St Isaac’s Cathedral
St Petersburg, Russia
Guess where? pic.twitter.com/n11re5OQdF
— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) December 17, 2023
Guess Where? pic.twitter.com/Ii00oBmTbQ
— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) December 17, 2023
St Isaac’s Cathedral
St Petersburg, Russia
Guess where? pic.twitter.com/n11re5OQdF
— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) December 17, 2023
Guess Where? pic.twitter.com/Ii00oBmTbQ
— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) December 17, 2023
We went to St Petersburg on a Baltic cruise in 2010 , it was a major , must see stop for all the cruise ships back then – The city renamed back to its pre Revolutionary name from dreary post war Leningrad, had been beautifully restored – the Churches , St Issacs , Church of Spilled Blood etc and the Catherine’s palaces and homes of princes etc – During the Soviet time the Churches were used as warehouses and degraded and left in total disrepair etc .
They have been beautifully restored , along with Palaces, mainly as major tourist attractions for Russian economy , nothing wrong with that, but I don’t believe they serve as Churches per se , they are more like beautifully restored museums ..I may be wrong, but I don’t think so …
Thanks for the info. So St Petersburg is Russia’s version of America’s Las Vegas? I’m getting excited already with anticipation!
So Christina Schmidt should have visited Las Vegas, instead of Disneyland in Florida, when she came over with her family?
Maybe it’s Schultz? Either way, she did a Beautiful Dance Number on the Beach in St Petersburg. I used to watch her training sessions on YT, & was amazed at what the Human Body has to go thru to get to be an Olympic Class gymnast.
And, then you get replaced by your younger, more flexible sister, because you get too old for the training sessions. That reality has got to be depressing for some people, that had their dreams of fame & riches, slowly disappearing as they get older.
Makes you want to cry or kill something, doesn’t it?
I was there a few years back and a service was going on at a side altar. It is used for worship.
Check Wikipedia , if accurate , (?)/ limited/occasional use for church services , still treated mainly as a historical museum…
Btw also true for Church of Spilled Blood ( erected where a Tsar was killed by anarchist assassins at end of 19th century) , more intimate , restored interior ( was used by soviets as a potato warehouse after the Revolution ) with its walled icons is truly breathtaking , listed as one of the main tourist attractions in St Petersburg .
Lovely . . . and yet in the near future, God will put a hook in the jaw of Russia’s leader and drag him and his army to surround and destroy Israel for no reason whatsoever. Then God will intervene and will wipe out the enemies of His chosen people (See Ezekiel 38-39).
I know little about Russia’s people and churches, but I am certain there are many born-again believers–and I’m also certain there are many “white-washed tombs”!
Just like here in the USA.
Just had to take a shot at America, didn’t you. Sheesh. Just this year 2.5 million people swam a river just to get the chance to bus your table and cut your grass. No one is keeping YOU here.
Sorry in advance, but I get cranky about this.
What? They aren’t coming here to work for wages…they are coming for all the tax paid free schitt!
Then why do they line up around the block for green cards?
So they can stay here and continue getting free everything!
Like free college while kids born here and parents taxes supporting the colleges get to pay tuition and too many have to take out loans. It just isn’t logical.
Exactly
She’s calling out the hypocrisy going on in our country, not America itself.
And making a defense with illegal invaders does not help your argument.
Just like in America———
Many born again believers—
Many whitewashed tombs—-
Been that way in the world since it started.
Denying that only reveals your lack of wisdom.
Didn’t deny it. I just get sick and tired of “America is just as bad” shots at us that are a short-hand way of expressing moral relativism of the multicultural attitude that no culture is any better than any other and that America is no better than anywhere else. I believe American and Western culture ARE morally and culturally superior to ALL others. H0pe that is clear enough.
That passage does not say “Russia” and you finish off by admitting ignorance on the aspects of Russian history and culture.
That passage could just as easily be interpreted as the Turkish (Turkey) or even the UK or US. Particularly those descendants of those descended from Turkish tribes.
And His chosen people are not just current “Israelis” but the descendants of ALL of the tribes of the “Israelites.”
Of course that passage doesn’t say Russia because God used ancient names to refer to regions. You show your ignorance by not understanding this.
God’s chosen people is and has always been Israel–collectively, the Jewish people. God referred to them in this way, and so do I.
Speaking of ignorance, try this:
Gos did use references to specific areas to address the inhabitants of the area at the time. People(s) migrate. He was speaking to the particular people(s). Follow their migrations to find out where they are today as some of us have studied for decades. The people, not the geographical region is the point to decipher. Long term students of this subject matter know that.
God’s chosen people were and are the Israelites as you state.
But the Israelites composed twelve tribes, 10 of which were exiled for the Caucasus Mountain area centuries before the House of Judah to Babylon. 2 Houses (Judah and Israel). The ancient House of Israel was not composed of those we call Jews today. The Jewish people today were descended from the House of Judah, that were taken to Babylon later.
God knows who and which Houses are and where they are currently just because we may not know ourselves now.
The promise for those “chosen people” were for all of the Israelites, not just one tribe (the current House of Judah is currently composed of descendants of 2-3 of those tribes and descendants of non-Israelites that converted centuries ago.)
The whole naming of the current State of Israel is suspect, as it could be easily and more accurately called the State of Judah.
You may want to try with someone else who doesn’t know as much about this material.
Little hint for a few of some descendants (but not all – there are others). Try reading the contents of the Declaration of Albroath composed in 1320, just for one example.
Another little clue is in the Annals of Ireland and how it compares to the passages out of Jeremiah.
And speaking of descendants of Judah, what about the descendants of Zerah, who departed before the Israelites were taken into captivity into Eqypt.
Did you know they migrated out into certain areas and their migrations can be traced? I bet not. I bet you haven’t even ever heard of or thought about it.
I promise that this is just a little bitty snapshot of my
multi decade research and knowledge of this subject matter.
Academics in the Middle Ages up to the 19th century knew of this and wrote on it, but our academic and religious institutions have been co-opted and things re-interrupted many time in many ways over the last 200 years.
Those Scottish nobles knew exactly who they were and where they had migrated from after the northern House of Israel was exiled by the Assyrians.
And some modern leftist academics nor improperly trained religious leaders of the last 100 or so years trying to discredit their beliefs or records doesn’t make it true.
A few of us in this world know. Colkitto could help you with more clues if you feel inclined to ask him also.
Ingorance on this particular subject matter is not one of my many shortcomings.
Sigh. BK, you are such an incredible asset to our community. You always manage to make your education so courteous, even the undeserving. You said that far more succinctly and politely than I would have.
Hope you’re having a great Sunday.
Why thank your very much for your kind and gracious comment towards me.
I will admit I have trouble with the politeness part sometimes and have gotten into deservedly trouble for it.
I just get so frustrated with it all that I lose my composure sometimes and forget about my own admonitions against PSYOPS influenced beliefs of others and to be forgiving of it.
Patience has been a struggle for me, but I keep trying to improve with His help and guidance.
“The State of Judah” — well, “Israel” today occupies pretty much the Ten Tribes territory, while Judah/Judea is the “West Bank” — more or less, fwiw. Kinda sorta.
The whole thing is awkward. And then, “The Ten Lost Tribes” — well, what about Levi? There were always plenty of Levites around Judah, close to Jerusalem. So, shouldn’t it be The Nine Lost Tribes? Or 9 & 1/2?
It’s ultimately God’s land, He arranged (Chose) Ancient Israel to be the Womb of the Messiah. So, really, Miriam/Mary is the whole point of Abraham, Moses, Solomon & David. She’s the reason they lived and why God kept working with them despite their so often falling away. For it to ALL hang on her “Fiat”.
But then, that’s a Christian insight. Jews have been looking for another “narratve” since her Son’s day. Haven’t they? We can pray for peace for them all. God’s will be done.
No.
The “Israel” of the New Covenant is the Church, not a geographic region.
The Gospels are very, very clear about this.
You also need to brush up on what Jesus and his Apostles taught about the Jews, and the reception of Gentiles into the Church and the faith.
And everything in the Old Testament has been fulfilled with the arrival of the Messiah.
Thank you. It’s nice to see you taking this up so I don’t have to. I piss off enough people here already. My experience has been that many Christians would do best to simply ignore the Old Testament and read Matthew 5-7 over and over until it all sinks in.
A very astute observation. Jesus lays it all out in His great sermon.
We have a new covenant in the body and blood of Christ Jesus. There isn’t a plan a and plan b, and you pick which one you want. We can only pray that those broken off because of their unbelief may have faith and be returned. Our commandment is to make disciples of ALL nations, not all except “Israel”.
Yes. You are correct.
Most of the occupiers in the nation state of Israel aren’t even biblical Hebrews (“Jews”) and have no genetic, ethnic or historical connection to the region at all.
It isn’t worth arguing with people who believe such heresies and incorrect teaching; they will never concede their pride or their ego to admit maybe there is something they don’t know, or that they could possibly be wrong.
Amen.
Very, very close. Hebrews compose all descendants of Eber.
More accurately for Israelites would be descended from Jacob only.
For instance, Esau is both a descendant of Eber and Issac, brother of Jacob.
What is unknown or forgotten is that besides other ancient ‘converts,’ the vast majority of Pharisees, who were not of the priestly class of Levy, but with rabbinical compositions derive, were largely descended from Edomites (Esau) who had first comingles with descendants of the Cannanite tribes(Amelakites) and later comingled with female descendants of Judah, thus creating the matrilineal descent of modern Jewish identity as opposed to the way delineated lineage thru patriarchal descent (Y-DNA) was the ancient way and the way God described descent.
In short, most Pharisees were of Edomite origin. See in the Bible where Jesus challenges them and they reply they (or their fathers) had never been in captivity. All Israelites but those descended from Zerah were taken into captivity twice (Eqypt for all, Assyria/Babylon – second time). If they were never slaves, then they weren’t Israelites. And Jesus concludes they were sons of their father, the devil.
That last part will come into focus later on. Colkitto is chomping at the bits to reveal that but I am trying to dissuade him because of the controversy it will create.
The instructions from our Spiritual Father and Bishop are that we are not to argue with them, except when they post obvious inaccuracies about the Ancient Faith, and the flawed understanding of “Israel” is one of them. When I think of American Evangelicals, I think Matt 7:21-23, and it is not my job to “save” or “convince” them. Christ’s own instructions to the Apostles were to preach to those with “eyes to see and ears to hear”, and to not force the teaching on anyone, but to keep moving to reach those who did want to “see” and “hear”. So much of what I personally witness in the modern Fundamentalist Christian movement and their dogma echoes the legalistic and hubristic views of the Jews who we are specifically cautioned about multiple times, esp in Romans by Paul. Peter, a Pharisee himself, spent an inordinate amount of time trying to “reach” the Jews but was only marginally successful.
I lurk here; today was the first day I have stepped up to comment. I understand what you state about “controversy”. I had written a post about my conversion to ROCOR and posted a blog post that outlined the dangerous of Evangelical Christian’s support for “Israel”, which was not allowed to be posted.
I find it interesting that I have lurked here for quite some time and have read many things posted by Evangelical/Fundamentalist Christians here that I have personally found offensive, but as we are guided, let go and have not responded. However, don’t you “dare” “insult” an Evangelical. It is interesting that their belief system is so rootless than it can not hold up under the slightest challenge to their misguided doctrine. If if could, there would have been no issue with posting the link to the blog post, and welcoming a reasonable discussion. Instead, it was I guess deleted/put in the trash. There is also a very good podcast by two Lutherans, (I am not Lutheran) that eloquently makes the case why the EC support of Israel is not only misguided heresy, but it is very dangerous because it’s getting innocent people killed, and it is up to us to step up and call it out for what it is. But that’s not allowed here as I have found, so I will go back to lurking.
Appreciated points. Well taken.
Some of your comment reminds me of the “Lost Sheep” (of Israel) instructions to the Apostles whose migrations can be traced versus Paul’s instructions to convert the others (the Gentiles and unbelievers of the Jewish sects). And let the Gospel spread to all from there.
There are others on this site that know ‘things.’
One is Colkitto who will occasionally comment on this subject when he’s not commenting on other subjects.
Look forward to your future thoughts.
“Eyes to see” and “ears to hear”. Just “knock and the door will open.”
Blesssings to you.
Yes. Matthew 15:24 indeed.
I will leave you with one of the quotes of a Church father that is so important to me, that I have printed it out and have it framed in my prayer corner with my icons, and I reflect upon daily, especially during the sixth hours prayers:
“Do not fight to expel darkness from the chamber of your soul. Open a tiny aperture for the light to enter, and the darkness will disappear”.
St. Porphyrios*, aka “Grandpa”
I try and take that to heart, and to remember to focus on growing the flame of His light, instead of focusing on trying to extirpate darkness.
*It’s probably verboten to mention that the Palestinian Christians who were sheltering in Saint Porphyrios Church, (the third oldest Christian Church in the world), praying for peace, were deliberately targeted and killed in an airstrike by the IDF, and that the deliberate targeting and killing of Orthodox and RC Christians in Gaza and the West Bank continues to this day. Our Bishop in Gaza had offered himself up in exchange for hostages which was refused by the IDF and the Church and the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Cultural Center was also deliberately targeted and razed to the ground. This, naturally, has upset many in our faith, and some of those killed were the relatives of the former Congressman Justin Amash, but according to my EC neighbors, this is “acceptable”, because the murder and genocide of innocents, including other Christians because they are “not like them”, is perfectly okay since it guarantees, in their minds, “their” express ride to Heaven.
Peace be with you.
Slava Na viky.
So, where is this blog post you refer to?
I’m interested. Seriously.
Thanks very much.
For whatever reason, it was not allowed to be posted. I was a little surprised, given what others have posted in the past, but I have to respect what the hosts deem appropriate, as I am a guest here.
And since my faith as it is presently practiced most closely patterns the ancient Judaic tradition, as practiced at the time of Christ, even more so than post-Christian talmudic Judaism and in our study as catechumens, we are taught how the dictates of Leviticus are patterned in the design of our temple and our worship, and why/what changes were made to correspond to the updated teachings of the New Covenant (for example, the bloodless sacrifice of the Eucharist supplants the blood sacrifice of the ancient Jews), I think I am slightly qualified (although not a theologian by any stretch) to have some constructive and documented criticism to refute some of the misguided beliefs many post modern Christians hold about “Israel”. But apparently no.
You’re catching attention more and more.
Interesting wording in your second paragraph-
“ post Christian Talmudic.”
Your understanding of the ethnicities and religious practices in the current Levant suggests we have traveled a lot of the same roads on ancient history and religious doctrines, as well as concern for others including ‘allies’ is not well known or believed by most in the “West” even when confronted with evidence.
Yes.
The truth is the truth, whether you like it or not.
It is not there to make you “comfortable” or “uncomfortable”.
It is what it is.
Bless you for breaking your silence and posting. There are many eyes and ears in this place eager for the Word, and the Light of Truth.
The Orthodox Church is an “Apostolic” church, because it was founded by the Apostles chosen by Christ himself. They are very proud of the fact that they have kept the “Ancient Faith” alive, and very little has changed over the 2,000 + years since it was founded. “New Music” for us is compositions from the 8th Century. Much of the worship has its genesis in the Judaic traditions, and the first Christians held services in synagogues, following the Liturgical pattern of worship of the Jews before conversion. Even the a capella style of chanting used in worship is patterned on the Judaic tradition, including the psalmody that Christ himself prayed/chanted.
If you are interested in learning more about the original Church, a good resource to start is Ancient Faith ministries.
https://www.ancientfaith.com/
Father Thomas Hopko (of blessed memory) was the Dean at St Vladimir’s seminary and most OCA and ROCOR priests took theology and dogma classes from him, and still reference him with love and reverence. He has a series of podcasts on Ancient Faith ministries on a wide variety of topics. I like to listen to one of his podcasts when I’m meal prepping or folding laundry but YMMV.
When I first became an inquirer before I became a catechumen, (learner, before you are judged ready to be received into the Church through the mysteries of baptism and/or Chrismation) I struggled because I was constantly trying to relate what I had learned in my Protestant upbringing with the Orthodox viewpoint. I then watched a video of an interview of Fr Hopko on Youtube where he stated, no matter what your faith tradition, just set it aside and enter into the world of Orthodoxy without any preconceived notions and with an open heart. That changed everything for me, and I was able to accept that so much of what I had been taught was wrong, and the Orthodox back it up with ancient texts, teachings, etc. They have the “receipts” so to speak. To learn the truth, you have to be receptive and willing to let go of so much of what you believed and/or were taught that deviated from the ancient teachings of the Church fathers.
Another good resource is Metropolitan Jonah (formerly OCA, now ROCOR) or Abbot Tryphon of All Merciful Savior Monastery on Vashon Island in Washington State. They both have active YT channels. Metropolitan Jonah is at St Herman of Alaska Church in Stafford, VA currently as he is founding missions and supervising a new monastery in Virginia.
Peace be upon you.
And I know enough to know what you say is true.
Those 7 churches mentioned in the Revelation are located in modern day Turkey and were the backbone of the early “Christian” church, that subsequently became the backbone to Eastern Orthodox in Constantinople, and is now “protected” by those in “Muscovy.”
Yes. Read my longer reply further down in the thread.
Russia has been considered the protector of the faith since the fall of Constantinople, the baton handed to them by the Greeks as the Holy Land fell under the shadow of Islam.
If Russia’s hand is forced into active engagement beyond the mere feints and diplomatic efforts it has made so far, it isn’t going to end well. Both the US and “Israel” have had several polite warning shots sent their way, which they can continue to ignore at their own peril.
Several prominent US military commentators, including Col Douglas MacGregor (USA, Ret) have repeatedly tried to warn about this, but fail to appreciate the significant religious/cultural angle.
Yeah. I’m up to date on that.
Catz
Been sitting here contemplating a lot of things since you started posting today.
I just had a semi-epiphany a little while ago and it is this: unless I’m mistaken, I can’t seem to recall an internal rebellion within the Eastern Orthodox, other than with the Roman version, that led to a ‘schism’ so bad that it led to their own ‘Reformation’ as did with Rome. There seems to be some relevance to that.
I sympathize with those of your doctrinal followers, as well as the Coptics, and the long extinguished Cathars, with regards to the misunderstandings and misconceptions of what is going around on and has, over in the mid East, Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
Additionally, I, too, was once just a lurker for a LONG time. When I first engaged, I stated that I would probably never comment again. That changed and this is the only place I’ve ever commented.
I would encourage you to at least consider engaging with us from time to time.
Will you be attacked or ridiculed from time to time, or disagreed with? Yes. It happens to me everyday, but I find that it is worth it.
Give it some thought.
We need, and most of us appreciate, diverse thoughts, knowledge not well known, and allies.
We are in this fight whether we choose to be or not.
Peace with you.
Agree!
Breath of fresh air!
Well, interestingly, there is a mini-schism, for lack of a better word, currently ongoing within the “family”. There have been some administrative skirmishes related to control over Ukraine since the SMO. The Greeks are claiming control, while of course, Russia refutes that. Several priests here now serving ROCOR that were under the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople left during the contretemps over Ukraine and went over to full on ROCOR, but there is no bad blood.
The Bishops of the Greek and Russian branches of the family tree are currently tussling, but we are all still in communion with each other, and I can go to a Greek Orthodox church and take communion and confession there, no problem.
A big part of the teaching of our faith is that conflict is a natural condition of human life, and how you are able to manage conflict speaks to your level of spiritual and emotional maturity. That is why, for many Orthodox, the schism with the Latin church was so painful. “Our” side still feels it didn’t need to be that way, that the Church had been founded on consensus and needed to stay that way.
The “same group” that caused so much trouble in Russia at the turn of the last century is up to their same tricks in Ukraine now, but the majority of Americans don’t see it. The Ukrainian church, while nominally separate, has always been considered an extension of the Russian church. The Russian church remains on the Julian calendar, for example, Christmas Day for us is January 7th, and Pascha (Easter) is May 5th (in the US it’s March 31st this year). The first thing the “usual suspects” did was declare Christmas on January 7th “illegal” and parishioners were told to celebrate on December 25th or not at all.
And yeah, the Orthodox “missed” scholasticism, the reformation, the revival movements etc. and in retrospect, that was a good thing. They just kept going on doing what they’d been doing since Peter and Paul were sent out on the first missions. One of our beloved Priests (of blessed memory) who was educated at Oxford and was an ordained Anglican priest for 20 years, and then served as an ordained Orthodox Priest for another 25 years in the US, used to be rueful that there are over 4,000 “Christian sects”, which is a shame, because there really is only (1) Church.
We believe that anything that flowed after the schism of 1054 is not a good thing, because everything that followed was a result of human pride and ego and inability and unwillingness to resolve conflict, none of which are Christian values. People just pick up and start a new church when their feelings get hurt etc. It’s a shame.
“Same group” read you loud and clear.
“Same group”’that has hijacked all of our institutions here.
BTW, I really like your wording in all of your posts.
Upthread, I caught Judaic (from the Judahites) vs the term used for the others now.
Houses of JUDAH & ISRAEL – Jeremiah 38 & 39 – very revealing!
I have a sincere appreciation for what you’ve been posting. Please stick around and out of the shadows. Your comments are well-thought out and show your intellect. Both are welcome here.
Yes. Your statement confirms you “know little” about Russia’s people and churches, yet you seem proud of that fact.
There is no reason for any true Christian to be “born again”. That again is another false teaching to take people away from the true Church. Only one baptism is necessary for the remission of sins, as taught by Christ, son of the Living God, himself and confirmed by the Church fathers in their teachings and instructions when they established the Church.
And amen.
Hello Catz, I’ve read your interesting posts, and Black Knight’s, too.
I don’t understand all that you’ve said, but, am trying to comprehend.
Would you please clarify your statement:
“There is no reason for any true Christian to be “born again”.
Jesus said we MUST be born again.
John 3:3
You are born again when you are baptized.
When you go down in the water, you are washed clean of all your sins.
You experience ritual spiritual death and are reborn when you come out of the water and you are claimed as one of Christ’s children (like in your first birth, you are claimed as one of your parent’s children).
To be baptized is to be “born again”.
Think about the deeper meaning of the ritual of baptism.
It is your second birth.
There is only “one baptism (being born again) for the remission of sins”.
So if you’ve been baptized in a legit Holy Trinity baptism, you’re okay.
My understanding is that many Pentecostal and Evangelical baptisms do not meet the standard as interpreted by the Orthodox to meet that standard, but you’d have to take that up with an actual theologian. There are a couple of PhD Orthodox priests and abbots that have Youtube channels that cover that and they’re the experts. I know that the whole concept of “corrective baptism” can get quite touchy.
We also have huge issues with the Evangelical concept of “salvation” – I mean, huge issues – but I’ll leave that for another day.
Putin is not that stupid – however, Biden certainly is.
Magnificent!
Beautiful and inspiring.
In 1933, my maternal grandparents took a 7-week cruise through the land of the Midnight Sun. My grandmother told me about the Summer Palace where there was a gold train that circled the dining table with bottles of wine and vodka. They brought back all sorts of things — hand carved boxes and a troika and an icon which she gave to me because I showed an interest in it. She said they got everything “for a song” because people were so poor over there.
A lovely gift! Years ago, I had an opportunity to buy a small, less elaborate, but beautifully rendered icon in a Central Asian gift shop. But the likelihood that it was on the street because of some communist-inspired destruction/murder made that feel like blood money. Couldn’t do it.
There are a lot of counterfeits, much like people will make replicas/copies of famous paintings in museums either for practice or to sell.
Ideally, for the faithful, an icon should be purchased from someone who has been tonsured to be an iconographer. The icon must be prayed over and dealt with reverently the whole time it is being crafted.
I just ordered an icon replica of Rublev’s “Trinity”, which teaches the story of Abraham’s hospitality towards the three Angels from a monk in Romania who is a tonsured iconographer for my home. Our Spiritual Father encourages all of us to have one commissioned and hand painted from a tonsured iconographer to hang in the entrance of our homes as a symbol and remembrance of the hospitality G-d wishes us to extend to others. It should arrive in about another 3 weeks or so.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_(Andrei_Rublev)
I looked at the beauty of these pictures, and then scrolled down the page and was immediately hit by the stark degeneracy of the current ‘leadership’ in this country in the office building photo. I do not think there could be a more extreme contrast between aesthetics. I physically cringed. A picture may say a thousand words but comparing the two visions says a lot more.
There is so much ugliness in this world — this is when the eyes and soul most need to see Beauty in its finest forms.
Wonderful pictures. There was a time where I was working, living and traveling in western and Eastern Europe.
Russia, is the one place, I wanted to go but always seemed to miss out on the opportunity.
I walked into St. Paul’s Cathedral in London when I was 17,many years ago. The sheer size of these buildings is not really represented in photos. The art work and stained glass is exquisite but the massive ceilings and length of walk up to the altar is beyond imagining. It is like visiting The Grand Canyon.
I hope that when the world is free again and I am not economically relegated into my ’15 minute city’, that I will be able to travel to St. Petersburg as well. In my little life, I have become familiar with some of the Boston area Russian (+ Bylorussian) diaspora and have had the privilege of listening to a group of Russian speaking women sing this traditional song, which I subsequently tabbed and can now provide guitar accompaniment for.
It tells the story of a rowan tree and an oak that she admires and wants to be close to, a sweet metaphor under any circumstance, and one that I hope will be appreciated here at the Treehouse.
First is the English translation and second is text in Russian.
Tonkaya Ryabina
Why do you stand swaying, slender rowan daughter?
Why do you stand, swaying
Slender Rowan daughter
Fair head ever bending
By the meadow’s border
While across the wide road
Past the flowing river
Stands a tall and gray oak
Lonely, just as you are
“How could I, a Rowan
Reach the oak tree graying?
I would then no longer
Stand here, bending, swaying
I would press against him
With my branches slender
Whispering through the long night
With his foliage tender”
But the Rowan may not
Reach the oak tree graying
Bound by fate, she ever
Stands, alone, and swaying
Tonkaya Ryabina
Chto stoish kachajas, tonkaja rjabina(Что стоишь качаясь, тонкая рябина)
Ab
Что стоишь, качаясь,
Тонкая рябина,
Головой Склоняясь
До самого тына.
А через дорогу,
За рекой широкой
Так же одиноко
Дуб стоит высокий.
Как бы мне, рябине,
К дубу перебраться.
Я б тогда не стала
Гнуться и качаться.
Тонкими ветвями
Я б к нему прижалась
И с его листами
День и ночь шепталась.
Но нельзя рябине
К дубу перебраться,
Знать, судьба такая,
Век одной качаться.
Man is capable of much creativity when he honors God. Is it any surprise why modern architecture is so ugly and soulless?
Vlad was born in St Pete’s
Lovely reminder of my trip, many years ago. The landscape then was still scarred with remnants of the godless soviet system. Love to see the progress made to wipe that away. Thank you SD.
For a deeper look at the cultural scars, see David Satter’s work, especially It Was a long Time Ago, And It Never Happened Anyway (2011).
The remarkable transformation in Russia since the fall of communist based Soviet control is the resurgence of Orthodox Christianity. The Soviets systematically murdered the priests, destroyed churches and every effort to eliminate Christianity from their society. The new state religion forced on the people was atheism. During the past 30 years since the modern Russian Federation emerged and consolidated from the shambles of the collapsed Soviet Union, Russian society (defined to include the 200+ ethnic/racial/nationalities) has been on a path to a Christian faith and national based identity. This includes the citizens at large and their government. During this same 30 year period our society and government has been denigrating Christianity and the national “American” identity while devolving into an immoral and uneducated society.
What was obvious as an American foreigner spending many months on multiple journeys in Russia is the level of education amongst the “average” Russian. The basic knowledge and grasp of culture, historical, geographical background and the basic orderly public behavior and politeness exhibited by the average person is striking. The “average” American has become as ignorant as the “average” dark ages European. Russians have a term for this, translated is an “uncultured” person. We have replaced education with a system of memorizing nonsense. With no fact based argument tolerated by the student. College degrees have become meaningless as a measure of intellectual competence. Young people able to learn essential skilled trades have become rare, replaced with masses of useless degree holders. These degrees are expensive to acquire and the people who hold them have nothing meaningful to offer an employer or to form a competent and functioning society.
Removing education and a solid Christian foundation from our government and society, as well as a commonly held national identity has weakened the US to a point that may or may not be recoverable. We Americans cannot blame our government because collectively we have been too cowardly and comfortable focusing on our never before in history available material blessings, and spared from the severe consequences of wars within our boundaries, allowing our society to degenerate into it’s current state.
It is a fact that the spectacular Orthodox Cathedrals in Russia are treated as national treasure museums. That said, the underlying resurgence of their variant of the Christian faith is growing organically amongst the Russian people themselves and nurtured as official policy by the officials in their government. For us Americans, we are allowing the most base, ignorant, incompetent, sick and immoral people amongst us to control our universities, corporations and government. We have thrown away the blessings God provided our people.
It may well be that Russia will initiate the final war against Israel, but where is America at this time? We have long since abandoned our status as a “natural rights based democracy” respecting human life and dignity at home and abroad. Our credit for fighting to keep fascism from dominating the world has been squandered. Since 1945 we have become the world’s bully, initiating multiple pointless wars (of which we have lost all of them) and empowering a class of immoral, and openly Baal worshipping Globalists to exfiltrate wealth and destroy western Europe and our country. To pretend our use of the military and power is to promote peace and prosperity is an un defendable position. Perhaps it will be our country that initiates the final war against Israel and God and we will face the consequences.
“It may well be that Russia will initiate the final war against Israel, but where is America at this time?”
What the Evangelicals with their maniacal defense of the modern state of “Israel” to commit ethnic cleansing, including the ethnical cleansing of Christians who have blood lines in the region that pre-date Christ, fail to appreciate, is that Russia was considered the “Mother” and cradle of the Ancient Faith worldwide since the fall of Constantinople to the Turks, and took its role to keep the flame of the faith alive when darkness had descended upon the Holy Lands under the control of the Islamists seriously. VERY seriously.
What the Russians saved in tradition was what had been handed down to them/taught by the Greeks before the fall of Constantinople. After the murder of the Tsar and his family, the “cradle” went into retreat, but the mantle and burden of the Holy stewardship of the worldwide Orthodox faith, including preservation of the Holy Land sites, was never forgotten.
Russia has a serious and ongoing relationship with the Holy Land, including Gaza, “Israel” (air quotes intended) and the West Bank, as well as Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, with several extremely ancient and Holy to Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christian sites under its stewardship. It continues to take this responsibility very seriously, even more so now that the Russian state is fully integrated with the Russian Orthodox Church and failure to protect the Holy Land and shrines/churches/monasteries important to the faithful will not be tolerated for much longer.
https://missionrocor.ru/news/
Russia has tried the diplomatic approach with “Israel” regarding its concerns in these matters and has been rebuffed.
In particular, not only was the Church of St Porphyrius deliberately and maliciously targeted and destroyed, so have several other lesser Holy sites and the anger is growing within the Orthodox WORLDWIDE, not just in Russia, with calls for something to be done increasing.
It is clear the US is not going to stop “Israel”, and that the willful destruction of some of the most revered sites to the Ancient Faith, as well as the ongoing and deliberate ethnic cleansing of Orthodox Christians, will continue to be funded and supported by the blood thirsty neo-Cons in the US so the only hope for the faithful is Mother Russia.
The Patriarchs of Jerusalem have sent out several communiques recently outlining the murder of parishioners sheltering and worshipping in churches and monasteries, with requests that the Holy Land sites be preserved, and have been rebuffed by “Israel”.
The Evangelicals may just get the “Holy War”, they crave, but it will not be the one they expect.
The “Holy War” that they are funding, lobbying for and egging on will be a Holy War with Mother Russia, backed up by Iran and China (you are beginning to see a small slice of this with the Houthi control supported/backed up by Iran and China (in Djibouti)) of the Gate of Tears (Bab al-Mandab) not “Israel” against the Muslims.
For the record, I, for one, will not shed a single tear if the entire modern state of “Israel” is reduced to rubble the same way they are now levelling Gaza and think they can continue to do to Lebanon and Syria.
The Evangelicals need to re-read their Bible with the understanding that those who “claim to be Jews but are not” are not the “good guys” in this scenario.
Rev 2:9 and 3:9
Side bar: did you know the ancient leaders referred to the “Greeks” (Hellenes) as their cousins, as reported by several ancient historians?
Why would they? Think of those Greek city states in Anatolia listed in Revelation.
Where did the descendants of Zerah migrate to several hundred years before.
😉
Revelation was written as guidance to the 7 churches in Asia Minor to help them prepare for the upcoming persecutions. Unfortunately, so many of the later translations completely change the meaning of the advice. Going back to read Revelations in Koine helps with that and we often have huge discussions in foundations of faith class about which modern English word would be the best “fit” for the mood that is trying to be conveyed in the Greek. It has to be one of the most hotly contested and misunderstood texts of all. Sidebar: Interestingly, no passages from Revelation are ever read as part of the Gospel rotation in the Orthodox Church.
Remember, we live in linear time (chronos) because that is what we can understand, but He lives in kairos, outside of time. So reading Revelation also needs to be done keeping kairos in mind.
Why can’t American churches create beautiful buildings like that? Its a serious question, actually.
We have cultural issues in this country that contribute, and have also aided and abetted the downfall of this nation. We Americans are a short-sighted, often lazy people. Some of the European cathedrals took over 600 years to build; no one here wants to put that kind of time into a building that they themselves won’t be able to enjoy. And it wasn’t money those old Christians put in, it was their individual time and effort. In this country, we toss money at problems to avoid having to put in time. (Time is money, after all!)
There is an argument that could be made for humility. Why store up our riches in the physical church that isn’t going with us when Jesus returns? And yet, we buy $80,000 cars, have half-million-dollar homes, and fill our houses with thousands and thousands of dollars in junk, but decide that the church building doesn’t need that kind of treatment.
We do have some churches and cathedrals that are equally beautiful, for example, St Patrick’s and Trinity Church in New York City, Basilica of St Josaphat in Milwaukee., Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento. They’re just not to the large scale in the Old World, because at the time, we didn’t have the same population.
Contemporaneously, many people have rejected religion all together, and for the majority of Americans, the big screen and NFL take the place of the Church in their “religious” life and that is what they center their lives around.
Late seeing this post, but my guess would be Russia.
Haven’t see beautiful Christmas street lights like that here in the U.S. for years.
Hmmm…another group of people also went to Russia recently: Alastair Crooke, Pepe Escobar, Eva Bartlett and Larry Johnson
https://sonar21.com/moscow-trip-report/
Perhaps Sundance is one of them? Or, was with them?