Khlysts

The Khlysts or Khlysty (Russian: Хлысты, IPA: [xlɨˈstɨ], lit. "whips") were an underground Spiritual Christian sect which emerged in Russia in the 17th century.

The sect is traditionally said to have been founded in 1645 by Danilo Filippovich, although there is no written evidence to support this claim. The beliefs and practices of its members included ecstatic rituals, worship of charismatic leaders, and a rejection of the priesthood and holy books. They believed in direct communication with the Holy Spirit and practiced the ritual of radenie  [ru] ("rejoicing"), which was characterized by dancing, speaking in tongues, and prophesying.

Throughout their history, the Khlysts were pursued by accusations of sexual immorality and faced persecution from other religious groups and from the government. In the 18th century, doctrinal changes led to schisms, and by the 1970s, only a few isolated groups remained. The Khlysts had a significant influence on other Russian sectarian movements, such as the Skoptsy, Dukhobors and Molokans. Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin was associated with the Khlysts in popular rumor, but the consensus among historians is that he was not a member of the sect.