A group of Orthodox believers demands that the head of a Yakut enterprise remove the monument to Stalin

On May 13, 2013 it became known that in Yakutia the group sent Orthodox believers to the General Director of Almazy Anabara OJSC Matvey Evseev an open letter demanding to demolish the monument to Stalin, installed on territory of the enterprise on May 8.

“We are sure that no “merits” of the executioner can atone for the deaths of so many innocent people ,” the text says.

The authors of the letter believe that by “putting on the territory enterprise monument to the killer of Orthodox bishops, priests and laity, the killer Russians and Yakuts” , M. Evseev “spit in the face not only of modern Orthodox Christians of Yakutia and all of Russia, but also on the graves of grandfathers and great-grandfathers, martyred atheist Bolsheviks" .

“We consider your act disgusting and urge you apologize publicly. The guarantee of the reality and sincerity of your repentance there will be a demolition of the monument to the killer of people dear to us ,” the letter says.

Commenting on this letter, Bishop Roman of Yakutsk and Lensk called for discussing the issue of installing the monument “with a maximum of facts and a minimum of emotions, so as not to introduce an additional split into society,” since there are “different assessments of Stalin’s personality” in the Church and society.

On May 14, the First Secretary of the Republican Committee commented on the situation Communist Party of the Russian Federation of Yakutia Viktor Gubarev.

“The monument was erected at the insistent request of the veterans. If the monument is removed, it turns out that we condemned the winners of the war ,” he said.

In addition, the head of the Communists of Yakutia recalled that “even under life of Joseph Stalin received approval from the Orthodox Church .

Sources

• Orthodox demand to demolish the monument to Stalin, erected in Yakutsk // Interfax-religion. 2013. May 13.
• The head of the Yakut diocese proposes to discuss the installation of the bust of Stalin in a calm manner // Ibid.
• The leader of the Yakut communists says that the demolition of the monument to Stalin will be a manifestation of disrespect for veterans // Interfax - Far East. 2013. May 14.