www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall An Icon of Stalin?

This is not a holy icon! This a shameful piece of neo-Soviet propaganda!

[Linked Image]

An icon depicting Soviet leader Joseph Stalin has appeared in a church of Leningrad district's city of Strelnya, Novaya Gazeta reported Wednesday.

The church's Beneficiary Evstafy Zhakov said the legend has it that Stalin would often hold discourse with Blessed Matrona of Moscow. And that is the scene depicted on the icon. However, church visitors didn't think it was a good idea and the icon was placed in the church's remote corner.

Beneficiary Zhakov explained that he sees Stalin as one of the nation's fathers, no matter how bad he was. He does not believe Stalin was an atheist.

The recent events are far not surprising though, some suggest even canonizing Stalin. Stalin is believed to be responsible for 20 million deaths.

Source: www.lenta.ru [lenta.ru]

Would it be rude to spit on the floor if someone mentions "St. Stalin"?

Only if you wipe it up straight away and it's not on the carpets. Never in front of the children, or the place will be one big mess.

I think this is serious news. And not good news for the ROC.

There was interesting discussion of this on Fisheaters: http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/apologia/vpost?id=3301415

The discussion on Fisheaters, using this aberrant event as a means to question the orthodoxy of the ROC, was less interesting than it was typical.

Additionally, the actions of a single cleric cannot be ascribed to a church as a whole except in the most extraordinary of circumstances. If such were the case, I'm sadly afraid that most all of our churches would look to the world as institutions with which few would choose to affiliate in worship or any other regard.

This subject was recently discussed in another thread here and, more to the point, the priest, described as elderly, has been reprimanded by the St Petersburg Metropolitinate and the "icon" removed from the church. See a follow-up article [byztex.blogspot.com] posted on the blog of our fellow member, ByzantineTx.

Many years,

Neil

wow....

this doesn't belong in any church.

It either belongs on a dartboard in a sports bar or in the garbage

Well - if you ask me Stalin is running away from the icons of saints behind him.
It is very clear that his back is to the saints and not his face - which clearly is a statement! Doesn't Satan appear in Icons as well? and even Satan unable to face the Glory!