You can walk around Moscow endlessly. I often use good sunny days to enjoy the city. It looks like a huge termite mound, where everyone is busy with his own business. Residents of Moscow are characterized by continuous activity. You walk the streets and feel like a grain of sand on the beach. The most interesting thing is to watch the youth. It is its representatives that are the bearers of progress in culture, sports, and fashion. To be the most “advanced”, they are ready to do a lot. And they do. Moscow’s social groups are very colorful, their life is eventful, it is mobile and changeable, like the wind. My best friend belongs to one of these communities. She told me so much about her “brothers” and “sisters” that I tried joining the youth movement.

Having asked my friend to take me to the next meeting, I received a warm reply. It was a modern sect with the most typical name, such as “Children of Christ”. The X-youth was hanging out there (together with God, they preached art and sport). Honestly, going there was a little scary, because they often say bad things about sects. At the last moment I already wanted to refuse, but, looking at the girlfriend’s joyful in anticipation face, I still decided to go. She made me a warning along the way: modesty and tact in everything, no matter what happens. To my question, what awaits me there, even so, she said that the “Children” build their life according to the commandments of the Bible, and they are trying to direct the lost on the true path and to accustom beginners to a righteous life. Then came the solemn tirade in honor of the clever and enlightened “like-minded people”.

At this place, the laughter began to dismantle me. Finally, we reached the goal and entered a small white building near which shiny expensive cars stood. Probably, modern preachers should look accordingly, to better influence their followers. It was with these machines that the surprises began. As soon as we crossed the threshold of the hall, they attacked us from all sides and after a few minutes, I froze, literally licked from head to toe. Twenty people considered it their duty to kiss me at least once each. Then everything developed dynamically. They approached me with meticulous questions of a very different nature: from interest, who my parents are, to how much I eat in the morning. I did not expect such attention to my person.

Stunned, at first I tried to answer honestly and modestly, but then I realized that it was useless, and I became silent, also modestly and in good faith. My girlfriend was kissing with everyone, but obviously with much greater pleasure (the enthusiasm with which these people talked and jumped at each other would have been more fruitful, for sure, applicable to useful and meaningful activities). Gradually, everyone flowed into the huge hall without chairs, where they lit candles brought with them, and, as if on command, they calmed down. On the scene appeared... Christian Ray. I was in shock. On his face, the half-surprised bliss of a child born two hours ago poured. Dark gray eyes gleamed on a swarthy face framed by black hair. A handsome one, I will forgive such a man a lot of things, and I was ready to forgive, remembering also that he had a wonderful voice. But as soon as he began to read pieces from the Old Testament in his own slightly slang manner, I felt uneasy.

The entire first part of the program consisted of Christian Ray's sayings. In the second part, a young guy and a girl appeared on the stage and told with tears in their eyes they used to swear and quarrel, lead a dissolute life, and now they don’t even kiss, their feelings are as pure as the eyes of a child, they completely forgot about sex and started instead to read prayers every day, thanking the savior for giving them life. Let's face it, they did not look righteous. During these outpourings, I looked around: on the faces of the listeners was written a full agreement with the speakers and gratitude for their words. All this was like the medieval mass described by Charles de Coster.

The most amazing thing was that all those present took what was happening seriously, and they longed for a continuation. And then, in the third part, the “Metro” and “X-Mission” groups came out. The guys that you usually see on the blue screen energetic and active here seemed to be gray shadows that came from the kingdom come to tell about the horrors of hell. It was fashionable to believe in God and shout about it in every corner. Both groups were pessimistic and caused a feeling of terrible yearning. Having seen enough celebrities, I ran away from there, not finding a girlfriend. The impression left after visiting a fashionable youth party remained negative. I won’t go there anymore.