Representatives of the Orthodox community fear the Solovetsky House of Culture will become a “springhead for the spread of occultism”

On May 10, 2011, a group of Orthodox residents of the Solovetsky Islands sent an appeal to the head of the Solovki settlement, Alexey Efipov, regarding the upcoming opening of a tourist information center. This center should be headed by Oleg Kodola, a member of the Russian Geographical Society and, according to the authors of the appeal, “a fan of shamanism and magic.”

Orthodox Christians fear that under his leadership the local cultural center will turn into “a springboard for the spread of occultism.” They consider it unacceptable to invite a “militant atheist” as a tourism consultant to the village administration and demand “not to transfer the village House of Culture to either O.E. Kodole or anyone else who wants... to use this building for the purpose of... consolidation anti-Orthodox forces at the walls of the holy monastery."

Let us remind you that O. Kodola considers the transfer of museum property to the Solovetsky Monastery illegal .

The authors of the appeal proposed developing an ethical code for residents and guests of Solovki: “It should strictly prohibit the creation of militant anti-Orthodox structures on the island, no matter what they are called, conducting provocative, illiterate excursions and lectures, organizing “shamanic” gatherings under the guise of scientific seminars, destroy the harmony, purity, silence and grace of the Russian national shrine."

The document was signed by about 100 people. Copies were sent to Patriarch Kirill, the leadership of the Arkhangelsk region and representatives of the federal government.

On May 25, 2011, Archimandrite Porfiry (Shutov) commented on this appeal in the Church Bulletin.

“For Oleg Kodola, like anyone else, I wish only the best. “He, like everyone else, has his own advantages and disadvantages, he goes through some path of spiritual development,” the priest said.

All the time that he has been in Solovki, which is already ten years, he has always been in opposition. However, now Oleg Kodola finds himself in a completely different position, he is trying to cooperate with the local authorities and offer some kind of positive program. Naturally, this transition is accompanied by a public assessment of himself, which reflects his past activities. But over the previous years, Oleg Kodola earned distrust and a very negative attitude towards himself from believing local residents.

Therefore, the appearance of an open letter is a completely natural reaction of people to the project to create a tourist information center, which Oleg Kodola proposed together with the new head of the administration.”

The archimandrite supported the idea of ​​​​adopting the Solovki ethical code.

Sources

• Orthodox Christians called for the development of an ethical code for residents and guests of Solovki // Interfax-religion. 2011. May 10.
• Archimandrite Porfiry (Shutov) about an open letter from the residents of Solovki // Church Bulletin. 2011. May 25.