The Orthodox community of Yelets is outraged by the “authorities’ approach to the history of the city”

The Orthodox community of Yelets is outraged by the new program to create a tourist zone in the city. According to this concept, the mention in the course of the advertising campaign of the legend of the appearance of the Mother of God to Tamerlane during his campaign against Rus' would be incorrect in relation to other religions and would alienate tourists from Muslim countries from the city.

"Interfax" mentions that "Tamerlane, who was on a campaign against Russia, in 1395 unexpectedly turned his troops back on the outskirts of Yelets. The reason for his decision has not yet been clearly explained by historians. However, according to church tradition, it was at that time that Muscovites met the revered Vladimir icon of the Mother of God, transferred to Moscow to protect it from the conqueror. On the day of the meeting of the image, according to the chronicle, the Mother of God appeared to Tamerlane in a dream and ordered him to immediately leave the borders of Russia.

Archpriest Vasily Romanov, rector of the Ascension Cathedral in Yelets, stressed that he was dissatisfied with the "revisionist approach to the history of the city" and was going to "stand his ground and write a refutation."

Head of the Department of Religious Tourism of the Russian International Academy of Tourism Inga Brandt said that the intention of the Yelets authorities offends the Orthodox and splits society.

Sources

• The public of Yelets is outraged by the attempt of the authorities to declare the legend about the appearance of the Mother of God to Tamerlane politically incorrect // Interfax-religion. 2008. March 24.
• Religious tourism expert outraged by the attempt to silence the legend of the appearance of the Virgin Mary to Tamerlane // There. 2008. March 25.