... noses. Petrenko should fire Khasavov. The only possible thing that is stopping her from doing that, one can assume, is that she might share his views. If that is the case, she has no right to remain a senator. It would seem logical that the Russian Orthodox Church, the mainstay of Russian statehood, would issue a statement in reaction to Khasavov's words. Unfortunately, the only response came from church spokesman and archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, who offered the following tolerant words: "There...

A Facebook page dedicated to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill was launched Tuesday to feed growing interest in the divisive religious figure who has embodied the church's thickening ties with newly inaugurated President Vladimir Putin. A Facebook page dedicated to Russian...

A religiously themed art exhibition organized in Krasnodar by a prominent patron of the arts has sparked a flurry of protest from activists and even a fake bomb threat, despite being supported by a senior Russian Orthodox Church official. A religiously themed art exhibition organized in Krasnodar by a prominent patron of the arts has sparked a flurry of protest from activists and even a fake bomb threat, despite being supported by a senior Russian Orthodox Church...

... who leads Us, a small anti-Kremlin youth movement, heckled President Dmitry Medvedev during his speech in the Kremlin in 2008. Another activist, Maria Baronova, of the Resistance anti-Kremlin group, entered the cathedral but was cornered by a group of Orthodox priests and men who tried to escort her out. A dozen activists from the militant Union of Orthodox Banner Bearers group lined up in front of the cathedral, shouting obscenities at Dobrokhotov and Baronova. The group is known for dispersing gay...

The patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church has presided over the baptism of hundreds of babies in a Tbilisi cathedral as part of an effort credited with helping raise his country's birth rate. TBILISI, Georgia — The patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox...

The very first march against homophobia in the history of Georgia was aggressively thwarted May 17 by the Union of Orthodox Christian Parents, a violent, reactionary group led by several priests who have a strange interpretation of "love your neighbor." They shamelessly stood by as their homophobic devotees cursed and attacked...

... on casting a shadow on Russian NGOs that Britain funded. To be fair, Mamontov gave viewers of the Pussy Riot show on Tuesday evening an early warning that it was not going to be a masterpiece of balanced reporting. On Facebook, he addressed Russian Orthodox believers with World War II rhetoric: "Brothers and sisters, watch the show, it will be interesting. I hope you learn a lot that is new. We are on the right side, the enemy will be confounded, victory will be on our side." On the show...

... opposition movement, has announced a mock public prayer in support of Pussy Riot and against Putin starting at 2 p.m. Sunday at Christ the Savior Cathedral. Dobrokhotov said band members face criminal charges "only for praying not according to Orthodox canons," but his fellow activists "plan to observe all canons," Interfax reported. In late February four masked band members burst into the cathedral and performed the anti-Putin song. Three suspects were immediately detained,...

... standards in the region. "The social standards for those who live in Moscow [the city] and in the region are different," he said. The charismatic, often laid-back Shoigu looked a bit tense during the ceremony. After the swearing-in, a Russian Orthodox priest presented him with a Kazan Mother of God icon. Shoigu crossed himself. 179695 179742

... 12. The meeting with Nikolic was also Putin's first encounter with a foreign leader from outside the former Soviet Union since he returned to Russia's presidency May 7. The pair spoke warmly of ties between their nations, which share mostly Slavic, Orthodox Christian culture, animus toward NATO and opposition to the independence of Kosovo. "We see Serbia as our spiritual brothers," said Putin, who met Nikolic on the sidelines of a United Russia convention. Nikolic told Putin that "Serbia...

... anti-gay legislation passed in several Russian cities and waiting for a vote in the capital. YouTube footage from the rally showed the protesters — who also demanded the right to hold a gay pride parade — being approached by a group of radical Orthodox activists carrying crosses and icons and chanting “Stop Sodom!” "I will not allow perverts to bring the wrath of God onto our city," one gay rights opponent, Dmitry Tsarionov, told the gathering. He held a sign that said...

... Tsereteli, so expect more giant statues; Eurovision winner Dima Bilan and Olympic medal-winning figure skater Yevgeny Plushenko, although I think the danger of them doing Eurovision again has passed. And the biker Khirurg, or surgeon, who leads the Russian Orthodox Night Wolves outfit. Kommersant reported that he insists his followers have badges only with Russian lettering on their leather jackets. Be very afraid. Meanwhile Sobchak confirmed her status as an opposition activist — one of the few celebrities...

... demonstrations with a wave of regime-­orchestrated demonstrations. As a result, the country is now swollen with all sorts of phobias — against sexual minorities, against the "propaganda of sex" among young people, against critics of the Russian Orthodox Church and, as always, against the West. It is difficult to predict the fate of such a blinkered regime. What we can say for sure is that only a democratic Russia will be able to survive within the country's current borders. The alternative is...

... of people, doing everything so that people are free." Around 3,000 government leaders and prominent figures filled multiple halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace for the ceremony, including runner-up presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov, Russian Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill, and former Italian Prime Minister and Putin's personal friend Silvio Berlusconi. Federation Council speaker Valentina Matvienko and State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin stood on stage with Putin and Medvedev during...

... man held a sign with the direct message: “There's no 3rd term in our constitution,” referring to controversial language in the constitution regarding the number of presidential terms allowed. A woman held a sign in the shape of a Russian Orthodox cross that said, in English, “Putin must die.” There also appeared to be a higher concentration of aggressive and radical demonstrators in the crowd than at previous opposition events. Andrei Biryukov, 53, a computer programmer, said...

... Transportation Hub,” we are considering the creation of five large terminal shipping facilities on the shores of the Kola Bay. Q: What places in Murmansk would you recommend that tourists visit? A: I would recommend visiting the seafront Russian Orthodox Church Savior on the Waters and the nuclear icebreaker Lenin, which has been turned into a museum. Other than that, our city has the northernmost aquarium in the world, the Oceanarium. It’s the only aquarium on the European continent where...