On October thirteenth, 1307, the French king Philip IV ordered the arrest of all the Templars in France. Having officially banned the activities of the order, the king decided that he had finally destroyed the Order. But he was wrong. The followers of the Templars continued the work of their dead companions. Therefore, it is not surprising that the traces of the Templars were found in Russia. We are talking about the so-called neo-samplers. According to the available information, these were not the same medieval Templars, who owned enormous wealth and were the most influential financial and economic force in Europe. And although the neo-Templars continued to call themselves the descendants of the Templars, in reality, they had little in common with the Knights of the Templar Order.
In 1917, the anarchist and sociologist Apollo Andreevich Karelin returned to Russia. While in France, he joined the Order and returned to his homeland with one goal: to create the "Eastern Detachment" of the Order. Andrey Bely (poet, writer, poet and memoirist) actively helped him in this. The first "knights" of the new detachment were the then famous artists: the Zavadski brothers, M. A. Chekhov, V. Smyshlyaev, mathematicians: D. Boehm and A. Solonovich, poet P. Arensky, artists: A. Uittenhoven, L. Nikitin, anarchists: G. Anosov and N. Bogomolov.
The Eastern Detachment of the Order included several units that were considered preparatory: the Order of the Spirit, the Order of Light and the Temple of the Arts. The organization followed strict discipline. The "knights" could move to a higher level only after passing the exam, the essence of which was to pronounce a secret formula and the need to tell several legends. The detachment included the "Brotherhood of Mercy", which united a part of the initiated knights, as well as people close to the Order, but did not join it. The goal of the Brotherhood of Mercy was to secretly help people who needed it (clothing, social, medical, financial).
At regular meetings, the knights of the Order were given lectures on philosophy, cosmology, ancient epos, history of the ancient world, spiritual principles, Atlantis, chivalry, etc.
There were a lot of anarchists among the Russian neo-templars, but they did not set any political goals for themselves within the framework of the Order. The main goal of the Order in Russia was education, discussion of issues of history, philosophy and art. In 1930, the OGPU arrested and repressed all members of the "Eastern Detachment" neo-templars, considering them dangerous for the statehood of Russia …
Until now, historians are struggling with the fact of the disappearance of the Templars' gold during their defeat in 1307. The Templars were considered the richest order in human history. One of the versions is the assumption that traces of the Templars' gold should be sought in Russia. There is reliable information that on the eve of the arrests, the Templar gold was sent from Paris to the port of La Rochelle, where it was loaded onto 18 galleys, which immediately sailed in an "unknown direction." And in the same year 1307, according to Russian chronicles, the Moscow prince Yuri Danilovich met in Novgorod the overseas pilgrims (overseas caliks) who arrived on 18 ships. The annals indicate that the guests brought with them "a myriad of gold treasuries, pearls and precious stones."Then they complained to the prince about "all the lies of the prince of Gauls and the pope" and asked to keep the treasures.
At the same time, it remains a mystery how such a number of ships could pass from the coast of France to Novgorod through numerous cordons, given the fact that the "hunt" for the Templars and their gold began throughout Europe.
However, there is an assumption that the Templars participated in the financing and construction of the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Vladimir. This happened during the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky. Historical records say that Bogolyubsky took part in the 2nd Crusade. But there is very little information about this period of Bogolyubsky's life, which raises the idea that the information was hidden on purpose for some mysterious purpose. It is known that Andrei Bogolyubsky developed friendly relations with the Emperor Frederick. As proof of their friendship, the Emperor of Germany sent his craftsmen to the Vladimir prince, who were entrusted with the construction of the Assumption Cathedral: "The craftsmen were sent from the Emperor Frederick Pervago, with whom Andrew was in friendship." It should be noted that many researchers believe that the participation of the Templars in the construction of the temple is possible.but they deny that the Templars financed the building, because at that time the Templars did not yet possess the fabulous wealth and influence that they acquired much later.
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The mysterious and sudden rise of Moscow was associated with the "settled" in Russia the gold of the Templars, and this happened after the knights brought wealth in their 18 galleys.
According to an alternative history, Moscow, before its sudden rebirth, was for a long time a stronghold of the Templars. In the annals there is a mention of the fact that during 1305-1314 a lot of "service people" came to Moscow en masse. These military people "on horseback in full armor" came from Lithuania, from the horde and "from the Germans" and were, most likely, Templars who fled from the French king and the Pope's inquisition. And although the version of the rise of Moscow at the expense of the Templars has a right to exist, most historians do not accept it.
But this is only one of the many secrets of the Templars. The most significant mystery left by the Templars is the mystery of the Holy Grail. This relic disappeared without a trace along with the defeat of the Order. And it is possible that the Holy Grail was hidden by the knights in Moscow. Historian Dmitry Zenin believes that the Holy Grail may be located in the underground of the Kremlin. And he came to Russia from England as a dowry of the wife of the Russian prince Vladimir Monomakh.
Most often, supporters of the versions about the Russian Templars refer not to archival documents, but to illustrative material: numerous symbols found by researchers on the territory of Moscow. This refers to the eight-pointed stars on St. Basil's Cathedral, crosses and roses on old trellises, symbols of the Templars on the moldings of houses and statues of knights.
In addition, it is believed that some Russian noble families had Templars in their ancestors: the Nazimovs, Suvorovs, Shchukins, Nesterovs. But centuries have passed, and the generations associated with the Templars assimilating in Russia, no longer had anything to do with the knights of the Order. And those Masonic lodges that existed in Russia were in no way connected with the templars. Also, in Russia for a long time it was believed that the secrets of the Templars should remain secrets - the time for clues has not yet come.
Despite the "purge" of the ranks of the Templars, carried out by the OGPU in the 30s, the organization of the Eastern Templars still operates in Russia. The center of the organization is located in California. This is due to the location of the founder of the Agape lodge - Aleister Crowley. The Eastern Knights Templar has a significant difference from traditional Freemasonry, although it also has a system of degrees of initiation.
Also, since 1993, the representation of the Supreme Knightly Order of the Jerusalem Temple has officially been operating in Russia, but in the Russian version it sounds like the Great Russian Priory of the Order of the Temple. It is known that the first Great Prior of Russia was Vladimir Pavlovich Egorov.
In addition, since 2000, there has been a Pan's Asylum in Moscow. It was founded on the basis of a charter received by the organization from the Supreme Council of the Ordo Templi Orientis. The main structure of "Pan's Refuge" consists of those who have passed initiation in other countries. The training program for members of the organization is mysticism and magic. But this organization is unlikely to be related to the traditional Templars, only by name.
The Ministry of Justice officially registered the Great Priory (Great Priory of Russia (Moscow) in the name of St. Alexander Nevsky), consisting of two commanders: the Moscow named after St. Sergius of Radonezh and the St. Petersburg named after St. George the Victorious.
But not only in Russia the Templar Order operates. Branches of the Order, according to researchers, exist in Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Croatia, Latvia, Montenegro, Ukraine, as well as Estonia and Greece.
History shows that no matter how carefully the secrets of the Order of the Templars are guarded, sooner or later they will be sure to be solved.