Magazine article: Active Members (2002)

In 1992, Dianetics and Scientology were just beginning to explode across the former Soviet Union. At the forefront of this explosion were two future IAS Freedom Medal winners: Vladimir Kuropiatnik of the Moscow Dianetics Center and Galina Shurinova of the St. Petersburg Dianetics Center, the first missions in Russia. When Vladimir’s photo first appeared in IMPACT, in Issue 44 in 1992, it was as one of the first Russians to sign the Pledge to Mankind in Moscow. Vladimir is now both an IAS Freedom Medal winner and a Sea Org executive – the Commanding Officer of WISE CIS. Galina led the St. Petersburg Dianetics Center as its Executive Director since she opened it in January 1993. And now, as of March 13, 2002, she is the Executive Director of the first Class V org in Russia, an org which is well on its way to becoming Saint Hill size.¹

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