African soldiers training with the VDV (Airborne Troops)
Congolese military personnel doing training in Russia took a break to have a picnic with locals. Here, they sing a famous song by O M Gazmanov, Offitseri (Officers)… good show, mates!
BMD
The Great Lent is upon us and we’re “sailing on the sea of the Holy Fast” to the Holy Easter. Lent isn’t an end in itself… nor is it a following of an arcane list of dietary restrictions. As always, the Church is damnably vague on it all… some sources are acrid and rigorous… others are mild and healing… but it’s all the Church! I think that some toddlers are unaware that the Church tailors its message to each believer. It shows compassion to the weak and lowly… it shows rigour to the prideful and high. You see, the published “regs” on Lent are all monastic… but we live in the world. I’d only say for you to consult your priest or confessor on this. I can’t give you advice… I don’t know you. However, you score no points with God by pridefully following the full monastic rigour without an explicit blessing to do so (that takes YEARS of preparatory effort).
Lent has an end in view… the proper celebration of the Holy Easter, the Feast of Feasts, the Lord’s Pascha, the Centrepiece of the Christian Year. May God find us all worthy to join in the feast…
BMD
There’s a juvenile PhotoShop making the rounds of FB… I love being Orthodox. I’m proud to be Orthodox. Only someone not in sync with the Mind of Church could create such mindless rubbish… it’s utterly at odds with how real grounded Orthodox view themselves. Look at the above… that’s how we view ourselves… we’re not “proud to be Orthodox” nor do we “love being Orthodox”. We’re Orthodox, full stop, and may the Good Lord keep our noses pointed in the right direction. After all, we’re Christians, that’s what we should be doing…
BMD
Voices from Russia 
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