World | Russia Final Doomsday Cultists Exit Russian Cave Stench of corpses trumped need to await apocolypse By Jonas Oransky Posted May 16, 2008 10:15 AM CDT Copied Women, members of a Russian cult, who left a cave after waiting the end of the world, together with their leader, self-declared prophet Pyotr Kuznetsov, right, on March 28. (AP Photo) The final nine members of a Russian doomsday cult holed up in a cave to await the apocalypse (coming this month) have abandoned ship, unable to stand the stench of two people who had died. Thirty-five followers of a self-declared prophet calling himself Father Pyotr climbed into the cave in November and threatened to blow themselves up if police tried to remove them, the BBC reports. A local official said the end of the siege was prompted by the “threat of poisoning from toxic corpse fumes.” One cult member had died from fasting and a second from cancer. The other cultists had left over several months. Pyotr himself, who never entered the cave, is receiving treatment at a psychiatric clinic—and has been charged with founding a violent religion. Read These Next The Air Force has changed its tune on Ashli Babbitt. Open that wallet big time for a trip to Disney, if you can afford it. Minneapolis shooter had a plan—and grievances. A 'tense' clash with RFK Jr. led to CDC chief's trouble. Report an error