Scientology's Largesse in Russia

Everyone seems to have a plan to assist the citizens of the former Soviet Union, and the CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY is no exception. For the past month, journalism students at the 237-year-old Moscow State University have been studying in the newly renovated L. Ron Hubbard Reading Room. Scientology propaganda in dozens of languages lines the walls, and video equipment is available. Pictures of Hubbard decorate the corridors, along with a bronze bust of "The Founder." Students, who have only the vaguest idea who Hubbard is, are impressed by the lavish appointments. But Western scholars in Moscow are outraged that the cult has gained such influence. With an outpost in an established university, Scientologists plan to launch a college of their own in Moscow this summer.