Return the princess

This fall, the imperishable princess, the Bal, the heroine of the Altai epic, promised to return to Altai. Deceived. The Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, together with federal culture officials, agreed to lead it to Germany in 2007 and put it on public display.

They carry icons, carry relics, reboot the saints and the Great - this is possible in a vocational one. So the princess will be taken. Although, according to the Altai pagan view, it is sacrilege. But in the framework of cultural exchange and education, it turns out, normal, all the more good at the cultural level to fix the gas friendship of Russia and Germany.

For Orthodox relics - respect. For the faith of the Altai, there was no time for respect

Archaeologists who broke the grave of the princess 13 years ago were awarded by President Putin. Altai walkers are not allowed to the Kremlin, so the president did not hear about how they suffer. And the scientists under the white hands lead. Indeed, how not to reward for the opening of the century! To whom the hunt to understand that scientists came to a place revered in the Altai people, excavated the grave of a woman whose name is known to every local child, as well as her great affairs.

Usually people do not like it when they break the graves of their ancestors. But this is a scientific grave. For archaeologists, it is called "corpse on the side with bent knees." Archaeologists removed clothes from the princess, separated the skull, explored fabrics, and shot on film.

If your dead mother scientists from the ground will dig out and publicly under the cameras will take off her clothes in the name of science, what will you experience regardless of the degree of your enlightenment?

After the revolution, the relics of the saints were thrown out to reproach. Now for Orthodox relics - respect. For the faith of the Altai, the time of respect has not yet come. They have to worry about what Orthodox people experienced when bonfires were arranged from icons, and with relics they torn the bedspreads.

Scientists even explained to the dark shamanists that the princess was not their tribe, but another. That her eyes were blue ...

Only the Altai people do not believe scientists. And the Tuvans do not believe, collect signatures to send to the Kremlin. Such scientists for them are a symbol of wildness, fraudkers of holy graves.

And the princess for the "unenlightened" Altai with the Tuvans - like Jeanne D´ark for the French. The mother of their tribe, the defender of their freedom, the interlocutor of their shamans, the heroine of their legends, the great warrior. It was like living, among the ice, surrounded by saddled horses.

Altai - indigenous inhabitants in Altai, have been living here for two thousand years. It turns out that it is possible to trade them in local markets, once indigenous. But you can’t have your shrines.

Fighting with the dead is a dangerous matter. Much more dangerous than fighting with the living. It is especially not recommended to fight with those who did not order to disturb their ashes. And it is not at all recommended to fight with shamans.

The grave of Timur was disturbed on June 21, 1941. On December 20, 1942, Stalin, delving into the coincidence of the dates, ordered Timur’s skull to be returned to the place.

The 2003 earthquake destroyed the Altai houses. What omen is needed to give their shrine, which had been in the earth for the patient and humble people, who has been in the earth?

10/22/2006 The material was published in the newspaper No. 193 dated 10.23.2006.