December 8, 2010
A center using the methods of L. Ron Hubbard has been operating for two years in Chelyabinsk , a city in the industrial area of the Urals mountains, Russia, under the name "PM Language Studio," reports Komsomolskaya Pravda.
One qualified linguist discovered the school when searching for work. The first thing that put her on her guard was the complete lack of any methodological literature. The walls, however, were richly decorated with citations from L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of scientology. The frightened teacher refused the seemingly lucrative position.
"We began to investigate what the 'PM language Studio' does," related a member of the missionary department of the Chelyabinsk diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, Constantine Putnik. As it turns out, they do not hide their sources. On the organizations site is clearly written, "A unique educational technology built upon the discoveries of the American scholar, L. Ron Hubbard." However, Hubbard was not a scholar, and he did not even receive a higher education. He had no relation to educational sciences, or to linguistics. The Judicial Ministry [of the Russian Federation] has ruled that Hubbard's books are extremist. Such organizations are opened under the pretext of teaching English, while their real motive is to recruit new members into the sect, or gain money for their sectarian activities.
The center uses signature scientology marketing offers such as "Study English yourself, and your child studies free," or "bring seven families, and receive a discount."
The organization discovered an exploitable niche in Russia—the desire to learn the language that will supposedly open the doors of opportunity. When asked, the PM language studio denies its participation in the cult, and does not consider Hubbard's methods criminal. They could not, however, explain why their school is financed by scientology's international structure under the name, "Applied Scholastics."
"Hubbardists are a destructive sect, considered one of the most dangerous in the world," said Putnik. "Falling under its influence means losing psychological health, money, and spiritual independence. The sect's goal is to establish totalitarian control over every sphere of life, and to depersonalize it." Putnik warned the citizens of his region to watch for strange words like "clearing," or "auditing," or any mention of Hubbard and dianetics. He warned also about such organizations as Narconon, Criminon, WISE, Applied Scholastics, and the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International.
