Ukrainian public organization “Narconon” offers the Crimean authorities introduce its program, which is said to prevent drug addiction among children and youth, at schools. The Ministry of Education of Crimean Autonomous Republic strongly objects this, as “Narconon” is connected with scientology church, which is considered by many experts to be a totalitarian cult. PROGRAM OF TOTAL INVASION

Many Crimeans have already got to know the international “Narconon” system. This organization’s lecturer, Marina Gribanova, has recently read lectures in a number of Simferopol schools. These lectures, which were meant to prevent drug addiction, were also broadcasted by local TV channels. Soon it became clear that Mikhail Bakharev, the deputy head of Crimean Autonomous Republic Verkhovna Rada, lobbies “Narconon’s” visit to Crimea. He tells that in Kharkov region this organization makes good anti-drug lectures. He suggests that Crimea should use this experience. Vice-speakers attitude is strongly appreciated by the “Central Scientology Portal”; they are highly estimating “such an active support”. According to the website’s information, he wants the Crimean Verkhovna Rada give money from the budget for purchasing discs with this lecture for all the educational institutes (boarding schools included). The portal claims that all these actions show that “Narconon” program is gaining popularity all over the peninsular”. Bakharev is sure that the organization’s specialists give very good lectures and don’t talk the children into adopting any religion. "I think that the colour of the cat is nothing if it catches mice ", — he told to "Sobitiya".  The vice-speaker doesn’t think that the members of “Narconon” are sectarians, yet, he considers that he would rather prefer people to be sectarians than drug-addicts. "I would like everyone in Crimea be Orthodoxies, like me. Yet, it is in human nature that we are different and we choose different things. Maybe, someone will be right happy in some sect", — he told. “Narconon’s” representatives admit that their organization is connected with scientology, but they claim that their lectures have nothing to do with religion. Yevgeniy Popruzhenko, “Narconon’s” CEO in Ukraine, told to “Sobitiya”: “Yes, we do use Ron Hubbard’s techniques (Hubbard is the founder of scientology church. – editor.). But he has worked in a great number of spheres. We are using very few of his researches in order to deal with the problem of alcohol and drug abuse”. He says that “Narconon” lectures are now read in many schools of Ukraine and that 12 regional TV channels showed their intention to broadcast them. “People do need this product”, Popruzhenko told. Grobanova never tried to hide the fact that Bakhaev lobbies “Narconon” in Crimea. "It just went like that. He had seen our lecture. He is a very smart man. As soon as he saw our lecture, he told that it was what he needed”, - she explains. Gribanova claims that there is not a single word considering popularization of scientology in the lecture. “I have read lectures for  170 thousands of children. Nobody could do it like that. And during all that time only three children came up to her and asked if they could know more about it”, she told. Gribanova doesn’t agree with those, who say that scientology is a sect (this is the Orthodox Church’s opinion, too). “Let the Orthodoxies alone, they claim everyone to be evil. But most countries consider scientology to be a religion”, — she said. 

 ON THE LEVEL OF SUBCORTEX

The Ministry of Education of Crimean Autonomous Republic has already told that they are against Bakharev’s decision. They think that “Narconon” is tightly connected with the scientology church. And Mikhail Segalov, the psychotherapist of Crimean Republican Healthcare Center told “E-CRYM” agency that “Narconon’s” lectures are just the screen for scientologists’ recruiting new members.The head of High School Department of the Ministry of Education of Crimean Autonomous Republic Julia Gavrilenko told that “Scientology Church, presenting the “Narconon” program at schools is just a sect”. "They need school in order to get into and get it – she told to “Sobitiya”. – They are using various methods, including the neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). These methods can’t be used for work with underage; one can use it only if he has the parents’ permission”. Gavrilenko considers that specialists of “Narconon” are using the technique, which shows people “what is vice and what is virtue”. People, who are exposed to such a suggestion, become even more vulnerable to any kinds of suggestion – she mentioned – let us leave alone all the consequences, we had after Kashpirovsky or Chumack. This is just the same (“Narconon” denies any usage of NLP in their organization).Gavrilenko considers the officials’ lobbying of “Narconon” is speaking for their populism and lack of professionalism. "If the person has a kind of chemical abuse – smoking, alcohol abuse, etc, NLP affects him much faster than if the person is healthy. It is more pleasant for me to think that the authorities got under “Narconon’s” influence and they don’t really know much about them, than to think that they want our children become sectarians ", — she told. 

COMMENTDmithy Sushko, the priest of the Crimean Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church:

Of course, Orthodox Church has a bad attitude towards scientology. Hubbardists, or scientologists use their adepts to gain some profit from them. And the adepts want to save their souls from the sin by donating the money to the sect. One of scientologists once told me: “Ukraine is a wonderful country: no country let us work with children except for Ukraine”. Now their leaders are trying to get into our school hiding under the noble deed of preventing drug addiction.