Several Orthodox patriotic organizations refused to participate in the “Russian March” and want to hold their own

Movements "People's Cathedral", the Union of Orthodox banner-bearers, the Union of Orthodox citizens and "Bastion" issued a joint statement refusing to participate in the "Russian March" on November 4. Fundamental differences with other organizers of the "Russian March" were named as the reason for the refusal.

“We do not consider it possible for us to walk in a column with Hitler’s fans and friends of the Orange Revolutionaries as their “Orthodox decoration”, thereby discrediting true Russian nationalism, the imperial idea, as well as the Russian Orthodox Church,” the statement said.

The authors of the document believe that November 4 "initially was and is not a "day of struggle against immigrants", but an Orthodox and imperial holiday," therefore, representatives of Orthodox-patriotic organizations intend to hold their own "Right March" - along a different route, under imperial flags, with Orthodox icons and banners.

D. Volodikhin clarified that "the direct cause of the gap was the inclusion in the Organizing Committee of the radical National Socialist organization 'Slavic Union'". "Cooperation with such an extremist organization is impossible, and there is no recipe for 100% elimination of the threat of provocations," Volodikhin said.

On October 26, the organizers of the "Right March" held a press conference. They, in particular, presented a resolution stating: "Our event is peaceful. We strive to show the strength and brightness of the Christian tradition in Russia in the unity of the people under Orthodox banners." The organizers dissociated themselves from "some marginal extremist organizations" who "would like to use the 'Right March' for 'national-orange' purposes, hiding behind the rhetoric of 'fighting illegal immigration', fueling the most destructive tendencies."

And the chairman of the Union of Orthodox banner-bearers L. Simonovic-Niksic said: "The 'Right March' is more of a religious event, rather than a worldly one, unlike the 'Russian March'. We want to put more emphasis on creating not a political, but a religious movement" .

Sources

• Orthodox public organizations refused to participate in the "Russian March" on November 4 // Interfax-religion. 2006. October 20.
• Orthodox patriotic groups withdrew from the Russian March // Kremlin.org. 2006. October 20.
• The organizers of the Orthodox "Right March" emphasize their detachment from the ideas of nationalist extremism // Interfax-religion. 2006. October 26.