Page 60 - bne magazine February 2024_20240206

60 I Eurasia bne February 2024
Following a barrage of criticism on Facebook, activist Nata Peradze defaced the icon with blue paint.
the icon with blue paint. Peradze has a history of protesting against Stalin's glorification, evidenced by a video showing her splashing red paint on
a Stalin bust in Mukhrani, eastern Georgia.
"My concern is not what happens inside the church, but the resurgence of Stalin's cult is unacceptable. We cannot stand by as this tyrant is glorified,” Peradze told RFE/RL.
The activist's actions led to threats from pro-Russian groups, some of whom gathered near her house, accusing Peradze of "insulting an icon". These groups faced police intervention
to prevent them from reaching the activist's home.
The Georgian interior ministry initiated an investigation into the icon's defacement under the petty hooliganism clause of the Administrative Code.
Following the protests, the Patriarchate restricted media access to Holy Trinity Cathedral for two days. The icon has now been cleaned.
In its initial reaction, the Patriarchate's Press Secretary, Andria Jagmadze, told Tabula news agency that the portrayal of Stalin does not imply the icon is dedicated to him, drawing a parallel
to depictions of historical figures like Diocletian in religious art.
Later the Georgian Patriarchate acknowledged the problem and asked the donors to revise its depiction of Stalin. If donors don't make these changes, the Patriarchate will.
The press service clarified that canonical painting rules allow depicting real stories and individuals associated with a saint's life, including rulers, commoners, heretics, persecutors
of Christianity, and even the saint's martyrs. However, it explained that this scene with Stalin is not in the Russian Church's canonical account of her life due to lack of evidence.
hierarchs of the Georgian Orthodox Church, along with thousands of parishioners, were executed, especially during the anti-Soviet uprising of 1924 and the Stalinist purges of 1937-1938. Across the USSR, approximately 80,000 clergymen and up to a million citizens
victims at around 20 million, highlighting the extent of his tyranny.
Irma Inashvili and Davit Tarkhan- Mouravi, leaders of the Patriots Alliance party, claimed they donated the icon to Holy Trinity Cathedral, interpreting the
“Following a barrage of criticism on Facebook, activist Nata Peradze defaced the icon with blue paint.”
were executed solely on the basis of their religious beliefs during Stalin's rule, according to the statement," the Soviet Past research laboratory said in a statement.
The Gulag Museum in Russia estimates the number of Stalin's repression
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icon as symbolising Stalin's turn to God in times of crisis. The Patriots Alliance is known for its pro-Russian stance. Recent public opinion polls suggest that their support is currently at a mere 1%.
Following a barrage of criticism on Facebook, activist Nata Peradze defaced