Vasily Pashkov lived in a luxurious mansion on the French Embankment in St. Petersburg, where he hosted balls that attracted the city's elite and even members of the royal family. He owned 13 estates in various provinces and four copper mines in the Urals, and he was personally acquainted with the emperor. However, his life changed dramatically when he decided to dedicate himself to Christian ministry, inspired by English Lord Grenville Redstock.

Redstock arrived in St. Petersburg in 1873 and began giving public lectures on religious topics. These "salon sermons" quickly gained popularity among the aristocracy and other social strata. The lord informed Pashkov that God wanted to establish a new covenant with him, forgetting his sins. Inspired, Pashkov became an active supporter of Redstock's teachings and, after his departure, led the movement of Russian evangelical Christians known as the Pashkovites.

The Pashkovites were engaged not only in preaching but also in social work: they opened cheap canteens, tea houses for workers, shelters for the homeless, workshops for women in need of income, and schools for poor children. They also published a magazine called "Russian Worker." In one of his houses in St. Petersburg, Pashkov organized a canteen for the poor, where up to 1,000 people were fed daily with high-quality food.

However, the activities of the Pashkovites drew discontent from the Russian Orthodox Church. The magazine "Strannik" wrote about Pashkov as a sectarian with local roots. When Pashkov and his like-minded individuals attempted to unite all Russian Christians, gendarmerie general Orzhevsky summoned him and demanded that he cease preaching and leave Russia within two weeks, threatening to revoke his rights to manage his estates.

Pashkov left Russia, but his followers continued their religious activities. He provided them with financial support until the end of his life. Vasily Alexandrovich passed away in February 1902 in Rome.