20 May 2008. A Day at the Races…

Moscow ready to greet British football fans

Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, and Domodedovo airports in Moscow are ready to greet British football fans coming for the UEFA Champions League Final at Luzhniki Stadium on 21 May. 55,000 fans are expected to attend the Chelsea-Manchester United match. Besides the fans, British policemen are coming to help their colleagues in Moscow maintain order in the city.

19 May 2008

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27183&cid=52&p=19.05.2008 (in English)

Moscow starts to welcome British football fans

Moscow is rolling out the welcome mat to British fans arriving for the Champions League final between FC Chelsea and FC Manchester United at Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday. All shall enjoy a visa-free stay in Russia until 25 May. Generous sightseeing arrangements are being offered to the fans. Strict public order goes without saying.

19 May 2008

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27207&cid=52&p=19.05.2008 (in English) 

First charter planes carrying Manchester United and Chelsea fans arrive in Moscow

The first charter planes carrying Manchester United and Chelsea fans arrived in Moscow as the Russian capital gears up to host the first all-English Champions’ Cup final scheduled for tomorrow. Overall, some 42,000 English aficionados are expected to fly in, 21,000 per team. Russian authorities decided that fans with a match ticket shall not need a visa to enter Russia for the final. The game will be played at the giant Luzhniki stadium in Moscow.

20 May 2008  

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27221&cid=52&p=20.05.2008 (in English)

President Medvedev to meet the winners of the recent World Ice Hockey Championship

President Dmitri Medvedev is due to meet the winners of the recent world ice hockey championship, Team Russia, at the Moscow Kremlin later today. The Russian hockey players had to bend over backwards to defeat the Canadians 5:4 in the finals in Québec. Medvedev called the Russian players right after the game to offer his congratulations on their outstanding achievement. The President feels the win would have been impossible if the Russian players failed to display total will and dedication. Last Friday, the footballers of FC Zenit were honoured at the Moscow Kremlin following their win of the UEFA Cup. 

20 May 2008

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27226&cid=52&p=20.05.2008 (in English)

President Medvedev welcomes national ice hockey team

In the Kremlin, President Dmitri Medvedev welcomed the world champion national ice hockey team. On Sunday, the Russian team defeated Canada 5-4 in the finals held in Québec. The President warmly congratulated the sportsmen on their victory and said that they played brilliantly and their performance would go down as one of the most beautiful games in the history of world ice hockey. Mr emphasised that Russia had needed a victory and glory in sport. A few days ago he welcomed the FC Zenit footballers from St Petersburg. According to President Medvedev, victories won by contemporary Russian sportsmen have become a tradition. “I invite you here again after the next championship”, Mr Medvedev said at the end of the meeting.

20 May 2008

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27278&cid=52&p=20.05.2008 (in English) 

Voice of Russia World Service

Russia assures security at the Champions League final in Moscow

The Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Sunday it was prepared to provide anti-terrorist security at the Champions League final in Moscow on May 21. The all-English Champions League final will see Britain’s Manchester United and Chelsea playing against each other. Thousands of British soccer fans are expected to attend the final in Moscow.

“We are participating in all measures to provide security. Our main task as part of the work with arriving soccer fans will be to track down those who are possibly on the wanted list and are involved in international terrorist organisations. We will not let these people in”, a source at the FSB said. President Dmitri Medvedev signed an order on 14 May allowing Manchester United and Chelsea fans holding tickets for the final at Luzhniki Stadium to enter the country without visas.

18 May 2008

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080518/107674678.html (in English)

First English fans arrive in Moscow for Champions League final

The first charter planes carrying Manchester United and Chelsea supporters have arrived in Moscow as the Russian capital gears up to host the first all-English final in the history of Europe’s most prestigious club competition. Newly-crowned English champions Manchester United face Chelsea, a team that pushed them for the title all the way to the final match day of the season, in what promises to be an epic encounter in the Champions League final on 21 May. The game will be played at Luzhniki stadium.

“The fans have already been put on buses and are heading to their respective accommodation with a traffic-police escort”, said a Domodedovo airport representative, adding that the airport was expecting to greet some 100 charter planes before the final. Russian authorities ruled that fans in possession of a match ticket will not need a visa to enter Russia for the final. Some 40,000 English fans are expected to pour into Moscow for the game. Luzhniki authorities announced on Monday that over 500,000 flowers had been used to decorate the stadium complex.

Moscow police are also prepared to meet the English fans, whose reputation for violence and drunkenness precedes them, announcing that 65,000 video cameras would be installed all over the city to monitor the behaviour of the fans. “Practically the whole city will be under video surveillance”, said Vyacheslav Kozlov, Moscow deputy police chief.

The footballers of FCs Manchester United and Chelsea are expected to arrive in Moscow today. Russian authorities, especially wary after the trouble that marred last Wednesday’s UEFA Cup final in Manchester, have opened a Champions League village on Red Square in what has been seen as an attempt to keep the English fans in one place and under control. The “village” will feature a celebrity match between Russian football legends and European football greats on the day of the big game. Slovakia’s Lubos Michel will referee the final.

19 May 2008

http://en.rian.ru/sports/20080519/107744394.html (in English)

Two prisoners in central Russia attempted to escape whilst guards were watching the ice hockey championships

Two convicts at a prison camp in Ivanovo oblast in central Russia timed their escape for the final of the Ice Hockey World Championship between Russian and Canada on Sunday. A spokesman for the local prosecutor’s office in Voronezh said that the two inmates, convicted of murder and aggravated robbery, had been preparing to escape from the high security prison for a long time and had decided that their best chance would be when the prison guards were watching the world championship final on TV. However, he said, an alarm went off and the guards detained the two prisoners, putting an end to their break for freedom. In the match, the Russian national ice hockey team beat Canada 5-4, becoming the world champions for the first time in 15 years.

19 May 2008

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080519/107761585.html (in English)

RIA-Novosti

Russia Regains The World Ice Hockey Title

On Sunday, Team Russia snapped a 15-year gold-medal drought by rallying to dethrone Canada 5-4 in front of a crowd of more than 13,000 fans packing the giant Colisée Arena in Québec City in the final showdown of the 2008 IIHF World Championship. It was the first time that Russia played in the world championship finals and their first gold medal, won against the very same Canadian side, since 1993. Trailing the Canadians 2-4 late in the third period, two quick goals from Aleksei Tereshchenko and Ilya Kovalchuk brought the Russians level even, although the Canadians had scored 3 goals to our one on a power play in the first period.

Vyacheslav Bykov, the Russian head coach who beat the Canadians in the world championship finals in 1993, commented on Sunday’s win. “It was tough, it surely was, but our guys held out just fine and the referees realised that you’ve got to keep your eyes wide open when you are judging a game like this…” 

Ilya Kovalchuk, cheered on by thousands of Russian fans rooting from the seats and millions who watched the game on television, scored the winner on a power play with 2:42 minutes gone in overtime, firing a wrist shot from about 14 metres that caught the Canadian goalie Cam Ward flat footed. Aleksei Tereshchenko said, “We have a great team with great players, and we really appreciate the enthusiastic support we got from our fans in Canada and Russia. It’s our shared victory…”.

The game’s two-time scorer Ilya Kovalchuk fully agreed with Aleksei. “It’s been such a release for us that we finally came out on top and for our aficionados who had waited so long for this to happen…” 

To beat the formidable Canadians, who come from a country that invented the game exactly a century ago, means ending a century-old tug-of-war about who is the best ice hockey team around. In a telephone linkup with Russian head coach Vyacheslav Bykov, President Dmitri Medvedev said that the recent string of Russian victories in ice hockey, football, and other sports reflected the country’s quick economic growth of the past few years. The Russian pucksters also received heartfelt congratulations from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

19 May 2008  

Konstantin Garibov 

Voice of Russia World Service

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27182&cid=63&p=19.05.2008 (in English)

Editor’s Note:

Team Russia had best not rest on their laurels or become complacent. The Canucks are going to be fired up to regain the cup next year. The guys from the Great White North are serious competitors not to be discounted.

Vladislav Tretiak (1952- ), the best Russian ice hockey player of all time

Who’s the best ice hockey player of all time? The best Russian skater of all time was Vladislav Tretiak, the famous goaltender of the Soviet teams of the 70s and 80s. He is now a member of the RF Gosduma.

Who is the indisputable All-Time King of Hockey?

Gordie Howe (1928- ), Mr Hockey, the undeniable King of the sport

GORDIE HOWE. 

There is no competition. Gordie was a great athlete, and he is still a sterling gentleman. The Gold Standard, not only of ice hockey, but of all sport, I say. 

Yushchenko says that the Ukraine wishes to reach an Agreement with “the Mother Church of the Ecumenical Patriarchate”

Bartholomew’s intent for the Church. He must be stopped.

Kiev, 20 May 2008 (Interfax):

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is in favour of an agreement with the Ecumenical Patriarchate. “The Ukrainian state and Ukrainian believers are convinced that we must move to make an agreement and seek unity with the Mother Church of the EP”, Mr Yushchenko said on Tuesday in the course of an official meeting with a delegation of the EP in Kiev, the press service of the president reported. “The Ukraine shall take this path”, he declared.

On their part, the EP delegates were grateful that they would be better able to effect a consolidation of the Orthodox churches in the Ukraine with a permanent presence in the country, and said that this process would be effectual when all sides were ready to contribute to it. Previously, the Moscow Patriarchate repeatedly expressed its displeasure at the interference of the EP in the church affairs of the Ukraine, an area that is part of the canonical territory of the MP.

In June 2007, Mr Yushchenko met Patriarch Bartholomew of the EP in Istanbul. They discussed the formation in the Ukraine of “a united Local Church”. Bartholomew then transmitted is blessings to the entire Ukrainian people via Mr Yushchenko. Several years ago, one of the bishops of [a schismatic body in the Ukraine recognised by] the EP, “Archbishop” Vsevolod Maidansky of Skopelos, claimed during a meeting with Mr Yushchenko that the jurisdiction of the MP does not extend to the Kiev Metropolia. Responding to this statement, Patriarch Aleksei II of Moscow and all Russia said during an interview with Interfax-Religion that “this opinion affects not only the MP, but, also all other Local Churches. This can become a source for many conflicts that would have a perceptible impact on Orthodox unity and the position of Orthodoxy in the world”. He warned Ukrainian leaders against bringing the EP into the church life of the Ukraine.

The MP also declared that they reject the pretensions of the EP to primacy over all Orthodox Churches in the world. Metropolitan Kyrill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, the head of the MP Department for External Church Relations, noted that “the EP claims to play in the Orthodox world a role similar to that exercised by the Pope of Rome in the Catholic world”. He stressed that the MP insists that “the EP does not have such a primacy over the other Local Churches”. In particular, Metropolitan Kyrill unconditionally rejected the assertion of the EP that it can interfere in the affairs of any Local Church, as it claims to be the “court of last resort” for all appeals throughout the Church. He emphasised that the MP is “categorically against this affectation, and would never recognise such a procedure”.  

Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=24559 (in Russian)

Editor’s Note:

President Yushchenko, as a layman, has no right interfering in the inner life of the Church. Furthermore, he has no right bringing a foreign and hostile body onto the canonical territory of a Local Church without even the courtesy of a “by your leave”. This IS the first salvo of the EP-MP dispute. This bids fair to be “interesting”, and it is no doubt going to become very nasty very quickly.

May God give strength to Patriarch Aleksei and Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan. This treachery and deceitfulness on the part of Yushchenko is beyond words. May God have mercy on his soul.   

 

Yushchenko invites the Ecumenical Patriarch to the Celebration of the 1020th Anniversary of the Baptism of Russia

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, fomenter of schism in the Church 

Kiev, 20 May 2008 (Interfax):

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko invited Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to participate in the celebrations marking the 1020^th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia at the end of July. He extended this invitation to a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the course of an official meeting in Kiev on Tuesday, the press service of the president reported. Mr Yushchenko stated that he supported, in every way possible, the activity of the EP in the Ukraine to unite all the Orthodox churches [under its jurisdiction]. He thanked the representatives of the EP for their efforts in this direction, noting the importance of such on the eve of the celebration of the anniversary of the Baptism of Russia.

Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=24558 (in Russian)

Editor’s Note:

Yushchenko and Bartolomew are “cruising for a bruising”. This is a declaration of open war against the MP in general, and Patriarch Aleksei in particular. The celebrations were arranged by the MP, and Bartholomew is trying to take credit for an affair that he did not plan, does not have the money or influence to arrange, and on the canonical territory of another Local Church without asking permission.

In short, this is OUTRAGEOUS. Bartholomew and his minions are spitting in Vladyki Aleksei’s face openly for the entire world to see. Is this the opening salvo of the long-expected conflict between the MP and the EP? I fear so. The coming dispute between these two bodies shall determine the future fate of the Church. Shall it be the servile Uniatism of Bartholomew or shall it be the virile confession of Faith by Moscow?

May God preserve us.  

 

Kiev began Celebrations to mark the Baptism of Russia: Orthodoxy can unite Russia, the Ukraine, and Byelorussia

The Baptism of Russia (Viktor Vasnetsov, 1896)

Patriarch Aleksei II of Moscow and all Russia, after consulting with President Vladimir Putin, decided to visit Kiev this summer to take part in celebrations marking the 1020^th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia. An invitation for him to do so was extended by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in February. Although there is agreement in general terms that the joint celebration can lay a foundation for unity amongst the Ukraine, Russia, and Byelorussia, there are mixed feelings amongst Ukrainian churchmen concerning the participation of His Holiness in the event.

Since 2006, the organisation of the festival has been in the hands of a public group known as “The Day of the Baptism of Russia” founded by the Moscow Patriarchate, political leaders, and secular philanthropists. Anniversary celebrations are planned to occur over the course of the year in 26 Ukrainian cities and they kicked off right after Easter. One of the organisers, Vasili Gorbal, a deputy of the Supreme Rada, stated that religious processions with the relics of Grand Prince St Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles and Baptiser of Russia, accompanied by wonder-working icons and holy objects from celebrated Ukrainian monasteries, shall occur in all major cities in the Ukraine. They shall be placed for veneration in the main cathedrals of the cities and festive services shall be held before them.

In addition, there are plans to hold academic and theological conferences dedicated to the anniversary. Furthermore, concerts of various sorts shall be held during the summer, featuring such disparate ensembles as church choirs, youth choruses, and popular rock bands such as Bratya Karamozovy (The Brothers Karamazov), DDT, and Pesnyary. Representatives of the Orthodox Church shall attend all of the concerts and celebrity musicians shall take part in them gratis as a charitable contribution to the festival. “First of all, we see the celebration of the Baptism of Russia as a means of spiritual enlightenment. Spreading Christian values shall remind our people of their great history and unite all generations and regions”, Mr Gorbal explained.

The Secretariat of the Ukrainian President has the same opinion. “The state shall support this celebration to foster a spirit of unity”, said Yuri Bogutsky, the deputy head of the secretariat. The topic of unity also entered into the discussions of Patriarch Aleksei with President Vladimir Putin on the subject. Despite the political and economic conflicts between the Ukraine and Russia, Orthodoxy can be the seed of a new unity, leaders of both the church and state believe.  

Baptism of the Grand Princess St Olga (Part 1 of the Triptych “Holy Rus”) (Sergei Kirillov, 1992)  

However, Ukrainian church figures did not have a unified and harmonious response to the joint festival. According to “Archbishop” Dmitri of the “Patriarchate of Kiev” (uncanonical schismatics supported by the EP: editor’s note), rector of its theological academy, said in an interview broadcast on Radio Ukraina that the visit of Patriarch Aleksei must be the beginning “of a deliberate dialogue between the Churches of the Patriarchates of Kiev (sic) and Moscow so that we may end hostilities between them”. He did not rule out protests against the festivities, although he claimed that the “Kiev Patriarchate” was not planning them. “You shall recall that parishioners of the MP protested the visit of the Pope to the Ukraine. I remember that there were protests against the visit of Patriarch Aleksei II when he visited Kiev in 1990. Protests against [this celebration] cannot be ruled out”, he said.

The “Archbishop” explained that the unsympathetic attitude of some Ukrainian believers [to this celebration] is due to the hostile attitude of the MP to the Ukraine, “caused by lay brotherhoods and unions in the church with a virulently anti-Ukrainian agenda”. He did not accuse the Ukrainian Autonomous Orthodox Church of the MP (the sole canonical body in the Ukraine: editor’s note) of complicity with these groups, but, claimed that these movements are supported by the Russian government. He alleged that Patriarch Aleksei “rewards the leaders of these brotherhoods and movements with church distinctions”. Furthermore, he added that he felt that another reason for disquiet amongst believers was that Patriarch Aleksei refused to remove the anathema from Ataman Mazeppa (a figure in 17^th century Little Russian history: editor’s note) in February when requested to do so by Ukrainian President Yushchenko.

Andrei Yurash, a Galician political scientist affiliated with Lvov Ivan Franko University (a Uniate stronghold: editor’s note), believes that the conciliatory gestures of Ukrainian President Yushchenko towards the MP are in error. In an interview with the newspaper Lvovskoy Gazeta (Lvov Gazette), he thought that it was possible that the visit of Patriarch Aleksei, when seen against the background of current inter-governmental and inter-church relations, would be detrimental [to peaceful relations]. Mr Yurash gave his statistics [for religious adherence in the Ukraine]. 75 percent of all Ukrainians are Orthodox (MP, the “Kiev Patriarchate”, and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (samosvyatsy, “self-consecrators”, another schismatic group: editor’s note)), 8 percent are Uniate Catholics, 1 percent are Roman Catholics, and 2 percent are Protestants.

Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan of Kiev, all the Ukraine, and Galych, Confessor-First Hierarch of the Ukrainian Autonomous Orthodox Church of the MP. A true hero of the Faith.

Apparently, political concerns, not religious sensibilities, prompt the uneasiness of some Ukrainians towards this MP-sponsored celebration. This was seen especially as the preparations for the festival were underway, as irritation was noticed, even then, in factions within Ukrainian society. Konstantin Zatulin, the Director of the Institute of the CIS, recently named the representatives of the “Kiev Patriarchate” as the main culprits, accusing them of open opposition to the presence of Patriarch Aleksei on Ukrainian territory. He believes that the visit shall “disrupt the plans” of those churchmen trying to distance themselves from Moscow, for the declared object of the festival is to lay the groundwork for the reconciliation of the churches.

The well-known political scientist Sergei Markov made a bold statement in regards to this celebration of the Baptism of Russia by these three related peoples. “Most would say that this is a united nation divided by artificial state borders. Moreover, this distinction is largely imposed by outside sources. I think that if there was no foreign interference, it is very likely that these peoples would reunite within the framework of a united state”.  

Meanwhile, according to the results of an opinion poll carried out by Democratic Initiatives and the Ukrainian Sociological Service, the two leaders of the largest Christian churches of the Ukraine, Philaret Denisenko (“Kiev Patriarchate”) and Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan of Kiev and all Ukraine (MP, the canonical archpastor) have a practically identical level of approval amongst respondents, 31.4 percent and 31.3 percent respectively. Patriarch Aleksei II of Moscow and all Russia and Benedict XVI, the Pope of Rome, also share similar approval ratings, 29.3 percent and 28.5 percent respectively. Practically no one reported negative feelings toward the leadership of another confession. Interestingly, only 11.8 percent of the Orthodox respondents feel that the Ukrainian church should be totally absorbed into the MP.

19 March 2008

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=print&div=8345 (in Russian)

Editor’s Note:

NG is one of my favourite sources in Russian, and one can see why.

Note the widespread support in the Ukraine for this festival. It is a clear sign of where the true sympathies of the Ukrainian people lie. The groups most in opposition to this are found in the schismatic splinter groups amongst the Orthodox. Objective sources state that 85 percent of Orthodox in the Ukraine are in the canonical church under the MP. To put it another way, only 15 percent are in the breakaway factions. This is after 17 years of unrelenting pressure from “nationalists” on MP clergy and parishioners to defect to the renegade bodies! I would say that this is evidence that the vast majority of Ukrainians wish to keep ties with Moscow.

It is apparent that Denisenko and his minions intend to try and disrupt the festivities. I say, let them try! It shall backfire, as all such attempts invariably do. The poll results quoted in the last paragraph must be taken with a grain of salt, as the poll was conducted by pro-Orange organisations. Nevertheless, they are useful. Even with a skewed sample, the results show a high level of trust in Moscow. The actual level is probably higher. The figures quoted by Mr Yurash as regards religious adherence are probably spot-on accurate. Just because he is a spokesman for a Vatican-financed institution does not mean that he is incorrect in everything.

One of the reasons I started this blog is that the information available in the West concerning Russia is skewed unfavourably due to the activities of the Galician diaspora. If they wish to air their views, let them, I say. I am merely presenting “the other side of the story” (hat tip to Paul Harvey). This is due to the fact that there are more Galicians and their descendants in the US and Canada than there are Great Russians (a completely opposite situation to that found in the homeland). Nothing sinister at all, truly. I wish that God sends them His blessings and good things, and that their personal lives are abundant and full. Political disagreement should never descend to personal incivility. God expects better of us, I say.