10-22-2003, 01:40 PM
Orthodox Russians see red over plans for 'Hindu Vatican' in Moscow
Nick Paton Walsh
Wednesday October 22, 2003
The Guardian
Alfred Ford, a great-grandson of the motoring legend, Henry, has outraged the
conservative Russian Orthodox Church with his plans to build a huge centre for
Hare Krishna and Vedic religion worshippers in the centre of Moscow.
The Orthodox Church, whose influence in Russia is rocketing since the fall of
Communism eased religious worship, is furious at the prospect that a building
big enough to hold 8,000 Hindu worshippers would be built, a few miles from Red
Square. The first stone was supposed to be laid in November when the Indian
prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, visits Moscow. However, that ceremony is
in doubt because of the outcry over the centre.
Prominent Russian Orthodox figures have called the church "open religious
expansion".
Valentin Lebedev, head of the Union of Orthodox Citizens of Russia, said: "We
know that in India, Christianity is persecuted.
"According to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, Hinduism is considered one of
the most anti-Christian cults and we do not understand why such an enormous
church and cultural centre is necessary in Moscow."
He said the Vedic religion already had one centre in Moscow and that was enough.
Yesterday the union wrote to the Moscow mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, demanding that
plans for the centre be scrapped. Mr Lebedev launched a personal attack on the
centre's financier, Mr Ford, who is expected to spend about $10m (£6m) on the
domed structure, which would be the largest of its kind in Europe and has
already been nick-named by some the "Hindu Vatican".
Father Mikhail Dudko, secretary of the Commission for Church and Society for the
Orthodox Church, said the church did not react to "declarations of intent". But
he added that the union's position would closely resemble that of the public,
and that the church "always takes into account the positions of the public".
The head of the executive committee of the Krishna Consciousness of Russia,
Sergei Zuyev, said Mr Ford had lobbied for the project with Moscow government
officials. "He told us that he would like to support the building of such a
cultural centre in Moscow." Yet Mr Zuyev said as soon as Mr Ford had made his
intentions known, "the Orthodox groups made a fuss".
He added: "The Orthodox Church, from our point of view, is one of the most
totalitarian sects in the world which in Russia disguises itself as a state
religion.
"It is the source of intolerance and mixing the Orthodox belief with nationalism
is a really explosive and dangerous mixture."
Vedic believers say they are 90,000 strong in Russia.
Mr Ford, during a visit to Moscow last week, said: "For me the most important
thing is to spread the Hindu knowledge about the soul. This is more important
than any other knowledge and is my main priority".
Nick Paton Walsh
Wednesday October 22, 2003
The Guardian
Alfred Ford, a great-grandson of the motoring legend, Henry, has outraged the
conservative Russian Orthodox Church with his plans to build a huge centre for
Hare Krishna and Vedic religion worshippers in the centre of Moscow.
The Orthodox Church, whose influence in Russia is rocketing since the fall of
Communism eased religious worship, is furious at the prospect that a building
big enough to hold 8,000 Hindu worshippers would be built, a few miles from Red
Square. The first stone was supposed to be laid in November when the Indian
prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, visits Moscow. However, that ceremony is
in doubt because of the outcry over the centre.
Prominent Russian Orthodox figures have called the church "open religious
expansion".
Valentin Lebedev, head of the Union of Orthodox Citizens of Russia, said: "We
know that in India, Christianity is persecuted.
"According to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, Hinduism is considered one of
the most anti-Christian cults and we do not understand why such an enormous
church and cultural centre is necessary in Moscow."
He said the Vedic religion already had one centre in Moscow and that was enough.
Yesterday the union wrote to the Moscow mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, demanding that
plans for the centre be scrapped. Mr Lebedev launched a personal attack on the
centre's financier, Mr Ford, who is expected to spend about $10m (£6m) on the
domed structure, which would be the largest of its kind in Europe and has
already been nick-named by some the "Hindu Vatican".
Father Mikhail Dudko, secretary of the Commission for Church and Society for the
Orthodox Church, said the church did not react to "declarations of intent". But
he added that the union's position would closely resemble that of the public,
and that the church "always takes into account the positions of the public".
The head of the executive committee of the Krishna Consciousness of Russia,
Sergei Zuyev, said Mr Ford had lobbied for the project with Moscow government
officials. "He told us that he would like to support the building of such a
cultural centre in Moscow." Yet Mr Zuyev said as soon as Mr Ford had made his
intentions known, "the Orthodox groups made a fuss".
He added: "The Orthodox Church, from our point of view, is one of the most
totalitarian sects in the world which in Russia disguises itself as a state
religion.
"It is the source of intolerance and mixing the Orthodox belief with nationalism
is a really explosive and dangerous mixture."
Vedic believers say they are 90,000 strong in Russia.
Mr Ford, during a visit to Moscow last week, said: "For me the most important
thing is to spread the Hindu knowledge about the soul. This is more important
than any other knowledge and is my main priority".