Ukraine: Lenin Goes, Others Arrive
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Monuments come and go
Commentary
M o s c o w – After years of controversy, a major statue of Lenin in the East Ukrainian, Kiev-controlled city of Zaporozhye was pulled down on 19 March. The Facebook page of Sergey Rakhuba, head of the Chicago-based “Mission Eurasia”, was one of those praising God for the demise of this symbol of bygone times.
My comment: I don't like Lenin monuments either; the public squares of Eastern European look better without them.
The Leninist heritage is indeed a troubling one. But one dare not start praising God for the destruction of monuments in Ukraine until the 46+ new and growing number of monuments to the fascist
Stefan Bandera (see Wikipedia) also start falling. Red is preferable to brown.
Rakhuba reports on Facebook: The monument “was so dear to too many older people who were hoping the USSR would come back. It took almost 25 years to come to this decision. Eyewitnesses reported that when the demolished statue of Lenin was loaded and hauled away, many elderly in the crowd were wiping away their tears and saying a last good-bye. Some crossed themselves, bowing to the idol as it moved away.” I doubt whether many in the West attempt to comprehend the heritage and thought world of these human beings.
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Other News
In recent weeks, tensions and shooting were again on the rise in Eastern Ukraine. On the occasion of the beginning of Orthodox Lent on 14 March, Metropolitan Onufriy (Berezovsky), the head of the Moscow Patriarchate's «Ukrainian Orthodox Church», wrote: «The tears of widows and orphans urge all those who are embittered to depart from the road of war and enter the way of peace.» Lent begins with Forgiveness Sunday, and «peace will come again to the land of Ukraine only after forgiveness has taken place. Forgiveness is not defeat; peace is instead the only true victory. Only it can destroy sin and heal its many consequences.» He stressed in closing that «enmity dare not exist between Christians — neither on material, political, national nor religious grounds.»
Onufriy, the head of Ukraine's largest Orthodox community, is a genuine Ukrainian. He was born in the West Ukrainian region of Chernovtsy in 1944. Interestingly, Orthodox Easter will take place this year on May 1.
William Yoder, Ph.D.
Smolensk, 3 April 2016
A journalistic release for which the author is solely responsible. It is informational in character and does not express the official position of any church organisation. This release may be reprinted free-of-charge if the source is cited. Release #16-03a.
