Could this be Chukcha? If not, it’s one of his relatives!
Some of you have asked me about Chukcha, one of my stock characters (every columnist comes up with several to illustrate points, such as the late Mike Royko’s Slats Grobnik). He is a stock-figure in Russian humour, being a simple-wise man. His closest analogue in American pop culture is Jed Clampett of the old sitcom on the telly, The Beverly Hillbillies. Like Jed, Chukcha may be from the back-of-the-beyond (therefore, prone to “cement pond” and “fancy-eatin’ table” malapropisms), being from the Chukchi Republic in the extreme east of the country (above the Arctic, no less), but, he knows which end is up, and don’t try to prove otherwise, by God.
Here is a typical Chukcha story:
“Chukcha has gone to Moscow. There is socialism there. It is impressive. Everything is done for the betterment of man. However… Chukcha even saw this man”.
In short, Chukcha is no one’s fool. He knows the reality behind the showy rhetoric (sounds familiar, huh?). That is, Chukcha has character… he is real. Another figure in the Chukcha stories is the Russian geologist. The geologist plays something of the same role played by Banker Drysdale in the Beverly Hillbillies. For all his education, he is often outwitted by Chukcha, or Chukcha shows his superiority. For instance:
Chukcha and the geologist were out hunting. The geologist sighted a polar bear. Chukcha shouted, “Run!” The geologist ignored Chukcha and shot the polar bear. Chukcha came up, shaking his head. “Russian hunter, bad hunter. Now, we have to drag bear 20 kilometres back to village. However… Russian can drag bear all by himself”. Chukcha stamped off…
Of course, Chukcha and his friends probably showed up after the Russian had been forced to drag the bear long enough to learn a lesson. One of the identifying “tags” of Chukcha is the word “odnako” (“however”). Chuk’s wisdom usually follows.
What would Chukcha think of the Syosset gang in the OCA? For that matter, what would Jed Clampett say? “Oo dawgie… I WOULDN’T do THAT if I were you”. Reflect on the fact that the SVS/Syosset mob is made up of the “educated and sophisticated”, whilst Chukcha and Jed are “ignorant and simple”.
My money is on Chukcha and Jed… what about you?
Barbara-Marie Drezhlo
Thursday 24 September 2009
Albany NY
Wonderful! Thank you, Vara!
Comment by Kevin P. Edgecomb — Thursday, 24 September 2009 @ 12:39
He’s a pip… that’s why one can use this “character” so extensively. Chukcha or Paffhausen? Is it really a choice? Did you see the latest amongst the OCA die-hards? Doing a “search” for a new treasurer, and only coming up with the present CFO of SVS? THAT stinks to high heaven of the fix!
However (as good Chukcha would remind us)… the large legal fees involved in fighting the Koumentakos case and the constant jaunts of Paffhausen and Co have drained the store-cupboard. The idiots are consolidating offices at SVS and Syosset (one wonders if that is kosher under the statutes… hmm…). That is to say, there is one person who is both the treasurer of the national body and of one of the seminaries.
Remember the talk about “transparency”? Well… there was no money allocated in the budget for extraordinary legal fees or foreign jaunts. My advice to all members of the OCA is to keep your money in your pockets and purses. Otherwise, all it shall buy is legal harassment and junkets for Paffhausen and his friends.
Don’t subsidise the legal lynching of Kristine Koumentakos.
SEND THEM NOTHING.
NADA.
Chukcha or the HOOMies? Is it a choice?
Cheers,
Vara
Comment by 01varvara — Thursday, 24 September 2009 @ 12:55
You know, it would appear that some of these people think “Orthodox Church” means “opportunity to play dress-up”. Our mutual friend Esteban gave me a very interesting rundown of Paffhausenian history (the real history, not the official one!), and the perpetual machinations of the Organization Claiming Autocephaly’s cult of personality. Very interesting!
I look forward to your overview of the last thirty years!
Comment by Kevin P. Edgecomb — Thursday, 24 September 2009 @ 15:26
Kevin,
Reflect on the fact that when he came to the US in 1951, Aleksandr Dmitrievich was totally unknown, someone bereft of either an actual academic reputation or publishing history. Georgi Florovsky (the then-dean of what passed for SVS) had ties to the Mladorossi (Young Russia), a monarchist group. ADS was a violent republican…
In short, ADS came to New York not because of his academic reputation (for he had none) or philosophical agreement with Georgi Vasilyevich. Factor in the reality that Georgi Vasilyevich was overthrown in a “palace coup” four years later (labelled by the SVS lot as “a disagreement with the bishops”). I believe that ADS was the prime mover in the removal of GVF… do not forget that GVF was a staunch opponent of ADS’s idol Sergei Nikolaevich Bulgakov (the heretic who propounded “Sophiology”). It should also be mentioned that St John Maksimovich opposed SNB and showed his Sophiology to be utter and rank heresy.
A little different from the SVS story, eh? Note well that ADS brought both Sophiology and Renovationism into SVS after his coup against GVF (Metropolitan Leonty Turkevich acted as dean until 1962, although ADS was dean in all-but-name).
Quite a little kettle of fish, nicht wahr?
You can’t say that Orthodoxy has been BORING…
Cheers,
Vara
Comment by 01varvara — Thursday, 24 September 2009 @ 19:42
No, you can’t say that is boring, that’s for sure! My education continues. Carry on. And Kevin, is there someplace online where the real Paffhausenian history might be found?
Thanks,
Michael
Nutrition and Physical Regeneration
Comment by Michael — Thursday, 24 September 2009 @ 21:17
Esteban is the expert on Paffhausen… although the fact that he was neck-deep with the deposed Gleb Podmoshensky (suspended on a morals charge, the rest of the brotherhood left him (except for Gerasim and Damascene), and he was defrocked for serving whilst under suspension) is no secret amongst Russians. When JP went to Russia under Podmoshensky’s auspices, it was 13 years after being received by the OCA, so, he can’t claim “beginners’ ignorance”.
What exists on JP is as false as the propaganda surrounding ADS at SVS. It shall come home to roost… indeed, people are withholding their money, that is the only language they understand.
Saints and sinners… we’ve had both… in full measure!
Cheers,
Vara
Comment by 01varvara — Thursday, 24 September 2009 @ 21:28
Michael, no, it’s not anywhere that I’ve seen. He told me these things in an old-fashioned way: on the telephone! I only heard “the real story” last night. If I run into anything, I’ll let you know. But I think you can also just stay tuned here, for Vara will present her history of the last 30 years of the OCA pretty soon, and I’m sure she’ll have quite a bit of that in there.
Vara, I had no idea that anyone was saying anything other than that Schmemann got Florovsky fired! Everyone knows that’s what happened, but apparently the Organization of Construction of Alternate-History has a plan for every contingency and ever personality.
Florovsky is simply one of the greats; Schmemann is an also-ran (if even that). They belong to completely different worlds. Florovsky is a representative of a world of substance, and a substantial (and hypersubstantial!) Orthodoxy. Schmemann dealt in appearances only, lacking substance. His writings have an only apparent weight and an oily superficiality, so that after they’ve been read, nothing sticks. Florovsky, on the other hand! Even a paragraph can be fleshed out into a dissertation, so deep and rich is his knowledge and so fine is his transmission of it. Look at book sales. Even though the twelve volumes of the English translations of Florovsky’s Collected Works are out of print (and the press itself defunct), they’re still in demand, with each of those volumes selling now for an average of $100. Schmemann’s trite books are still in print, but used copies are readily available (according to Amazon) for as little as seventy-eight cents. The Market has spoken!
Comment by Kevin P. Edgecomb — Thursday, 24 September 2009 @ 22:42
Of course, Kev, all of us in the know knew that ADS knifed GVF in the back. That is old news. However (as wise old Chukcha would say)… I find it interesting that SVS hid the fact that ADS had an identical-twin brother, a brother who rejected modernism, a sibling who was everything that ADS was not. In fact, I believe that a good part of the reason why ADS went so rancid is that he resented his brother Andrei so. For instance, Andrei was a cadet vitse-feldwebel (vice-sergeant) at the Tsar Nicolas II Gymnazia, whilst his brother (who attended that school, not a lycee, as the lying SVS account has it), apparently held no cadet NCO rank at all. This we know… Andrei Dmitrievich founded OLTR, a movement in the Paris group to oppose modernism and uphold Russian Orthodox tradition.
Certainly interesting, isn’t it, Kev? I think that what shall destroy JP is his connection with Gleb Podmoshensky. By the way, Podmoshensky was the godfather of Nicky’s sister Susu (at a time and place before he went bad… tragic!)… small world, ain’t it?
Cheers,
Vara
Comment by 01varvara — Thursday, 24 September 2009 @ 22:55
It certainly is a small world! That must be heartbreaking to Susu. What a sad thing.
On Andrei versus Alex, it’s really quite childish of those people, to cover up and alter the past like that. These people are really a piece of work. Maybe someone could put out a “Rainbow Series” on how to pull the wool over a flock’s eyes!
Comment by Kevin P. Edgecomb — Friday, 25 September 2009 @ 00:34
Kev,
Such things do catch up with one eventually. Have you seen the so-called OrthoWiki? All its material on the OCA is completely false… there is no mention of any of the truth regarding its errancy and truancy. That is why I believe strongly that there is going to be a Rump OCA after the implosion. Never underestimate the ability of human-beings to lie to themselves… it truly is almazing!
Cheers,
Vara
Comment by 01varvara — Friday, 25 September 2009 @ 05:23
“the rest of the brotherhood left him (except for Gerasim and Damascene)”
Aren’t they the leaders of the St Herman monastery? Have they repented then? (I wonder, since I am quite fond of Damascenes biography on Seraphim)
Comment by Thomas H — Friday, 25 September 2009 @ 13:13
Yes… it is why the establishment is considered “questionable” in many circles. Do not be fooled by what they write… their behaviour has been described by many as “cult-like”, and there have been credible reports of morals problems throughout the entire body of ex-HOOM/CSB people. There have been substantial accusations of child abuse brought against them… they are a equivocal group at best.
Caveat auditor, I say.
Cheers,
Vara
Comment by 01varvara — Friday, 25 September 2009 @ 13:19
Hmm…one wonders how the rest of the brotherhood feels, if their two leaders don’t “agree” with them.
So one shouldn’t read anything from their press? Not even the biography on Seraphim? Sorry for all these questions, but its a bit confusing for me – I’ve had the impression that St Hermans was a beacon of orthodoxy.
Comment by Thomas H — Friday, 25 September 2009 @ 13:28
Be VERY careful with anything out of St Herman’s Press… for instance, the Damascene biography omits the conflict between Seraphim Rose and Gleb Podmoshensky in the last year of Fr Seraphim’s life. GP was suspended on morals charges, and, then, defrocked for celebrating services despite the ban. Nothing at St Herman’s Press has been approved by a bishop.
Therefore, some factual items are correct… but, be careful with their stuff, if you care to read it. They are based in what was a cult-organisation, and many Orthodox here are still suspicious of them (for good reason, there have been credible accusations of child abuse… that is serious).
Cheers,
Vara
Comment by 01varvara — Friday, 25 September 2009 @ 13:37
Michael, no, it’s not anywhere that I’ve seen. He told me these things in an old-fashioned way: on the telephone! I only heard “the real story” last night. If I run into anything, I’ll let you know.
Thanks Kevin. I appreciate it.
But I think you can also just stay tuned here, for Vara will present her history of the last 30 years of the OCA pretty soon, and I’m sure she’ll have quite a bit of that in there.
I’m here and will be looking forward to reading the (unvarnished) history.
Its funny years ago I was told by a priest that the internet is just a place of gossip and slander (as if that doesn’t happen off-line) when it comes to Orthodoxy but now its about the only place you can go to get at the root of some of these scandals that are rocking Orthodoxy in the USA.
For example, when I listened to the AOANA convention tapes, I was floored to say the least. No commentary by anyone was necessary. And no amount of public spin can change what I heard.
Michael
Nutrition and Physical Regeneration
Comment by Michael — Saturday, 26 September 2009 @ 19:07
Michael…
Years ago, the only public version available was that on offer by the various archdiocese “central offices”. We all know what that means… what was on offer was censored and sculpted to give a picture that was pleasing to the current place-holders. Anyone who thought or (even worse) said otherwise was given the bum’s rush out the door. For instance, no one in the OCA or ROCOR confirmed that they received funds from the Soviets or the CIA (the OCA from the Sovs and the ROCOR from the CIA) in the Cold War years. Well, finally, Fr Alexander Lebedeff of the ROCOR confirmed that the old “rumour” (for that is what the archdiocesan spokesmen always called it) was true. “Yes, we took money from them, and we were grateful for it”. The OCA continues to deny that it was on the Sov dole. Of course… just like they deny that ADS stabbed Florovsky in the back, that Peter l’Hullier was a respected theologian, and that there is (or was) no homosexual cabal running the Church.
After all, Michael, they are telling “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”. As Kev so sagely pointed up to me earlier, “Of course, they’re telling the truth. It’s all footnoted”. Amen!
Cheers,
Vara
Comment by 01varvara — Saturday, 26 September 2009 @ 22:00