History of Iskcon (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) Distribution in Belarus

Svetlana Karassyova,Ilya Tarkan

doi:10.3390/rel13010035

Abstract

Based on several scientific publications, a limited number of news from the 1980s up until 2021 and a series of in-depth interviews with devotees in 2006–2021, the authors of the paper managed to restore the history of Bengal Vaishnavism distribution in Belarus for the first time. Specific attributes of its introduction to the country were: (1) philosophical requests from the local citizens, not immigration of its original bearers; (2) a long period of spontaneous distribution in the form of personal involvement with Vaishnava ideas and, hence, late institutionalization of the movement. The main stages of Vaishnavism development in Belarus were distinguished: (1) 1980s, the Soviet period: introduction of Vaishnava ideas and practices within individual self-identification of the members of small groups; (2) 1990s, the post-Soviet period: forming organizational structure of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Belarus; (3) 2000s: spiritual and administrative crises and reformation of the systems of administration and practice creation of the institute of curating the newly converted devotees; (4) 2010s: search for and establishment of the new models of serving, the out-of-temple bhakti practice, in particular; further popularization of the Vaishnava movement and community in Belarus. The main source of information on the history of Vaishnavism distribution in Belarus were in-depth interviews with the members of the community standing at its origin.

Highlights

There is a gap in the current academic tradition of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) research covering its presence in the Eastern Europe (De Backer 2020)
The development of the ISKCON community in Belarus is a small chapter in the history of the ISKCON distribution in Eastern Europe, yet it can serve as the basis for a broader elaboration on the topic and be characteristic for the region, reflecting typical key attributes of the ISKCON distribution in the postSoviet countries
In the course of the research, it was discovered that the ISKCON community possessed a series of interviews conducted by one of the devotees in 2006–2007 to reconstruct the history of the community (14 interviews)

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The development of the ISKCON community in Belarus is a small chapter in the history of the ISKCON distribution in Eastern Europe, yet it can serve as the basis for a broader elaboration on the topic and be characteristic for the region, reflecting typical key attributes of the ISKCON distribution in the postSoviet countries. Determination of these features provides the answer to the key research question: how did ISKCON manage to survive and maintain steady development on the post-Soviet territory until the present day with no suitable conditions, favorable legislation, or Hindu diaspora?

Sources and Methodology of Research

Overview of Historical Stages of ISKCON Becoming in Belarus

Conclusions