Patriarch's meeting with Pope getting nearer - Metropolitan Hilarion

Moscow, November 26, Interfax - The meeting between the Moscow Patriarch and the Pope is getting nearer each day, the Russian Orthodox Church said.

"Each day brings us closer to this meeting between the Pope and Patriarch," head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, told journalists in Moscow.

"Right now we are not prepared to make known the date, nor are we engaged in any concrete preparations for the meeting, but we are certainly getting closer to it. It is a calendar and astronomical fact," he said.

The work carried out by the Russian Church with the Catholic Church is aimed "improving the general climate and achieving a higher level of mutual understanding," he added.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=7957




Russian missionary: Moldavian marginal Orthodox believers are part of Western project
Kishinev, November 25, Interfax - Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy Protodeacon Andrey Kurayev believes the marginal Society of Blessed Matrona of Moscow led by Archpriest Anatoly Chibrik is backed by the Western political circles.

"The "society" headed by Anatoly Chibrik has no Moldavian focus. This is an instance of a large-scale project aimed at pursuing schism in the Orthodox Church. The project counts several dozen years. It is sponsored by a Western source," Father Andrey said in an interview published Thursday in the Moldavian issue of Argumenty i Facty weekly.

According to him, if the American intelligence is capable of fostering such anti-Western movement as the Taliban, "it is no wonder that such extreme schismatic groups in the Orthodox community may interest the same customers."

"To prevent the Orthodox Church from becoming an alternative to the American way of "globalization", it should look ridiculous, marginal and broken down. The American Pentecostals have spread the word about the "Number of the Beast" in bar-codes and the alleged reign of the beast," Father Andrey said.

In early October, Father Chibrik, who is currently tried by the Church court, started a fight at Fr. Andrey's lecture delivered in Kishinev. Several dozen aggressive followers of Fr. Chibrik rushed into the lecture hall with threats, beat down the faculty dean and smashed Fr. Andrey in the face.

Late last year, this group members held the anti-Semitic riot in the city center stating that they would not allow Moldavia to "governed by Jews" and tore down Jewish symbols, which were put up in the park two days before to celebrate Chanukah.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=7954




Moscow rejects U.S. allegations about religious inequality
Moscow, November 22, Interfax - Russia's Foreign Ministry rejected allegations by the U.S. State Department that there exists inequality between religious communities representing different faiths in Russia.

The State Department made its allegations in the 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom.

"The authors of the State Department report were unable to ignore positive trends in our country relating to religious freedoms," the ministry spokesman said in a statement.

However, "the American experts tried to dilute this impression by listing hackneyed complaints about the 'persecution' of totalitarian religious sects and the allegedly privileged status of the Russian Orthodox Church," he said.

If the Orthodox Church enjoys a privileged status in Russia, "one should speak about the same status of the Catholic Church in Italy or Poland, the Muslim [community] in Turkey or Jordan, or the Buddhist [community] in India or Japan," the spokesman said.

"The crux of the matter is apparently not privileges but social status. Such status above all depends on what proportion of the population wants to join a specific church. The Orthodox Church in Russia has traditionally commanded the largest flock, and the State Department report mentions it, by the way," he said.

"The Muslim denomination is second in our country in terms of the number of believers, etc.," the spokesman said.

"Consequently, different denominations and religions may have different representation in civil society institutions. But that is a human factor," he said.

"Legally, the various denominations are equal in status in our country. The growth of the number of registered religious communities, of which there already are 23,500 in Russia, is evidence of this," the spokesman said.

"Interdenominational peace and harmony is an invaluable asset of Russia, something that we treat very carefully, making all necessary efforts to preserve it," he said.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=dujour&div=33




Russian Church is ready to help USA compile more objective reports on international religious freedom


The USA Department of State has recently published its annual report on international religious freedom. Many Russian religious experts believe that its section on Russia lacks objectivity and analytical depth the same as in previous years.

Deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Hegumen Philipp (Ryabykh) tells Interfax-Religion correspondent Alexey Sosedov about strong and weak sides of the report and things that can be done to make it more objective in the future.

-Father Philipp, please share your impressions on the report
- Annual reports of the USA Department of State on religious freedom have long ago become an informational event for many experts and politicians in Russia. I think that such external view on religious freedom in Russia and other countries can be useful for international discussion over models of interaction between religion and society. Representatives of the Russian Church constantly participate in such discussion on the world arena and in certain countries, for example when registering our parishes and dioceses abroad or when discussing norms adopted by international organizations in this field.

Report 2010 has one essential advantage: it gives rather detailed and reliable description of legal norms, state and public measures taken to provide religious freedom and also some events in the country's religious life. The statistic data cited in the report mentions perish of Orthodox priests and damage inflicted to Orthodox churches.

However, an external view presented in the report has a significant defect that is difficult or perhaps even impossible to overcome. And we always have to consider this serious deviation when we read such reports and discuss them. I hardly believe that representatives of any country that openly declares its national interests will ever base their evaluations on real interests of the society whether it is the Russian society or society of any other country they try to analyze.

- With what particular things do you disagree in the analysis of the religious situation in Russia made by the USA authorities?
- First of all, the report absolutizes religious freedom and its provision at the expense of other important freedoms and values of public life the society can't do without. The report leaves an impression that democracy and prosperity in the country depend only on the society's ability to provide comfortable conditions for religious minorities or even micro groups of various kinds. Freedoms of other part of the society, security, preservation of original national, spiritual and cultural tradition fade at this background. The report considers it least of all that's why it criticizes a 15-year term for obtaining registration or the expert council at the Justice Ministry which was set up to find signs of extremism in religious literature.

The situation with religious education is covered absolutely tendentiously. It refers to lessons of Orthodoxy in schools, but keeps silence over the fact that in Islamic and Buddhist regions foundations of corresponding religious culture are taught. There are schools where Jewish tradition is in the curriculum. Results of the religious educational experiment held in the country's 19 regions sound strange. The report claims that majority of parents have choosen secular ethics for their children and at the same time it mentions that representatives of the Russian Church press on the parents to make them chose Orthodox culture. Is it logical? These conclusions don't match. If Russian church representatives pressed then, according to the report logics, rather significant percent of parents should have chosen foundations of Orthodoxy. Authors of this analysis ignore the fact that today some regional officials of low rank try to influence the parents and make them chose secular ethics. We know such cases and it's strange that reporters who claim to keep the dialogue with all religious organizations in the country do not know such examples or haven't reflected them in the report.

Besides, information that the Russian Church urged to stop Darwinism in schools is presented in a negative way. It's evident there was a US Democratic Party representative among the report authors as there is a wide discussion in America over covering various attitudes to world and human origin at school curriculum. It's worth mentioning that in the past the United States gave an opportunity to priests on Freedom Radio to expose scientific dogmas of the Soviet system and Darwinism in particular. And when the situation in Russian has changed and the country obtained an opportunity to give people religious education basing on their free choice, there appears such unexpected criticism in the field.

The report overemphasizes importance of some scientists and students' protests against presence of religion in Russian educational system. It points out to the student performance in St.Petersburg University in 2009 at a conference on religion and international relations, it says it was demonstration of public opinion. I participated in the conference and I can say that three-four students took part in the action and no one in the congress hall supported them and after the conference majority of students said they didn't accept such actions. It seems that the reporters don't want to see that the model when religion is present in educational system rules out pressure and secures the right of citizens to bring up their children in compliance with their world outlook.

- Major part of the report is dedicated to giving back the property...
- Unfortunately, actions of the government taken to overcome consequences of Soviet times and injustice to religious organizations, and support given to these actions by traditional religions are presented negatively. The report cites strange arguments similar to the report of the previous year that the Russian Church did not own churches and monasteries before 1917, but it doesn't mention that Orthodoxy was a state religion with all ensuing consequences. Current situation has dramatically changed, the state is secular. Thus even if before revolution religious property belonged to the state, the Church was then built in the state system, while today due to secular character of the state such objects should be transferred to religious organizations in ownership or use.

Surprising is an example of the Novodevichy Convent transferred to exclusive ownership of the Church. When examining various violations of religious rights the reporters cite international law, but when speaking about the convent they say nothing about important norms of international laws that regulate preservation of cultural objects enlisted as UNESCO world heritage when religious organizations own or use such objects. UNESCO in such cases stands up to protect rights of the believers and make religious organizations freely use such cultural sites.

At the backgrounds of critical attitude to the actions of the state taken to return expropriated property, the reporters selectively back up rights of the Russian Jewish community on returning Schneerson library and refer to international agreements. Support of some religious communities and creating negative image of other ones also arouse mistrust to the report.

There is one important remark as to the report methodology. It focuses on securing rights of religious minorities. The Russian Church believes that state and society should secure rights of all citizens and not only some of them. Minorities' rights shouldn't be secured at the expense of majority's rights. It often happens that minorities obtain permission for such activity that directly violates rights of the other part of the society.

For example, the report blames Orthodox public organizations for their criticism against actions of religious minorities. However, it doesn't mention that the latter sometimes have very critical or even aggressive position against the Russian Church, it's enough to analyze speeches of some religious leaders of the country. But such speeches are not mentioned in the report and it also makes us doubt fairness of the reporters' evaluations.

The report stresses that equality of religious organizations before the law is an important element. At the same time, it critically says that the Russian Church have more opportunities to reach the society and cooperates with the state. In this connection we should say that such situation in the country doesn't violate the principle of religious organizations equality before the law. Even the reporters say that about hundred million Russians call themselves Orthodox. Thus to secure rights of these citizens more work of the authorities is needed and the Russian Church needs to cooperate with the society to secure rights of these citizens. It is impossible to cooperate with religious minorities to the same degree as it will be out of proportions to their presence in the society and infringe rights of the citizens who adhere to the religion of majority.

The report expresses concerns over the growth of the Russian Church political influence and it is presented as violation of religious freedom. It points out to the cooperation with the United Russia party, other political parties and institutes of the country. But it makes me wonder why such interaction is evaluated negatively: in the United States political forces actively cooperate with religious organizations, politicians speak at religious meetings and it is a democratic process when the country's major political forces build a dialogue with religious organizations. According to the Constitution, Russia stands for pluralism of world outlooks and the duty of any political party is not to ignore the country's religious communities.

The Department of State believes that another example of religious freedom violation is the fact that Christmas is a state holiday and the new memorial date - Day of Russia's Baptism was introduced in the calendar and the Day of Slavic Scripture and Culture is widely celebrated. However, it only vaguely mentions that main Islamic feasts are officially celebrated in some Russian regions. Such information is not full as for example some Buddhist regions celebrate Buddhist feasts. The system adopted in Russia corresponds to democratic requirements as various groups of the society have an opportunity to celebrate main religious feasts.

Besides, such attitude to Christmas is absolutely unclear as this feast as well as some other Christian feasts is a state holiday in the States. Celebrations of such dates in Europe, America and Russia emphasize the importance given to the country's main religious tradition. At the same time, the state doesn't make people go to churches on these days, people spend their free time as they like.

-What would you wish to future State Department reports?
- I'd like to wish that in the future the report will have truly equal, friendly attitude to various religious organizations and will avoid selectiveness so that religious situation is reflected more fully and different points of view are presented - not only claims of religious minorities to the state or to the religious organizations of the majority, but the opinion of the Russian Church as well. We are ready for consultations, for the dialogue on a standing basis. Such a dialogue will help overcome all mentioned defects of the report.

- Have representatives of the USA external political department tried to set up dialogue with the Russian Church Department for External Church Relations, especially when preparing such reports?
- The USA Embassy turns to us when they want to clear out church position on some questions, but it usually happens once a year when the report is prepared and certainly it is impossible to touch upon all the problems during a one-hour talk. I think that representatives of the Department of State should hold consultations with various structures of the Russian Church depending on the questions they are interested in as well as with regional organizations of the Moscow Patriarchate. Sometimes there is an impression that such meetings are very formal, needed only for record and in fact position of the Orthodox Church is not examined and considered. Sometimes there is an impression that USA colleagues are not truly interested in our position and in reflecting it in the report.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=interview&div=89




People’s Assembly of Georgia expresses no confidence in Saakashvili

TBILISI, November 25 (Itar-Tass) -- The congress of the People’s Assembly of Georgia closed on Thursday by adopting a resolution of no confidence in the authorities. According to organizers, the congress, which took place in the square in front of the Parliament of Georgia and Rustaveli Avenue gathered about 15 thousand demonstrators. During the congress the avenue remained closed to traffic.

The congress’s resolution declares "lack of confidence in the president and the country's authorities."

"The nation-wide assembly is empowered to call upon the people to fight for a peaceful, legal replacement of the current authorities and spearhead the work for achieving this goal,” the document says. “In all regions and cities committees will be set up to prepare for a national civil disobedience campaign.

The congress voted for a "verdict of no confidence in President Saakashvili and the Georgian authorities", which states that "the president has lost the confidence of the people, carried out the monopolization of state power, established an authoritarian regime in the country and ignores the principles of law and justice."

"The people of Georgia expresses its readiness to conduct new fair elections in order to decide their political future," the document says.

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15717326&PageNum=0




Putin regards Russian base in Tajikistan as factor of stability

DUSHANBE, November 25 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian military base in Tajikistan is an important factor of stability in the region and proof of mutual confidence between the two countries, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin declared at Russo-Tajik talks on Thursday.

"Cooperation between the defence departments of the two countries and the presence of a full- format, fully-fledged Russian military base in Tajikistan on a long-term basis is a serious sign of mutual confidence between the two countries," Putin stressed. "This is an important factor of stability in this region, taking into account difficult processes continuing in Afghanistan," Putin said.

"All of us should do big work in Central Asia so that people could feel confident, be calm and reliably protected there," the Russian prime minister said.

Putin praised successful development of trade and economic contacts which were badly damaged as a result of the world economic and financial crisis, but which have been steadily revived in recent months. Putin also reminded of a number of joint projects Russia and Tajikistan had realized together or are implementing at present, including the construction of the Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant , which is the most important project underway at present.

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15717085&PageNum=0




Putin calls to set partnership with Kyrgyzstan on business course

DUSHANBE, November 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia and Kyrgyzstan should bring their partnership to a normal, business course, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin declared at a meeting with Kyrgyz President of the transitional period Rosa Otunbayeva on Thursday. "We welcomed the Kyrgyz parliamentary election, and hope that the work on the formation of a new government will be completed soon," Putin said.

"In times of hardships in Kyrgyzstan Russia did everything possible to support Kyrgyzstan and its people. We rendered all the necessary, prompt assistance and gave humanitarian support to Kyrgyzstan," Putin said.

"Russia and Kyrgyzstan should bring their relations to a normal, business course and bring their day-to-day activities to a normal regime," Putin declared.

For her part Rosa Otunbayeva said that Kyrgyzstan appreciates Russia’ s assistance. "We heard Russia’s voice during those "hot" days and received Russia's support, which was vitally important," Otunbayeva said.

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15717339&PageNum=0




Poland welcomes Russia’s Duma Katyn statement

Polish politicians have welcomed a draft statement on the Katyn massacre being discussed by Russia’s State Duma.

Polish sejm speaker Grzegorz Schetyna believes this to be an important step towards strengthening bilateral relations.

A deputy from the Polish Peasant Party thinks that the bill should be highly assessed by Poland as a gesture of rapprochement.

Russia’s State Duma has proposed to recognize the Katyn massacre as a Stalin regime crime.

In 1940, thousands of Polish officers were executed in the Katyn forest near the city of Smolensk.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/11/26/35708199.html




Medvedev hands over Poland Katyn massacre documents

Prior to the WWII celebrations, Russia’s president Dmitry Medvedev has handed over official papers from the investigation into the Katyn massacre to the acting President of Poland, Bronislaw Komorowski.

The acting Polish president, in turn, expressed his gratitude to the Russian government for the move, which is widely viewed as a step towards improving the countries’ relation.

"We thank you for what you have said and done. We consider it to be the beginning of further work to untie this Katyn knot," Komorowski said.

"The truth about Katyn is a common test that both the Polish and Russian people have endured. This truth could be a good basis for the development of relations between the two countries," he added.

Bronislaw Komorowski has come to Moscow to take part in the Victory Day celebrations this weekend. Dmitry Medvedev thanked the acting president for his willingness to attend the festive events.

The documents, which have also been published online, show that the killing of over twenty thousand Polish officers and prisoners of war in Katyn in 1940 was approved by Soviet leaders led by Stalin.

First acknowledged by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the massacre has become a major strain in Russian-Polish relations in recent years.

http://english.ruvr.ru/rtvideo/2010/05/09/video_7535387.html




Romanovs' correspondence archives to be auctioned in Geneva

Correspondence archives of the last Russian imperial family will be put up for sale in Geneva on December 6.

More than 2,000 letters, drawings, photographs, cable messages and postcards from Grand Dukes George and Mikhail and Grand Duchesses Xenia and Olga to their Swiss tutor Ferdinand Thormeyer will be auctioned along with a silver cigarette-case and a sapphire – a gift to Thormeyer from Crown Prince Nicholas and Grand Duke George.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/11/25/35591835.html

Vandals hit Anchorage Cathedral

ANCHORAGE, AK [OCA} -- Vandals hit Saint Innocent Cathedral here on Wednesday, June 9, 2010, pillaging the altar’s liturgical appointments and burning pages of the Gospel Book. Several other items were stolen.

According to media reports, the suspects entered through windows in the back of the cathedral some time between midnight and 11:00 a.m. Wednesday.

"The Gospel that was thrown and ripped that we use during the Gospel reading and the hand cross that we use was totally destroyed, cannot be used again," Father Peter Chris told KTUU Channel 2 News, adding that while the break-in was not the first at the cathedral, it was the worst.

His Grace, Bishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West, Locum Tenens of the Diocese of Alaska, addressed the issue in a letter to the clergy and faithful of the diocese, the text of which reads as follows.

"It is with great sadness that I have to report the Cathedral of Saint Innocent in Anchorage was broken into the night before last and the altar pillaged and violated. Yesterday, I received a tearful call from Father Peter Chris who came to the Cathedral to find the altar in shambles. Many of the items in the altar were senselessly and shamefully damaged and defaced for no apparent reason. Several items were stolen. The reserved sacrament is intact, as are the relics and the antimensions. But, the Gospel Book on the main altar had pages torn out of it and showed signs that the vandals tried to burn them. The police have investigated and are on top of things.

"We are grateful to God that more damage was not done and that no one was hurt. Please pray for the souls of the people who committed this crime against God and His Church. The condition of the Cathedral, in a very sad way, reflects the spiritual destruction and damage that exists in a human soul that would do such a thing. How truly sad it is that a human being, brought into being by God for no other reason than to share His incomprehensible, divine love, a human being created in His image could mar and deface that image in such a terrible way.

"What is lost or damaged in the Cathedral are only material things. The damage we human beings do to our own souls is much more serious. This should also be a reminder to us all that in this evil age, we need to be methodical about securing our churches from such desecration by mindless, fallen men."

http://www.oca.org/news/2189

US stops destroying Afghan opium crops

The United States believes the policy of destroying all Afghan opium crops has badly backfired and must be stopped. Its forces on Afghan soil have already received appropriate orders.

Ambassador John Beyrle told this to a Russian news agency in an interview in Moscow Wednesday. He cited numerous instances in which poppy eradication stripped farmers of their livelihoods and forced them to join the Taliban.

At the same time, he did not rule out localized opium destruction operations.

In the period since the year 2000, the Afghan-produced heroin is estimated to have been killing some 100 thousand people each year. The Afghan drug industry generates income for three and a half million people.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/06/09/9442883.html



Lavrov urges stepping up struggle against Afghan drug production


Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called for dealing with drug production in Afghanistan just as effectively as cocaine production is being fought in Latin America.

Opium poppy plantations and heroin labs should be wiped out, he told the international forum “Afghan Drug Production – a Challenge to the International Community”, which is under way in Moscow. We are certain of the need to treat the Afghan drug threat at the UN Security Council as a threat to international peace and security, he added.

Russia’s topmost diplomat feels that the ISAF coalition force in Afghanistan should come to grips with the drug industry problem.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/06/09/9427888.html



Russian economy can be seen as more stable in Europe – Gref


The Russian economy can be seen as one of the more stable European economies, but it needs foreign investment.

This came in an interview with the “Rossia 24” TV channel by Russia’s Sberbank CEO Hermann Gref.

The key objective now is the creation of sound macroeconomic conditions that would look attractive to investors, Gref said.

He pointed out that the Russian financial system’s dependence on mineral resources and the non-diversification of the economy was a major drawback. The Sberbank CEO says he is certain that this affects price instability in Russia.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/06/09/9424327.html



Russia will not buy The Mistral without the high-tech on it – Putin


Russia will not buy the French Mistral assault ship without the technology on it or contracts to procure much of the equipment for bringing it up to date from Russian companies. It wants the ship’s mammoth price tag of 300 million euros to stimulate naval and civilian manufacturers in Russia, as well as France.

Prime Minister Putin has told this to French media ahead of a visit to France from Thursday.

The Mistral displaces 21 thousand tons and can carry 16 attack helicopters to distances of up to 20 thousand nautical miles.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/06/09/9458711.html



Patriarch Bartholomew hopes Ukraine will overcome church schism under Yanukovich


Istanbul, June 9, Interfax – Patriarch Bartholomew hopes that under President Viktor Yanukovich Ukraine will overcome schism in Orthodoxy.

"We know there is a schism of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and it distresses us a lot. We pray for this separation to vanish as soon as possible and for our brothers who separated to come back to the canonical Church as it is our salvation," he said at his meeting with the Ukrainian President in his Istanbul residence.

The Patriarch confessed he was "more than convinced" that Yanukovich would spare no effort to "heal these wounds" and restore unity of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

In his turn, Yanukovich pointed out to the importance of unity for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=7348

Afghan drugs undermine Eurasian stability – Russian officer

Russia believes the Afghan drug trade badly undermines stability in former Soviet Central Asia and the Russian Caucasus. It also calls attention to the role of this trade in making Europe the world’s worst drug abusing continent in per capita terms.

The chief Russian counternarcotics officer Viktor Ivanov told this to the media in Moscow on Monday.

He said Afghanistan is turning out two times more heroin than a decade ago and this deadly stuff has already left a million people dead and 16 million severely disabled.. The main importer of Afghan drugs into Europe is the underworld of Kosovo.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/06/07/9250568.html



Finnish authorities deport Russian girl


Finnish authorities have deported the daughter of a Finnish-based Russian woman, Valentina Putkonen, to Russia , media reports said on Monday. They quoted Putkonen as saying that she is now desperately tryin to contact her 9-year-old daughter Julia, who was reportedly taken away from an orphanage by Valentina’s Finnish ex-husband earlier in the day.
Last month, Julia turned to the Child Protection Union after her mother refused to give her candies before dinner. The appeal was prompted by the girl’s father and Valentina’s former husband, who signaled his readiness to get custody of the child.

Valentina was accused of physically abusing her daughter, who was quickly sent to an orphanage. Last week, police detained Julia, who had attempted to run away from the shelter .

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/06/07/9236035.html



Russian and Polish people need reconciliation – Patriarch Kirill

Katyn (Smolensk Region), June 7, Interfax – Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia hopes that tragic events in Katyn will work for historical reconciliation of Russia and Poland.

"Let this shared suffering, shared pain and shared blood reconcile us above all historiosophic and other existing disagreements," Patriarch Kirill said on Friday visiting the Katyn memorial complex.

According to him, "nothing reconciles people better than shared suffering."

"If we speak about relations between fraternal peoples - Polish and Russian - fraternal as we are Slavs, then we need reconciliation," the Patriarch said.

He noted that Katyn should "be a place of sacred memory that would help us clearly understand the meaning of the historical process and at the same time it should be a place of common prayer."

"I pray for our reconciliation and hope for peaceful prosperous future of the two Slavic nations in our countries," Patriarch Kirill said.

When visiting Katyn, he looked at the model of the Resurrection memorial Church that is under construction, Russian and Polish prime ministers laid the first stone to its foundation this April.

The Patriarch expressed hope that in future this church would become "a place of ardent prayer for all who visit Katyn."


[Why no mention of Pilsudski's and Rieczmigli's reign of terror against Russians and Orthodox Christians in interwar Poland along with Poland's inherent INGRATITUDE and RUSSOPHOBIA after the fall of Communism? We only liberated them and established a nation for them. Hitler was pretty clear in his intent to exterminate these "Slavs" as cochroaches. We saved them. They now point missiles at our churches and children. Yet this Patriarch answers that with sycophancy and polonophilia. Would St. Germogen be as "diplomatic"?! These are a people who have spent their history betraying Slavs and Slavdom while being chief actors in the promotion of Unia and Inquisition in Eastern Europe. Much of the problems of the Russian ethnos and its branches today are precisely the unresolved by-products of the enserfment of Russian Slavs by recz pospolita. Russia no longer needs the "sympathies" of a Catherine II "to weep for Poland". NURNBERG TRIALS AND NOT ANY "RAPPROACHMENT" FOR POLAND! Russia needs to intercede and once and for all CIVILIZE Poland and MAKE IT A SLAVIC, FRATERNAL NATION, with the understanding it breathes because we gave it life, and it will conform to the Russian Orthodox and Slavic will!

Patience is wearing thin not only with this INSIGNIFICANT RUSSOPHOBIC nation and its pathological and CRIMINAL, genocidal impulses, but with the heirs of Msgr. Rotov. To Patriarch Kirill, we respectfully answer, "Remember St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Warsaw." That is of greater primary concern to Russians and Orthodox Christians than the Polish officer corps, which persecuted and repressed Russians and Orthodox Christians and perpetrated acts of genocide against the Russian and Orthodox populations of Poland. Katyn, we remind this Nikodimite Patriarch, did not stop them in their hatred of Russia and Orthodoxy (or populations in process of returning to Orthodoxy). The ACT OF GENOCIDE after the Great Patriotic War perpetrated under the auspices of "Operation Vistula" to displace and destroy Lemkian Rusins and culture goes on ignored even by the Russian church today, which dares to pray for the Polish animals possessed by this very genocidal spirit of extermination of our peoples and our Holy Faith. Shall his Holiness be offering prayers for Josaphat Kuntsevich and Ipatius Potij shortly?! Where is the Lemko Rusin memorial, Patriarch Kirill?! Or are they, the Lemkian Rusins-once unapolgetic, loving sons of Rus' and Orthodoxy- correct in now holding to the fact that "Moscow does not care about Rus', but sells Russian blood for diplomacy and Western money"?! Provide RUSSIAN VICTIMS OF POLAND AND ITS BLOODY, RUSSOPHOBIC AND PSYCHOPATHIC HISTORY with prayer and a memorial, your Holiness.

Moreover, it is FORBIDDEN FOR THE DUKHOVENSTVO TO OFFER PRAYER FOR THE DEPARTED HETERODOX! ENOUGH. These problems with crypto-Uniates and crypto-Renovationists are only solved when an Orthodox government HAS A STRONG HAND IN SYMPHONIA and promotes Traditional Orthodoxy, for as we witnessed with the February Revolution, the Church is ready to betray Russia and her sovereign and even the very Orthodox Faith under the "right auspices". Arianism would have consumed the Church Militant had St. Constantine not interceded for Orthodoxy. UNIA and RENOVATIONISM are the heretical spectres on the verge of betraying the Church Militant today. They and the foul personages who promote them must be stopped. The solution to the heirs of Msgr. Rotov is a rebuttal from a strong Orthodox government. A cold, northern monastery with a strict Igumen would be appropos. A place where cigarette sales and their fortunes have been consumed in cinders and forgotten. Perhaps then these odious Nikodimites will forego the vogue of Vatican collared cassocks and beardless, bare headed betrayals of the Holy Orthodox Faith.

Russian and Orthodox prayers are offered for the VICTIMS of these VICTIMIZERS of Katyn and their post-war Operation Vistula russophobic heirs. Russian and Orthodox blood drips from their hands even decades later. Our RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PRAYERS are for our Lemkian Rusin brothers and for our holy and beautiful churches such as St. Alexander Nevsky cathedral in Warsaw.-R]

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=7343

Russia sees no justification for deploying Patriots in Poland

Russia can see no reason that would justify the deployment of Patriot missiles in Poland, says Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko. He told a new conference in Moscow on Friday that if the Patriot missile systems continued to be deployed on a permanent basis, that would be in breach of the pledge that NATO made when signing the Founding Act to the effect that the North Atlantic Alliance nations would refrain from stationing major military forces in the vicinity of the Russian border. We will keep a close eye on the situation, and negotiate the issue with our NATO partners to get their interpretation of the commitment to that end and have them outline the parameters of specific combat forces in the form of legally binding agreements between Russia and NATO, the Deputy Russian Foreign Minister added. It transpired earlier today that Poland has deployed a foreign military base, namely a battery of US Patriot missiles in the small town of Morong, 80 kilometres away from the Russian border.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/05/28/8650472.html

Конец «оранжевой» болезни?

Оппозиция группируется на противоположной стороне улицыКак отмечает американская « Christian Science Monitor », пять лет спустя после того, как Оранжевая революция повернула гигантское постсоветское государство Украину лицом к Западу, новоизбранный президент Виктор Янукович всего лишь за несколько месяцев повернул её обратно к Москве

При этом земля не вздрогнула, и не рухнули небеса, а митинг у стен Верховной Рады Украины представителей объединенной парламентской оппозиции, участники которого держали в руках флаги с символикой блока Юлии Тимошенко, Всеукраинского объединения «Свобода» и партии «Родина» уже никак не походил на «оранжевое» безумие Майдана. Призывы к всеукраинской акции неповиновения призывами и остались.

Лидер объединенной парламентской оппозиции Юлия Тимошенко звала всех к стенам парламента, чтобы потребовать от власти отчета за свои действия, касающиеся подписания соглашения с Россией о продлении базирования Черноморского флота России в Севастополе. Но, похоже, Украина переболела подхваченным в США «воспалением Ющенко».

Любопытно, что происходящее все та же « Christian Science Monitor называет «ошеломляющим геополитическим пируэтом». Избранный в феврале на обещаниях восстановить разбитые отношения Украины с Россией, Янукович, по мнению американской газеты, «поступил более поспешно и решительно, чем кто-либо вообще мог ожидать. Он повернул внешнеполитические приоритеты Украины от прозападного курса своего предшественника Виктора Ющенко и в сторону быстрого сближения и экономической реинтеграции с Россией. Критики говорят, что даже если украинская прозападная оппозиция вернется к власти в ближайшие годы, она может оказаться неспособной разорвать цепи, которые Янукович кует с Москвой».

Насчет «цепей» – оставим на совести янки. Но происходящее в наших отношениях действительно, после мрака ющенковской русофобии, действительно впечатляет и пробуждает надежды.

Если оглянуться всего на считанные недели назад, то в марте новый президент Украины Виктор Янукович просто-напросто закрыл правительственную комиссию, которая готовила страну к вступлению в НАТО, тем самым убрав этот однозначно непопулярный для украинцев шаг из ближайшего будущего Украины. В апреле Ющенко встретился с нашим президентом Дмитрием Медведевым и подписал соглашение по продлению на 25 лет аренды Москвой украинского порта в Севастополе, где располагается Черноморский флот России. «В обмен Украина получит 30-процентную скидку на импортируемый российский газ», – ехидно замечает издание.

Но разве мы никогда прежде не ценили добро, доброго к себе отношения?

Зато, как мы писали, распаленные сделкой украинские депутаты-оппозиционеры кидались в парламенте яйцами и дымовухами, оставшись в ничтожном меньшинстве, поскольку недавно созданная сильная коалиция сторонников Януковича в 450-местном парламенте обеспечила ратификацию соглашения.

А если будут приняты предложения премьер-министра России Владимира Путина, сделанные недавно, то вновь объединятся в единое целое украинские и российские элементы военно-промышленной экономики, насильственно разъединенные после распада Советского Союза: ядерная отрасль, авиационная промышленность, сети энерготрубопроводов.

Понятно, что, видя, как плод их пятилетних трудов – наметившееся отторжение России и Украины в угоду западному капиталу – рассыпается в прах, украинская оппозиция и ее лидер Юлия Тимошенко заявляют, что происходящее есть «план Путина по ликвидации Украины». И когда Рада вернется с майских каникул, они поднимут шум в парламенте и на улицах. Они предостерегают о том, что хрупкая демократия Украины может повести экономику Украины по российскому пути, а Янукович создаст в Киеве авторитарный режим в путинском стиле.

«То, что делает Янукович, – говорит Ольга Боднар, депутат от блока Тимошенко, – идет вразрез с волей украинского народа; он действует так, словно он – президент одной части Украины, а не Украины целиком. Когда парламент снова откроется, вы увидите ответ оппозиции».

Нимало в этом ответе не сомневаемся. Как и в том, что сам народ Украины уже дал вполне точный и ясный ответ нынешним оппозиционерам. «Я думаю, что мы движемся к полноценному стратегическому союзу между Россией и Украиной, – считает Кирилл Фролов, эксперт по Украине в Институте стран Содружества. – Пять лет антироссийской пропаганды, очевидно, не оказали влияния на украинский народ, который явно видит свое будущее вместе с Россией. Это единственное объяснение тому, что у Януковича получается проводить такие крупные изменения так стремительно: он получает масштабную народную поддержку».

С радостью разделяю это мнение.

Оно ведь и естественно для наших народов, быть вместе. Мы слишком рядом, слишком по-семейному живем, чтобы попытки нас разделить, используя «внутрисемейные» проблемы и обиды, не отзывались болью. Вспомните – опросы общественного мнения постоянно показывали, что идея членства в НАТО никогда не была популярной среди украинцев, что Ющенко не получил приглашение вступить в эту организацию от западных лидеров только потому, что те, в отличие от самого бывшего президента, прекрасно понимали, что Ющенко то хочет вступить в НАТО, а Украина – нет.

И даже последний пример – Владимир Паниотто, глава киевского Международного Института Социологии утверждает, что более 60 процентов украинцев в недавних опросах общественного мнения не возражали против того, чтобы Российский флот оставался еще четверть века в Севастополе.

И теперь в европейских исследовательских центрах открыто говорят, что невелики шансы на то, что Виктор Янукович захочет пересмотреть свою программу по экономическому объединению, которая предусматривает таможенный союз с Россией и движение к единой валюте.

В Киеве говорят, что идея Владимира Путина о слиянии ядерных индустрий двух государств там очень приветствуется, потому что обеспечит такое необходимое российское содействие по завершению давно замершего строительства Хмельницкой АЭС, а также 25-летний контракт по поставке топлива на существующие украинские 4 АЭС по сильно сниженным ценам.

Наше предложение объединить авиационные отрасли поддержит находящийся в кризисе завод Антонова, производитель грузовых самолетов в советские времена. Он может быть возрожден посредством вливаний российского капитала и ноу-хау, говорят аналитики.

Не сделает Украину слабее и предложения о слиянии украинской газовой компании Нафтогаз с кремлевским гигантом Газпром. Понятное дело, оппозиция говорит, что схема на самом деле предполагает захват украинской компании, которая, вместе с прибыльной сетью трубопроводов, через которые проходит 80 процентов экспорта российского газа в Европу, по величине едва достигает одной десятой Газпрома. «Предложение было неожиданным, и совершенно не факт, что мы его примем, – считает Янукович. – Мы заинтересованы в строительстве газового транзита, однако наш приоритет – защита интересов Украины». Но защита интересов нашего соседа это и наша стратегия.

А пока у здания Верховной рады сегодня собираются сторонники и противники президента страны. Колонны людей идут к парламенту, вокруг которого плотным кольцом выставлены синие палатки Партии регионов. Оппозиция группируется на противоположной стороне улицы Грушевского. Оппозиция собирается заслушать информацию правительства о соглашениях, которые планирует подписать вскоре в Киеве президент Украины и России, заявила экс-премьер Юлия Тимошенко. В противном случае, сказала она, будет подготовлена масштабная акция протеста во время визита российского президента Дмитрия Медведева. Правительство перед оппозицией отчитываться не намерено и, согласно букве закона, не обязано. Семь руководителей и представителей парламентских партий, в частности, Народного Руха Украины, партии «Батькивщина», Европейской партии Украины, Украинской социал-демократической партии, Партии защитников Отечества, партии «Реформы и Порядок», «Народной самообороны» подписали учредительный акт о создании Комитета защиты Украины для координации совместных действий в отстаивании национальных интересов страны. Из внепарламентских партий их поддержали всеукраинское объединение «Свобода» и Украинская партия.

Надо отнестись к этому с пониманием, ведь даже от простуды народ лечится не один день…

Елена Пустовойтова


http://www.voskres.ru/articles/pustovoitova28.htm

Sakhalin’s Centurion Group offers to curb Gulf of Mexico oil spill

Russia’s Sakhalin-based search-and rescue Centurion Group has offered help to curb the Gulf of Mexico oil slick. In the first place they would provide British Petroleum with an oil-skimmer. The British Petroleum-run Deepwater Horizon oil rig sank off the Louisiana coast on the 22nd of last month following a powerful explosion that caused a 36-hour fire. The incident resulted in a large oil slick that has reached the Louisiana coast and is now approaching the shores of Florida and Alabama. Ecologists estimate the damage done at billions of dollars. British Petroleum said it would make up for all expenses on doing away with the emergency. The British company is now considering the proposal of Sakhalin’s rescue workers.


http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/05/04/7262965.html

Ukraine’s opposition pickets US frigate in Sevastopol

“No to NATO!”, “Ukraine is not NATO!”, “NATO is not in Ukraine!” is what the posters of the left-wing opposition proclaimed when protesters met the arrival in Sevastopol of the USS John L. Hall. The picket was put up by Ukraine’s Progressive Socialist Party. The Interfax news agency says that according to earlier reports, the frigate was to call at the port of Sevastopol on April 20th, on an unofficial visit.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/04/20/6663800.html

Poland must stop setting NATO, EU on Russia - Polish ex-PM

The former Polish Premier Leszek Miller believes his country risks falling out of the international mainstream unless it abandons attempts to make NATO and the European Union enemies of Russia. In an interview with the Russian agency RIA-Novosti Sunday, he said NATO and EU are interested in cooperation with this country and have already brushed aside Polish efforts to attract American missile defences to Eastern Europe and derail the Nord Stream project for a Russian gas pipe to European countries under the Baltic Sea.




http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/03/14/5281651.html

US to place "Patriots" in Poland by May

US to place "Patriots" in Poland by May

The US is plannning to deploy a battery of the Patriot surface-to-air anti-missile systems in Poland by the end of next month, Commander-in-Chief of US armed forces in Europe, Admiral James G. Stavridis has announced. Speaking in Congress on Tuesday, he said that Washington and Warsaw “are signing the last Memorandums of Understanding” that have to do with Patriot deployment in Poland. However, the Admiral didn’t say what kind of battery – combat or exercise – it would be. Admiral Stavridis said he supports the idea to include Russian radars into the US European anti-missile system. He believes it would let the US detect rocket launches at an earlier time. Besides, said the Admiral, it would help US and Russia to trust each other more.


http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/03/10/5143950.html