The contemporary anti-cult movement in Russia. From “VKontakte” communities

Abstract

The study focuses on the contemporary anti-cult movement in the Russian Federation. The object of the study is four large and active virtual groups dedicated to anti-cult themes. The research objectives are to identify the main characteristics of “sect” in the discourse of the anti-cult movement; to establish the specifics of the construction of the “sectarian” image in the anti-cult movement through the prism of modern media and to offer an analysis of the activities of the virtual groups’ participants. The study found that anti-cult communities are platforms for polemics between followers and opponents of the anti-cult movement. They reproduce and offer their participants to complement and develop a negative image of a “sectarian”. At the same time, judging by the materials of the communities, the anti-cult movement largely limits its activities to the space of the Network and, with a few exceptions, does not conduct any actions outside of it.