Temple and Church

The conflict around the program of the Isaac's Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church has grown up the city framework and turned into an all -Russian scandal. Last week in the media, a replica of a "high -ranking federal official" was made that the transfer was not agreed with Putin. It is also indicative of the time given to this issue in the Vesti Week program on the Russia-1 channel: the block of plots about Isaaca took 17 minutes there! Surprisingly to the general public, the presenter Dmitry Kiselev allowed himself to quite harshly into the supporters of the transfer of the temple - deputies of the State Duma Evgeny Fedorov (and his organization of NOD) and Vitaly Milonov. The first was criticized for attacks on Kiselev himself, the second - for an anti -Semitic statement made for journalists during the struggle for Isaac.

However, it is premature to talk about the "thaw" in this matter. The block of materials in the "Vesti" was called "small" and was dedicated equally to political activists, who acts both for and against the transfer of the temple. Kiselev as a whole propagated the point of view of Patriarch Kirill, who, after mass protests, promises to preserve the museum and part of his staff after the transfer of the Temple of the Russian Orthodox Church. Meanwhile, the “high -ranking federal official” mentioned above stated that the fate of the cathedral has not yet been resolved and, perhaps, it will remain in the joint use of the Russian Orthodox Church and the secular authorities. That is, the situation may return to the starting point - after all, regular services in the cathedral have been going on for a long time.

In reality, the problem is solved on the street. Initially, the authorities simply set out to satisfy the request of Patriarch Kirill about the transfer of Isaacor of the Russian Orthodox Church (possibly as a belated gift to the anniversary of the Primate). It was decided not to reckon with probable public protests - it was assumed that they would be insignificant. However, rallies turned out to be large -scale and systematic, and most importantly, significant public figures joined in protest. The movements in the position of the federal authorities occurred after a large rally on February 12, when the protesters built a triple living chain around the cathedral.

According to the scope, these protests in St. Petersburg are no less than against the outbreak of war in Ukraine three years ago. By significance, they surpass them - since they showed that from Putin and even more so, the same “Putin majority” began to move away from the Governor Poltavchenko in the city. Modest museum workers, led by the loyal director of the Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky, were capable of large -scale protest, which is extremely significant for the St. Petersburg city community and without jokes threatening the "New Bolotnaya".

That is why the authorities, if they did not back down (they also think about it), then tried to calm passions with the usual methods. Firstly, they wrapped the presumptuous - primarily those who crawled out with anti -Semitic speeches - stupid supporters; Secondly, they, in turn, tried to demonstrate the doubtful public support of their actions. Last Sunday, the St. Petersburg Metropolitan organized a service and a procession in Isaacia, mobilizing for this parishioners and clergy from all over the diocese. The service was attended by 3-4 thousand people, in the procession participated, judging by the video, 500 people (reported about 8 thousand). According to the authorities, this was enough for Kiselev in the evening of the same day he could insist on the correctness of the idea of ​​transferring the temple. Opponents of the almost adopted “final decision” of the Russian Orthodox Church can overcome only another truly mass demonstration. They will be able to organize it or not is an open question.

Be that as it may, the public discussion around the internal state and social ambitions of the Russian Orthodox Church is experiencing a new important stage. Over and over the initiatives associated with the "revival of Orthodoxy", they meet an increasing outrage of the general public, who previously belonged to them, if not with enthusiasm, then at least tolerable. Patriarch Cyril has to fully use his personal resource in the battle for specific real estate objects and involve more and more dubious allies - right -wing guards "forty forty" and young football fans from the "Neva Front".

Meanwhile, standing behind him and the seeming single community of the Church begins to crumble. And the point here is not even in the drift of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from Moscow, but in the increasing process of the decomposition of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia itself. The hopes, which were originally assigned to the Patriarch by the "church people" have long been lost. Despite the successes of the church PR and the lobbying of church initiatives in the apparatus of power, in recent years hundreds, if not thousands of priests and monks have thought about whether they should remain in the "system", where there are few Christ and many mammon (clamped in a fist of real authorities in the church). The Internet is full of stories and denouncing the Russian Orthodox Church "former" clergy - disappointed, looking for a new place in life. The other day, a very active site has been created to express their views. He will compete with other rapidly growing "anti -church" projects. For example, the atheist group on the social network VKontakte has up to six hundred thousand participants.

The story around Isaac, no matter how it develops further, will not pass for the image and organizational structure of the Russian Orthodox Church without a trace. Those millions of rubles that in the case of transferring the temple will receive church and near -church businessmen from the operation of a nationwide museum may well turn out to be the straw that will turn the camel of the ridge - in any case, in a single city. Governor Poltavchenko and Metropolitan of St. Petersburg Barsonofius have long won the dislike of the townspeople. Let's see what administrative conclusions this "charitable business" will end for them.