Spirit of the Times

Andrei Zolotov, Jr.
Of Prayers and Rallies
I climbed on the podium for journalists and looked around. In the beautiful spring weather, the broad street in front of the Christ the Savior Cathedral was filled with people as far as one could see. There were thousands, tens of thousands, many more than the expected 25,000.
Andrei Zolotov, Jr.
You know it when you see it
There are many people today that say blasphemy is an outdated term, which has no space in the modern pluralistic society. There are those who don’t feel blasphemy because they have no feeling for what is holy. There are others for whom freedom of expression is the holiest holy and hence everyone who protests against the right to offend is offending their icon, freedom. But there are millions around us, and judging from Facebook comments, not only very religious people, who felt strongly offended and disturbed by what happened in Moscow.3
Andrei Zolotov, Jr.
No Longer an Ancient Curiosity
The Thirteenth Apostle was in town earlier this week. The Judge of the Whole Universe. I am not kidding. His name is Theodoros II, and he is the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa.
Andrei Zolotov, Jr.
Children of the Church
This year’s Christmas, which according to the ancient Julian calendar falls in the Russian Orthodox Church on January 7, was full of important messages, including the church’s elaborated position on the tense political situation in the country following the December parliamentary elections and the ensuing mass protests against alleged electoral fraud.
Andrei Zolotov, Jr.
Listening to the people
Finally, it is official! Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, who had remained silent and out of sight ever since he voted, in front of television cameras, in the State Duma elections on Dec. 4th, made two consecutive statements last weekend on the political situation in the country.
Andrei Zolotov, Jr.
Faith Meets International Bureaucracy
The event had a long name. Clearly, the people who coined it had never worked for a newspaper, let alone a news website. Or, perhaps, the diplomats from the Council of Europe had to satisfy many conflicting interests in the elaboration process, as is always the case with international organizations.
Andrei Zolotov, Jr.
Svyatynya
The Belt of the Virgin Mary currently on an unprecedented tour of Russia is a great illustration of the immense popularity of relics, wonder-making icons or other holy objects, commonly known in Russian as svyatyni – a phenomenon largely forgotten in the Christian West, but very much alive in the Christian East and flourishing in today’s Russia.2
Andrei Zolotov, Jr.
Surb Khach and the Earthquake
When all those dead in this earthquake are mourned and laid to rest, when all the wounded are taken care of, the world will want to know about the status of the great remains of the centuries of Armenian presence in Eastern Turkey. By behaving one way or another in that regard, Turkey can either make a step towards healing the old wounds or stir them once again.
Andrei Zolotov, Jr.
The Romance-Slavic Symbiosis
Last week, I went to Chisinau for the first time in my life, and I realized that this country would probably remain weak and messy, but sovereign. Moreover, despite the language and a substantial shared history with Romania, Moldovan identity, surprisingly, goes much deeper than the Soviet Union. It is certainly associated with being part of the Russian Empire since around the turn of the 18th and 19th century, but also offers an interesting case study of the complex relationship between the church and nationhood in this part of the world.
Andrei Zolotov, Jr.
Leaving to Come
One can probably feel sorry that Karol Wojtyla never realized his dream of coming to Moscow during his lifetime. But there is something very Christian about the fact that the Blessed John Paul had to die in order to come here.1

Spirit of the Times

Andrei Zolotov, Jr.

Once upon a time, modernity was seen as a period when religion would disappear from public life. Yet nowadays, in the Spirit of the Times, it is clearly back. Or has never left. Globally, and especially in the former Soviet Union - the foremost case of what came to be known as desecularization.

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Spirit of the Times

Of Prayers and Rallies

You know it when you see it

No Longer an Ancient Curiosity

Children of the Church

Listening to the people

Faith Meets International Bureaucracy

Svyatynya

Surb Khach and the Earthquake

The Romance-Slavic Symbiosis

Leaving to Come

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