But under the political régime of Russia in the 1870s, no public body or society could act freely if its activity was not fully approved by the government.

[citation needed] Tchaikovsky did not approve of this new tendency and joined a social-religious group, which received the name of "God-men" because its members tried to find in themselves a reflection of God.

In 1874, Tchaikovsky left Russia, and a year later he went to the United States with a small party of men and women who shared his political views and religious feelings.

They founded a communistic settlement at "Cedar Vale", near Wichita, Kansas, and tried to work out their new religious and social teaching.

In 1876, Tchaikovsky and his friends were obliged to recognize that mankind was not yet ready for the communistic life which they believed to be an imminent development of the future.

They regarded communistic life as senseless without a constant feeling of the presence of God in the case of each member of the community, and this essential condition could not be achieved.

In 1905, during the first Russian revolution, he made a tour of America, lecturing on the subject and collecting funds for the struggle against the Imperial regime.

During World War I, he was very active under the flag of the Russian Red Cross, supplying food to the population of the fighting area.