The government established in Russia after the restructuring, entered into a contract (not so devilish as you might think) with the Orthodox Church. As the saying goes, one hand washes the other, and in this case, the left hand knows what the right hand is doing.
Once we went to a restaurant for lunch. By accident I found myself across the table from Alexander, a man who enjoyed the greatest authority in the team. I was glad because I wanted to know him better.
Filed on the table. Looking at my plate, I caught the eye followed Alexander to seize the moment to start the conversation.
That’s when I saw it with my eyes closed saying a prayer. He crossed himself and began to eat.
From that moment the conversation flowed smoothly. I do not know the reason for that is the sign of the cross or the person actually was nicer than it seemed until, and also spoke English!
Indeed the miracles of lent…
This first public demonstration of religiosity seemed strange to me. In recent years in Western Europe I’ve rarely to see that someone before the meal was over the cross.
Suddenly everything started to fall into place.
A week later, having lunch with a friend of mine, I noticed that he asked for a vegetarian menu, no meat. During lent, a variety of restaurants offering such a menu, and a deeply religious Orthodox during this period, abstain from meat and alcohol.
It is no secret that the Orthodox Church after the Communist long winter came to life, like a flower after a harsh cold weather. During communism the Church was interrupted with more or less success, to take their positions, somewhere she was able to resist, some churches were blown up, in the place of others did the brothel or the pools, but the Church survived.
The root was strong, and she rose again.
Today the Church’s Liturgy and rituals familiar to everyone.
The government established in Russia after the restructuring, entered into a contract (not so devilish as you might think) with the Orthodox Church; as the saying goes, one hand washes the other, and in this case, the left hand knows what the right hand is doing.
However, despite a questionable relationship with the power structures and obscure deals, religiosity of the Orthodox Russian — more than what we see in Europe. It is something more profound, ritual, personal.
Feeling, which for 70 years had been trying to destroy and which is back. Perhaps it never disappeared.
The fact that the Governor of the Leningrad region — the people are deeply religious and even, some would say, mystic is a well known fact.
He is a member of the pious society, which organizes an annual pilgrimage to the monastery, located on top of mount Athos in Greece.
Rulers come and go, with greater or lesser scandals follow each other persons of power and leadership styles, and faith remains. Perhaps one only faith remains, when representing its structure is not worthy of it.
Recently it became known that from the Bank, the main owner of which is the Russian Orthodox Church, lost about 50 million euros. The leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church claim that they do not know what happened to this amount, provided the loan without a contract and only on parole.
Faith is faith, but miracles happen, who are able to believe is that the angels.
