century. The Skoptsy were persecuted by the imperial government and later by the Soviet Union, but enjoyed substantial growth before fading into obscurity by the mid-twentieth century.
The name "Skoptsy" is a plural of "skopets", an archaic word meaning "castrated one" in the
Russian languageRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
.
As their title indicates, the main feature of the sect was castration.
The
Skoptsy were a secret
sectThe historical usage of the term sect in Christendom has had pejorative connotations, referring to a group or movement with heretical beliefs or practices that deviate from those of groups considered orthodox....
of
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
in imperial
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The Skoptsy are best known for practicing
castrationCastration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testicles or a female loses the functions of the ovaries...
of men and the
mastectomyIn medicine, mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. Mastectomy is usually done to treat breast cancer; in some cases, women and some men believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation prophylactically, that is, to...
of women in accordance with their teachings against sexual lust. The movement originated as an offshoot of the sect known as the "
People of God"People of God", as a term used for the Jewish or the Christian people, is found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. While for that reason it has always continued to be in use, it acquired new prominence when employed in some documents of the Second Vatican Council.-The Bible:In the...
" and was first noted in the late eighteenth century. The Skoptsy were persecuted by the imperial government and later by the Soviet Union, but enjoyed substantial growth before fading into obscurity by the mid-twentieth century.
Beliefs and practice of castration
The name "Skoptsy" is a plural of "skopets", an archaic word meaning "castrated one" in the
Russian languageRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
.
As their title indicates, the main feature of the sect was castration. They believed that after the expulsion from the
Garden of EdenThe Garden of Eden is a location described in the Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
, Adam and Eve had the halves of the forbidden fruit grafted onto their bodies forming testicles and breasts. Thus, the removal of these sexual organs restored the Skoptsy to the pristine state before the
Original SinOriginal sin is, according to a doctrine proposed in Christian theology, humanity's state of sin resulting from the Fall of Man. This condition has been characterized in many ways, ranging from something as insignificant as a slight deficiency, or a tendency toward sin yet without collective guilt,...
.
There were two kinds of castration: the "lesser" and "greater seal" (i.e. partial and complete castration). For men, "lesser" castration was the removal of the testicles only, while "greater" castration was the
removal of the penisIn ancient civilizations, removal of the human penis was sometimes used as a means of demonstrating superiority: armies were sometimes known to sever the penises of their enemies to count the dead, as well as for trophies, although usually only the foreskins were taken...
as well. In this the Skoptsy maintained that they were fulfilling Christ's counsel of perfection in
MatthewThe Gospel of Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels in the New Testament. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth...
19:12 and 18:8,9. The earliest records of
female castrationBody modification is the deliberate altering of the human body for non-medical reasons, such as sexual enhancement, a rite of passage, aesthetic reasons, denoting affiliation, trust and loyalty, religious reasons, shock value, and self-expression....
s date from 1815. Usually the breasts only were amputated, according to the 1911 encyclopedia. Other accounts suggest that the labia were also removed.
The Skoptsy also believed that a chief evil of the world is rooted in the
lepost (
bodily beautyPhysical attractiveness is the perception of the physical traits of an individual human person as aesthetically pleasing or beautiful, and can include various implications such as sexual attractiveness and physique...
,
human sexualityHuman sexuality is how people experience the erotic and express themselves as sexual beings. Frequently driven by the desire for sexual pleasure, human sexuality has biological, physical and emotional aspects...
, sex appeal, etc.) which prevents people from communicating with
GodGod is a deity in theistic and deistic religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
. The way to perfection begins with the elimination of the cause followed by the liberation of soul. Castration ensured that all sins caused by
lepost could not be committed.
History
The Skoptsy were first discovered by the Russian civil authorities in 1771 in the
OryolOryol or Orel is a city in Russia, administrative center of Oryol Oblast. It is located on the Oka River, approximately 360 km south-south-west of Moscow. In Russian, the word means eagle. Population: 333,310...
region. A peasant, Andrei Ivanov, was convicted of having persuaded thirteen other peasants to castrate themselves. His assistant was another peasant, known as Kondratii Selivanov. A legal investigation followed.
Ivanov was
knoutA knout is a heavy scourge-like multiple whip, usually made of a bunch of rawhide thongs attached to a long handle, sometimes with metal wire or hooks incorporated....
ed and sent to
SiberiaSiberia , is the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving as the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, having served in the same capacity previously for the USSR from its beginning, and the Russian Empire beginning in the...
. Selivanov fled, but was arrested in 1775.
Skoptsism, however, increased, and Selivanov escaped from Siberia and proclaimed himself the
Son of God"Son of God" is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible, various other Jewish texts and the Christian Bible. In the holy Hebrew scriptures, according to Jewish religious tradition, "Son of God" has many possible meanings, referring to angels, or humans or even all mankind...
incarnate in the person of the late
Peter III of RussiaPeter III was Emperor of Russia for six months in 1762. According to most historians, he was mentally immature and very pro-Prussian, which made him an unpopular leader. He was supposedly assassinated as a result of a conspiracy led by his wife, who succeeded him to the throne as Catherine...
. Peter had been popular among the Raskolniks (schismatics, or dissidents) because he granted them liberty of conscience, and among the peasants because when pillaging the convents he divided their lands among the labourers. Selivanov claimed the title "God of Gods and
King of KingsKing of Kings is a title that has been used by several monarchies throughout history, and in many cases the literal title meaning "King of Kings", i.e...
", and announced his accomplishment of the salvation of believers through castration.
For eighteen years he lived in St Petersburg, in the house of one of his disciples, receiving double homage as Christ and tsar. In 1797 he was arrested again by order of Tsar Paul I and imprisoned in a madhouse. Under
Alexander IAlexander I of Russia , also known as Alexander the Blessed served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and Ruler of Poland from 1815 to 1825, as well as the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania.He was born in Saint Petersburg to Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, later...
Selivanov regained his liberty, but in 1820 was again shut up, this time in a monastery at
SuzdalSuzdal is a town in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, situated north-east of Moscow, from the city of Vladimir, on the Kamenka River. Population: -History:...
, where he died in 1832 in his hundredth year. Skoptsism was, however, not exterminated, and scandals continued to arise.
Membership in the Skoptsy sect was not restricted to the peasant class. Nobles, military and naval officers, civil servants, priests and merchants were to be found in its ranks, and its numbers were so great that 515 male and 240 female members were transported to Siberia between 1847 and 1866 without seriously threatening its existence. In 1874 the sect numbered at least 5444, including 1465 women. Of these 703 men and 100 women had castrated themselves.
Repressive measures were tried along with ridicule: male Skoptsy were
dressed in women's clothesCross-dressing is the act of wearing clothing commonly associated with the other gender within a particular society. The usage of the term, the types of cross-dressing both in modern times and throughout history, an analysis of the behaviour, and historical examples are discussed in the article...
and paraded with fools' caps on through the villages. In 1876, 130 Skoptsy were deported. To escape prosecution some of the sect emigrated, mostly to
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
, where some of them mixed with old believer exiles known as
LipovansLipovans or Lippovans are the Old Believers, mostly of Russian ethnic origin, who settled in Moldavia, in the Danube Delta, in Tulcea county, in the Dobrogea region of eastern Romania, and in the southwestern part of Odessa Oblast , in Chernivtsi Oblast in Ukraine, as well as in two villages in...
. The well-known Romanian writer I.L. Caragiale acknowledges that toward the end of the 19th century all the horse-powered cabs in Bucharest were driven by Russian Skoptsy (Scopiti in Romanian).
Though the law was strict in Russia — every
eunuchA eunuch is a political rank often found in ancient courts. Over the millennia since, they have performed a wide variety of functions in many different cultures such as: courtiers or equivalent domestics, treble singers, religious specialists, government officials, military commanders, and...
was compelled to register — Skoptsism did not abate in its popularity.
The Skoptsy became known as moneylenders (
New York Times 1910), and a bench known as the "Skoptsy's Bench" stood in St. Petersburg for many years.
The Skoptsy may have had as many as 100,000 followers in the early twentieth century, although repression continued and members of the sect were put on trial (
New York Times 1910). Increased repression and collectivization under the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
reduced the numbers to a reported few thousand in 1929, and the sect is believed to have nearly died out today (Lane 1978).
Other practices and beliefs
The Skoptsy did not absolutely condemn marriage, and some were allowed to have one child, those at Bucharest two, before being fully admitted. They were not pessimists, desiring the end of the species, but aim rather at the perfection of the individual. Their religious ceremonies include hymn-singing, addresses and frenzied dancing ending in ecstasy, like that of the Chlysty and the
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
whirling dervishes. Strict oaths of secrecy were demanded from all members, who form a kind of mutual-aid association.
Meetings were held late at night in cellars, and last till dawn. At these the men wore long, wide, white shirts of a peculiar cut with a girdle and large white trousers. Women also dressed in white. All present wore white stockings or went barefoot. They referred to themselves as "White Doves."
The Skoptsy were millenarians, and looked for a
MessiahMessiah literally means "anointed "...
who would establish an empire of the saints, i.e. the pure. They believed that the Messiah would not come until the Skoptsy numbered 144,000 (
RevThe Book of Revelation, also called the Revelation of St. John, the Apocalypse of John, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ, is the last book of the New Testament. It may be shortened to Revelation but never Revelations...
. 14:1,4), and all their efforts were directed to reaching this total. By 1911, there was said to have been a tendency on the part of many Skoptsy to consider their creed fulfilled by chaste, solitary living.
In arts
- A sect of castrates living in the Siberia
Siberia , is the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving as the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, having served in the same capacity previously for the USSR from its beginning, and the Russian Empire beginning in the...
n countryside is depicted in The People's Act of Love, a 2005 Booker Prize longlisted novel by James MeekJames Meek is a British writer and journalist. He was born in London and grew up in Dundee, Scotland.Meek spent several years living in the former Soviet Union in the 1990s and now resides in London. He has published four novels and two short story collections. In 2004 he was named Foreign...
. The author states in the Acknowledgements that they are based on the Skoptsy.
- The Stars My Destination
The Stars My Destination is a science fiction novel by Alfred Bester. Originally serialized in Galaxy magazine in four parts beginning with the October 1956 issue, it first appeared in book form as Tiger! Tiger!...
- science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature...
novel by Alfred BesterAlfred "Alfie" Bester was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books...
featuring a futuristic version of the Skoptsy sect, in which members have all sensory nerves severed.
- Vanity Fair
"Vanity Fair" is a jazz/rock song by the alternative group Mr. Bungle. The song deals metaphorically with castration and includes the lyric, "Bless the eunuch/And the Skoptsy".-Credits:*Mike Patton -Vocals, keyboards*Trevor Dunn -Bass...
, a song by the California Alternative group, Mr. BungleMr. Bungle was an experimental rock/avant-garde metal group from Northern California. The band was formed in 1985 while the members were still in high school and was named after a children's educational film. Mr. Bungle released four demo tapes in the mid to late 1980s before being signed to...
, specifically references the Skoptsi in the lyrics.
- Outside the Dog Museum - "hyper-fiction" novel by American novelist Jonathan Carroll
Jonathan Samuel Carroll is an American author primarily known for novels, which can be characterized as magic realist, slipstream or modern fantasy...
, references the Skoptsy.
- In the book "the idiot" Dosteyevski mentions Skoptsy tenants in a boarding house.
See also
- Shakers
The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, known as the Shakers, is a Protestant religious sect.-Origins:The Shakers were originally located in England in 1747, in the home of Mother Ann Lee. They developed from the religious group called the Quakers which originated in the 17th...
—believed in total sexual abstinence
- Origen
Origen was an early Christian scholar and theologian, and one of the most distinguished of the early fathers of the Christian Church. According to tradition, he is held to have been an Egyptian who taught in Alexandria, reviving the Catechetical School of Alexandria where Clement of Alexandria had...
—early Christian author who castrated himself
External links