Pussy Riot

Was Deacon Andrey excluded from the Theological Commission for his Defence of “Pussy Riot” ?

Deacon Andrey Kurayev have since long  been a face towards the public on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church . I read articles and saw books , written by him, while I was a student in Moscow in the 90’s.  Now he is excluded from the list of members in the Theological Commission of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church –  Moscow Patriarchate – where he worked for ten years.

Diakonen Andrej Kurajev

Was he excluded for his defence of “Pussy Riot“?  No, he never defended them that much.  He condemned  their action in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow in February  2012, but he made some remarks to “defend the Gospel”. He didn’t think the  Church should call for a severe punishment.

The thing is about “publications made on social media that are not according to standard”, of the official Church. In a one-hour interview the other day over “Radio Echo  Moscow” about the Church and Society in general,  certain interesting points of view are made, as he search to define his role :

“…  Question: Of course. Well,this may be a delicate question. When you write about  the    internal ecclesiastical situation –  is it easy to do it, or is it not? One must compare such  activity  with the famous rule:’Do no harm’. Yes, it is clear, from one side it is obvious, that  you  suffer  because of what has happened, and a lot so because of what may harm people  within as well as  without the Church, but from another side this stuff will be read by  people not  well-intended, who are satisfied only to wave any critic and say:’Oh, so  they are all the same’.

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A few seditious words in Moscow ?

Friday the 27t h of December was the day for a first official press-conference with Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyochina, two members of the punk-band which made a performance in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow in february 2012, and since have spent time in prison. Until last Monday..

Tolokno o Aljochina Dozchd

A lot was asked and said. Who could sum it up ? One can look here, and here also. And here.

The crazy glory of Russia. (reflections on the case of Pussy Riot by a dissident from the 70’s)

From “Grani.ru“ 22/8 2012, written by Alexandr Podrabinek. That was the name of a jewish human right-activist who spent time in jail under Brezhnev in the 70’s for the reason that he was actively struggling against the soviet, political  psychiatry. I have a suspicion that it is the same person.                                                                                                                            –

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Alexandr Podrabinek in the 70’s – and nowadays

 

What did the foreigners know about Russia? Matryoschka, vodka and roaring bears on the roads? Later the perspective widened with Sputnik, Gagarin, ballets and perestroika. But it was all long ago.

From those times – only the nuclear bomb is left. But it is no unique russian phenomenon, and nobody marvels nowadays, having heard about it. But the leadership in Kreml , which is consumed by empty national vainglory and longing for the once ruined Soviet empire, do indeed desire – if not to threat the whole world – then after all to make some kind of impression upon it. But no! The grey forces in power does not allow anything colourful to bloom.

And suddenly – Pussy Riot! All the world speak about them, and the rubrics about the court against them goes on the front pages of the most famous newspapers and are mentioned first in news broadcasts on TV. World famous stars in showbiz and in Hollywood take a stand for them , musicians and singers, politicians and writers, mayors of world capitals and also parliamentarians. Finally Russia attracts a world-wide attention!  I suspect that president Putin in secrecy smile and is proud over our country, and that he attributes to himself the amazing success because of Pussy Riot’s PR-campaign. For the reason of such a PR-campaign he gladly would let all the women-ensembles in the country rot in jail together with all the women opera singers, not only the punk performers Tolokonnikova, Alyoschina and Samutsevitj.

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