On 27 May 2012, at waiting crowd at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport greeted the successful Russian contestants at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, which ended yesterday in Baku. The Russian entry, the Buranovskiye Babushki, took second place in the final competition and won much love and admiration from all over the world. Their fans met the Babas at the airport with flowers, songs, and dances.
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At an impromptu press conference, the Babas told reporters that the flight went by very quickly and effortlessly, as they sang Russian and Udmurt folk songs as the plane took them back to Russia.
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At home in Buranovo, their families and fellow villagers are waiting for them; on Wednesday 30 May, they’ll lay the cornerstone for their new parish church in the village and the local Orthodox clergy will bless the site. This has been a long-cherished project of the Babas.
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Answering journalists’ questions, the Babas noted that they really liked Baku… they found the people there very hospitable, they had time to visit the old town, they visited the Orthodox church, went to the seashore and hunted for shells.
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According to the Babas’ producer, they’ve received many queries about a world tour. In Moscow, on 12 June 2012, the Babas will take part in concert on Red Square honouring Russia Day {the buzz has it that VVP wants to award the Babas a state decoration at that time: editor}.
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President Putin sent his greetings to the Babas, praising their successful performance at the ESC, expressing his intent to go to their village to get to know the singers personally.
Patriarch Kirill Gundayev of Moscow and all the Russias (1946- ) serving a Memorial Litiya for those killed at the Domodedovo terrorist attack…
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My dear and beloved brothers and sisters! All the churches of the Orthodox Church in Russia offered up prayers for the victims of the terrorist attack today. In our Moscow Diocese, we will pray for forty days for the repose of the victims of this tragedy, but I feel the needs of the hearts that came here to this place, to lift up their prayers for all those who died or lost their loved ones and friends.
I want to remind you of the words of the Holy Bible, where, in the fourth chapter of Genesis, it describes the first homicide, when Cain slew his brother Abel. Here is what the Lord said to the first murderer, “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the earth, and now you are cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to take his brother’s blood from thy hand” (Genesis 4. 10-11). Other words don’t come to mind, except those that the Lord refers to the killers. Moreover, I think, as a man of the Church, that I shouldn’t speak mere pleasantries, but that I should comfort the bereaved, and raise fervent prayers for the repose of the innocent victims.
Metropolitan Yuvenaly Poyarkov of Krutitsy and Kolomna
This, I believe, is a good way to wind down the coverage of the Domodedovo tragedy (there may be one or two other items yet, if they come up). After today, I’ll get back to my ordinary routine. It’s always exhilarating when a big story hits… but it’s also good to get back to “normal”. What always saddens me is how the Western press relies on shoddy and misleading translations of Russian news items (as a recent article by Sophia Kishkovsky illustrated all too abundantly). That’s why I started this site… God willing, it’s done some good.
If you’re a believer, remember the victims of the Domodedovo incident, both the dead and the injured, and mention them in your prayers. If you aren’t a believer, remember the victims, hoist a glass, and toast their memories with a moment of silence. Certainly, all of us, believers and non-believers, stand in silence at the mystery of death… that’s something that all of us agree upon, isn’t it?
It’s time to comfort the grieving, care for the wounded, and bury the dead…
BMD
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Vladimir Legoida, the head of the MP Synodal Information Department, believes that if society wants to counter terrorism effectively, it must change its current system of values. “People in a consumer society are tied hand-and-foot to the material side of life, they have short-term goals and values; therefore, it’s easy to shake their equilibrium, to frighten them. On the other hand, the terrorist lives according to another raison d’être, even if its perverse… he’s much less fearful of death”, he said live on-air on the TV channel Дождь (Shower). Vladimir Romanovich thought that if we were to consider what the Church can do to help society in confronting terrorism, primarily, it’s a matter of pointing up that our values are a “weapon” [against evil]. “We must fight against terrorism not only with our technology and techniques, but also with our values”. He noted that the ideology of the modern civilisation of leisure “aims at creating an earthly paradise, so any ‘trouble in Paradise’ seriously destabilises such a society, exposing the vulnerability of the society and the fragility of its public safety”. Speaking about the terrorist attack at Domodedovo Airport, Vladimir Romanovich emphasised, “Today, solidarity is very important to us, although, until recently, the word was something of a cliché; it even had some negative connotations. It’s important for all of society to understand that there are some elemental things, which we have neglected for some time, but, at the same time, for us, today, the most important thing is that we form sincere and personal ties with our fellow citizens”.
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Abbas Abbasov, Co-Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Interreligious Council of the CIS, and former Azerbaijani First Deputy Prime Minister, called on the Russian leadership not to spare the terrorists and their accomplices. “We had such attacks in Azerbaijan, but as we used well thought-out preventive measures, we eliminated this threat to us. The Russian state must radically strengthen its defences against terrorist attacks and attack the extremist operatives and their supporters. Don’t feel sorry for the terrorists and their accomplices… that’s the only way to stabilise the situation”, Mr Abbasov told our Interfax-Religion correspondent on Tuesday. On behalf of the Azerbaijani community in Russia, he expressed indignation at the terrorist attack at Domodedovo Airport and gave his condolences to the relatives of the victims.
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This Friday, in the village of Usovo, at the new church of the Saviour on the Rublyovo-Uspensky Highway there will be an evening concert of sacred music, devoted to the memory of those killed in the attack at Domodedovo Airport. “The theme of the evening will be Скажи мне, Господи, кончину мою (Tell me, O Lord, My End), the opening lines of the memorial spiritual concerto by 18th century composer Dmitri Bortniansky”, historian Konstantin Kovalev-Sluchevsky told our Interfax-Religion correspondent on Tuesday. Those attending the concert at Usovo-Spasskoe Orthodox Educational Centre will hear some of the most significant works from the Znamenny repertoire, as well as works by Bortniansky, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Kastalsky, Sviridov, and others, performed by the Chamber Ensemble of the Moscow Synodal Choir under the direction of Honoured Artist of Russia Aleksei Puzakov. Recently, visitors at the recently opened Centre saw a performance of an Italian folk group from the city of Bari, where the relics of St Nicholas rest, as well as a concert by soloists of the Early Music Studio directed by Ilze Liepa, and a poetic evening with actress Alla Demidova. Last summer, patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias consecrated the local church in the presence of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Entrance to the concert is free. Drive to the to 11th kilometre marker on the Rublyovo-Uspensky Highway (right after Zhukovka, there’s a car park), or, take the shuttle bus from the Krylatskoye Metro station on the Arbatsko–Pokrovskaya Line (Blue Line) (20 minutes), or, take the yelichtrichka (suburban train) from the Belorussky station on the Usovskoy Line to the terminal station at Usovo . The rail siding is located near the church and educational centre.
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The leadership of the Central Spiritual Administration of Russian Muslims (TsDUMR) expressed its condolences to all who lost loved ones in the explosion at Domodedovo Airport. “We pray that the Almighty grant to rest to the souls of the departed and to forgive them whatever sins they committed in this life! We beseech Him to bring healing to all those wounded. We express our sincere condolences to the families and relatives of the deceased, in light of their considerable burden, we ask the all-Merciful, the Compassionate One, the Creator, to send down to them fortitude and perseverance”, as quoted from a telegram of the TsDUMR received by Interfax-Religion on Tuesday. Their statement recalled the words of Allah, who, according to the text of the Holy Koran, strictly warned that if one killed even one person outside of the law, it would be as though he killed all mankind. “Yet, the Koran also warns us about those who don’t hear God’s commandments, who plug up their ears in their embittered fury, who are oblivious to the great mission of both the individual and mankind as a whole… to be God’s instruments on earth, accountable to their Creator for all things on it”, the statement said. It went on to say, “Subhumans planned and carried out this inhuman atrocity at Domodedovo Airport, they shall suffer inevitable punishment from God, but they chase away this thought from their heads, so, because they still walk the earth, there is no other way out but to relentlessly pursue them using the strength of all people of goodwill, regardless of their nationality or religion… those who are guided by the prophetic words, “All people are one family created by God, and the most pleasing to Him are those that exert themselves in His family’s cause”.
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This piece never fails to move me to tears… literally…
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On Wednesday, a day of mourning in connection with the attack at Domodedovo Airport, Orthodox churches, Muslim mosques, and Jewish synagogues will hold memorial services for victims. “On this day, all the churches in the City of Moscow and in Moscow Oblast will serve Pannikhidas”, Archpriest Vladimir Vigilyansky, the head of the patriarchal press service told our Interfax-Religion correspondent on Tuesday. Prayers for the dead and injured will be offered tomorrow and throughout the week at the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, according to the press service of the Russian Council of Muftis. Jews will also commemorate the victims of the terrorist attack. “Tomorrow, at the Moscow Jewish Community Centre, we will remember the dead and pray for the recovery of the wounded. Rav Berel Lazar, the Chief Rabbi of Russia will speak on themes related to the terrorist attack”, said a spokesman for Chief Rabbi Andrei Glotser. As reported, Moscow Oblast Governor Boris Gromov and Mayor Sergei Sobyanin of Moscow declared their decision to name 26 January a day of mourning in the capital and its suburbs. Because of the terrorist attack at Domodedovo Airport on Monday, 35 people died and 110 were injured. In particular, seven are in critical condition, 40 are in serious condition, 49 are in moderately serious condition, and 14 more are in satisfactory condition.
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Benedict XVI Ratzinger, the Pope of Rome, condemned the terrorist attack at Domodedovo Airport, calling it a “heinous act of violence”. In a letter sent on Tuesday to President Dmitri Medvedev, the pontiff expressed his deep sorrow and condolences to the bereaved families. Benedict XVI said he would pray for the souls of the dead in the attack and will give special attention to prayers for the 110 hospitalised victims, 43 of whom were in serious condition.
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Russian Orthodox believers in the British Isles prayerfully commemorated the victims of the terrorist attack at Domodedovo Airport, which claimed the lives of 35 people, and prayed for the recovery of the injured. On Wednesday, the third day after the tragic event, the Assumption Cathedral in London will serve a Pannikhida after the Divine Liturgy, the MP Diocese of Sourozh, which includes parishes in Britain and Ireland, told our Interfax-Religion correspondent. For his part, Archbishop Rowan Williams, the head of the Anglican Communion, sent a message to Patriarch Kirill, writing that he prayed for all the injured and the dead and he deeply regrets the fact that “the Russian people bear a new injury. Alas, we know from our own experience what it means to be exposed to such brutality, and I’m sure that many here will share my feelings of sympathy and condemnation of violence against innocent people”, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion wrote.
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On Wednesday, a day of mourning for those killed in the attack at Domodedovo Airport, President Dmitri Medvedev visited one of the suburban churches. He lit a candle for the repose of the souls of the people killed in the attack.
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On Wednesday, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin went to Holy Trinity Church on the Sparrow Hills, which served a Pannikhida for those killed in the terrorist attack at Domodedovo Airport on 24 January. Presiding clergy were Archpriest Sergei Suzdaltsev and Archpriest Georgi Studenov, the Dean of the District. Vladimir Vladimirovich, along with the other parishioners at the service, lit a candle for those who died in the Domodedovo attack and two candles for the health of survivors and for those in hospital after the attack. He also venerated the relics of St Matrona.
Voices from Russia 
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