Psychiatric commitments of religious dissenters in Tsarist and Soviet Russia: two case studies

Recent literature suggests that involuntary commitment of dissenters to psychiatric institutions in the Soviet Union is politically motivated. It may be useful to consider two documented cases of commitment from two different historical periods in Russia: the case of Kondratii A. Malevannyi during the Tsarist regime and the case of Patient Pr. during Stalin's rule. Allegedly, both Malevannyi and Patient Pr. claimed to be Jesus Christ. Their public behavior attracted the attention of authorities. Since such behavior was illegal, both could have been charged in court or exiled by administrative action. They were neither charged nor exiled. Instead, both were diagnosed by psychiatrists as paranoiacs and were involuntarily committed. The diagnoses and commitments were challenged by L. N. Tolstoi and I. P. Pavlov. The commitment decisions were consonant with contemporary Western psychiatric practice that conceptualized deviant behavior in terms of "mental illness." The cases suggest that the present commitment of dissenters in the Soviet Union may be based upon a psychiatric judgment, although political factors may be relevant. A reliable documentation regarding current practices is necessary before any definite conclusions can be made.