Alexander Bulatovich

After Bulatovich returned to Russia he received a Silver Medal from the Russian Geographical Society for his work in Ethiopia and the military rank of a poruchik (later Rittmeister) of the Leib Guard Hussars.

In 1907 after reading the book On Caucasus Mountains by the schema-monk Hilarion (Domrachov), he became one of the leaders of the imiaslavie movement within the Russian Orthodox Church.

When the movement was proclaimed a heresy and disbanded by a Russian military force in 1913, he was in St. Petersburg pleading the cause of monks.

He continued his fight for the recognition of imiaslavie, published many theological books proving its dogmas, obtained an audience with the Nicholas II and eventually managed to secure some sort of rehabilitation for himself and his imiaslavtsy comrades.

In January 1919, Anthony Bulatovich stopped any relations with the Holy Synod and Tikhon and returned to his family estate in Lebedinka, where he started a small skete and lived the life of a hermit.

Antony Bulatovich was most probably the original for the grotesque Schema-Hussar Alexei Bulanovich from the novel The Twelve Chairs by Ilf and Petrov.