From Ridus.ru:
Patriarch’s Typographer Publishes Calendar with Stalin: Director Fired
The patriarchal publishing polygraphy center of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius printed a desk calendar for 2014: “STALIN”. Doctor of historical sciences, professor at RGGU Mikhail Babkin shared the discovery in his blog. A bit later Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev declared that the director of the publishing house was fired for the calendar and other possible sins this past summer.
In January the generalissimus is depicted as still completely young, from month to month his age increases, and in December Stalin is presented as an old man.
The calendar is not called biographic for nothing; on each page reference information is placed revealing new facts from the generalissimus’ life. Furthermore, the biographic information on each page is headed by Stalin’s famous nicknames: Soso, Ryaboy, Koba, Ruler, etc.
On the very last page all the photographs are collected at once, and at the same time a quote from the Leader’s contemporary, French President Charles de Gaulle, is added: “Stalin didn’t walk away into the past, he dissolved into the future.”
Information given out about the product speaks about how the calendar’s model was developed by the publishing house Dostoinstvo, which you can be sure is bringing Stalin to the forefront.
Additionally, it’s worth noting, the Russian Orthodox Church is ambiguous in its relationship to the figure of the “Leader of the People”, as well as all of the period of the cult of personality. In particular, in 2010 deputy heads of the department of external church connections of the Moscow Patriarchate, Hegumen Filipp, declared in the name of the Metropolitan Bishop of Volokolamsk Illarion that “under Stalin an inhumane system was invented, and nothing can justify it: not industrialization, not the atomic bomb, not the maintenance of state borders, not even victory in World War II, for it wasn’t Stalin who achieved all of this, but our multinational people.” Protoiereus Vsevolod Chaplin also spoke out unflatteringly about the personality of Stalin on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the generalissimus.
A little later, Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev, who, let’s remember, was recently excluded from the number of teachers of the Moscow Spiritual Academy, noted the ambiguity of the situation in his blog.
Kuraev, consequently, “explained the topic” right to the end. “The order was shipped in full on July 2, 2013 to the Customer,” writes Father Kuraev, noting that the leadership of the ROC has become strained. “Proceedings began. With the blessing of the Lavra’s leadership, typography director Natalya Ivanovna Kulagina was immediately relieved of her position, all the bookkeeping staff were fired (I think that other sins surfaced during the check).”
“An inhabitant of the Lavra Hierodeacon Nikon (Kotov) was appointed as the new director on July 17, 2013”, concludes the protodeacon. Better, as is said, late than never. Regardless. The calendar saw the light of day anyway…
It’s also worth noting that the ROC have had “problems with Stalin”. In 2010 in St. Nicholas’ Church, in a small building between the corpuses of the Russian State Library, an icon bearing Stalin’s image was placed. A large icon of Matrona of Moscow hung in the church, and next to it images of key moments of the saint’s life. In one of such images Matrona of Moscow appears in the company of Stalin.
In 2008 a scandal broke out around the St. Olga’s Church in Strelna in Leningrad Oblast, where an icon of the very same Matrona of Moscow was revealed, next to whom Stalin is depicted in full size. The icon was eventually taken down, and the dean of the church Hegemon Eustathius (Zhakov) was demoted to second priest.
According to legend Joseph Stalin visited Matrona of Moscow in 1941, at the time of the war. It is this particular moment which is printed on the icons. The ROC, and also the majority of believers and clergymen deny that Stalin was acquainted with Matrona, considering it conjecture, and claiming links are obscure.
Comments from Ridus.ru:
asinch:
You won’t hide the truth.More and more people are recognizing Stalin as the greatest statesman of the 20th century.
hippy55: (responding to above)
It’s funny that in reality, in Kuban, Stalinists are nowhere to be seen. The Cossacks don’t let these assholes appear. So if there’s something to say about the truth, come visit us in Kuban. We’ll have a talk. For example, to the Poltavskaya or Timigeorgovskaya hamlets. One such Stalinist threatened that he’d come to Yekaterinodar and come through with a poster of Stalin. I’m still waiting)))p.s. it sucks that Stalin is still honored in an especially wretched part of the population (which is happily dying out))). It means the disgrace that is Stalinism still isn’t completely cleansed from Russia. (ha)
asinch: (responding to above)
It’s strange that hippies rule there. The Cossacks didn’t see that coming.
hippy55: (responding to above)
Friar, hippies didn’t kill people, unlike from Stalin’s executioners. Got it? (ha)
asinch: (responding to above)
Stalin didn’t kill anyone either. Got it? In any state there are people doing court sentences.
hippy55: (responding to above)
You wouldn’t believe it, but nor did Hitler. He’s absolutely identical to Stalin. Got it? Regardless, it’s a rhetorical question –such people can neither think (a smart and thinking man wouldn’t have written the primitive “Stalin didn’t kill anyone either”), nor do they want to know the history of their country. It’s a shame that there aren’t any people from the front left alive in in big enough numbers to tell Stalinists that it wasn’t Stalin who won the war, but them, the soldiers and people. Stalin’s an asshole, just like Hitler. On this I consider the conversation (online) ended forever, for I cruelly despise Stalinists, although I’d gladly talk to Stalinists in real life – with pleasure. (ha)
asinch: (responding to above)
Any smart man (not a hippy) sees the canyon lying between Stalin and Hitler. Only an idiot can divide the army and its Commander-in-Chief, saying that the army can’t win the war is contrary. You’re an idiot and a dunce.
Viktor-1064: (responding to above)
Please name which people “Stalin’s executioners” killed? One of my grandpas for example laid down his life at Moscow and the other vanished at Orel feared dead. Among my acquaintances there’s not a single one who suffered under the “regime”, while there are casualties in WWII in every Russian family. And in many non-Russian ones, too. And go and look on the web at evidence of participants of the events, and not the conjectures of individuals with a vested interest.
vlandin:
The ROC’s relation to Joseph Stalin isn’t surprising. He clearly and unambiguously, like now, separated church from state and by law by law obliged churches to pay income tax. Parishioners couldn’t support churches and priests. They simply didn’t need them. It was a just constitutional decision. Under Joseph Stalin churches and priests didn’t get fatter, but focussed on spiritually feeding the parishioners.
Niko Griby Belik:
Nice calendar. We’d buy it. Honestly.
Lialia2012:
This calendar’s been published for a while. We have one for 2012, we bought it in Biblio-Globus. If anyone was fired last summer, then it wasn’t for the calendar.
Mikhail Feldman 2.0:
This is legitimate. Stalinism and Orthodoxy are twin brothers inasmuch as they are totalitarian worldviews, not allowing any personal freedom. Propagandists from the state are currently trying to have this exact mixture appeal to the population under the guise of a so-called “national idea”. The typography director was most likely fired only for stupidity – he brought to light what “spiritual leaders” had in mind too early.
Taraskin Kolya: (responding to above)
And what worldview isn’t totalitarian, Mishenka [Note: this is a patronising diminutive of the previous commenter’s username]?
Mikhail Feldman 2.0: (responding to above)
One based on the principles of freedom of faith and conviction. Allowing other thought. Acknowledging that without observing the interests of personality the interests of society can’t be observed as it’s formed from personalities. Proclaiming the state not as an end in itself, but a means of achieving good for each individual citizen. Maintaining the inviolability of personal life. All of this is diametrically contradictory to Stalinism, just as it is to Orthodoxy.
asinch: (responding to above)
So contemporary Western states have already spat on “Stalinist totalitarianism”. “Sodomy is the contemporary totalitarian ideology, the bearers of which believe in the necessity of homosexual propaganda and demand ritual respect to homosexuals. In modern times the sodomite ideology is ruling one in the West. It’s got practically all spheres of a person’s life under control: politics, economics, education, art, medicine, and science. Those who disagree – especially representatives of traditional religions – face hunting and legal persecution. Sodomy has all the characteristics of an aggressive ideology: gay icons, advocates of sodomy, ritual processions in the form of gay parades, sodomite initiation rituals for politicians and athletes, fights with other religions/ideologies, and other signs.
Mikhail Feldman 2.0: (responding to above)
According to this logic, if an unknown passerby is coming to meet you, you should first and foremost hit him in the face. Then he’ll suddenly think to hit you and will do it first. Airtight logic. )))
Mikhail Feldman 2.0: (responding to above)
Tchaikovsky was a homosexual and didn’t hide it. Shakespeare dedicated his sonnets to a man if that matters. But this doesn’t make them less great – even in the eyes of educated naturals.
Ilitny shaman:
Yeah, they crawled before him like they did the fascists and any other government.
vlandin: (responding to above)
They didn’t crawl before Stalin. It was impossible to do. Enemies, corrupters, thieves, crooks, and other scum feared him for the inevitability of punishment. The population respected him for his justice, selflessness, and protecting them from exploitation. If you don’t know or understand something, then either learn it or shut up – at least you’d look smart. Or get paid for your lies. People still pay for that now.
vov4ikne@:
I want one for myself!!!!
