Druzhiny 'Holy Rus' of the Russian Orthodox Church protect Moscow and the region from religious blasphemers

· Analytics, Moscow, Vestibule, Russia, Russian Orthodox Church, Contemporary Persecution

Orthodox patrols, as announced, are taking to the streets of Moscow to patrol
Ivan Otrakovsky (left) trains participants of the “Holy Rus’” movement
Photo: from Ivan Otrakovsky’s personal vk.com page

An article from the business newspaper Vzglyad, “On Confessional Grounds,” shows Russia’s drift toward Orthodox extremism. Behind the organization of paramilitary Orthodox units and the militant, provocative calls for violence against Protestants by Priest Smirnov, the Russian Orthodox Church’s liaison with Russia’s security agencies, lies a plan-idea of cracking down on dissenters at the hands of the “Orthodox people” for the authorities. Of course, nothing happens in Russia that is not sanctioned by the country’s security agencies responsible for such “public” organizations. Today, the task of the Orthodox patrol “Holy Rus’” is to protect churches from blasphemy (mockery) like that of “Pussy Riot.” Tomorrow, a Protestant’s sermon about the inadmissibility of worshiping icons or saints, which abound in Orthodox religious practice, may be considered blasphemy. All this plays into the hands of hawks who wish to subjugate the Church of God that remains faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ in Russia and other former Soviet countries. The changes across all former Soviet countries (except the Baltic states and Georgia) in control over Protestants and revision of religious legislation show the existence of a systematic scenario and a force putting it into action. Scripture calls this spiritual force the devil-Satan. He finds human vessels willing to carry out his blasphemous will against God and His children.

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“Upon discovering persons committing blasphemous acts against Orthodox holy sites, we reserve the right to take appropriate measures.” With this rationale, the appearance of Orthodox patrols in Moscow was announced. Experts give extremely contradictory assessments of the legality and meaning of such actions.

Voluntary Orthodox patrols are beginning to operate in Moscow and the Moscow region, tasked with countering blasphemy.

“Upon discovering persons committing blasphemous acts against Orthodox holy sites, insulting the Orthodox faith, or showing aggression toward priests, we reserve the right to take appropriate measures,” Ivan Otrakovsky, head of the Orthodox movement “Holy Rus’” who organized the patrols, told Interfax.

“We are not calling for physical reprisal; we are calling for just punishment! We are not calling for an offensive; we are calling for defense!” he said.

The movement leader stated that patrol members will act strictly within the law and coordinate their actions with the police.

Otrakovsky noted that members of his organization can no longer watch “the flagrant lawlessness happening on our native land and occurring with the inaction and connivance of the authorities.”

“We remember that we are Orthodox people; this is our land, we are its masters, we are responsible for it. Our Orthodox ancestors built this great state, gathering it from the fragments of scattered tribes. And we cannot calmly watch as our native faith is trampled upon amid cowardly silence, or even approval, of traitors who have renounced Christ,” he stated, calling on all Orthodox people to organize into patrols, “to introduce shift-based patrolling across Russia near our native holy sites.”

“Come out with fathers, mothers, children, brothers and sisters. In every district there is a church, a holy site. Protect them, do not give them over to desecration! Everyone will answer before God for what they did and did not do—whether they stood up for Christ’s truth or sat it out at home,” Otrakovsky said.

At the same time, a source in the Interior Ministry told the agency that the possibility of joint patrolling by police and Orthodox patrol members has not been worked out. “It is premature to talk about any joint work,” the source emphasized.

The Moscow mayor’s office is in no hurry to embrace the Orthodox movement’s initiative. “I believe this is a wrong approach. On the contrary, it divides society; we have a multi-confessional state,” Alexei Mayorov, head of Moscow’s regional security department, said on Wednesday.

“This is apparently some private initiative,” he noted.

According to him, the activities of people’s patrols are regulated by a special Moscow city law.

“If we talk about patrols that will have a confessional or ethnic orientation, in my opinion, this is an unproductive path for the development of this type of activity,” the official said.

“In Moscow, a normal practice of patrol work has already developed, which is implemented on a territorial basis. This is effective, and further development will proceed in this direction,” Mayorov said.

Text: Elena Fomina, Roman Kretsul
22 August 2012, 17:55

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