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He abandoned his old habits and set out across Russia as a wandering holy man. Barefoot, unkempt, and intense, he traveled from monastery to monastery, preaching repentance and claiming spiritual insight. Some regarded him as a healer. Others saw a fanatic. Rumors spread that he belonged to secret …

He abandoned his old habits and set out across Russia as a wandering holy man. Barefoot, unkempt, and intense, he traveled from monastery to monastery, preaching repentance and claiming spiritual insight. Some regarded him as a healer. Others saw a fanatic. Rumors spread that he belonged to secret mystical sects that believed sin itself could lead to salvation.