A DIFFERENT KIND OF BARGAIN

MY FABULOUS CHILDREN

I was unable to take pictures today of the topic of this blog so I thought I would post some pictures of my fabulous family (just in case they feel left out that I never mention them!) This blog is strictly about life in Russia, so sorry to all of you but you know I love you! Sorry David, it looks like a very old photo but we know it was this September. Sorry Ali, I don't have a more recent photo of you on this computer. Sorry Peter but who is that attached to the side of your head?

BACK TO THE SUBJECT

I had an opportunity today to go with Robyn, who lives in the same block as me, to a sale of religious paraphernalia (I hope that doesn't sound too irreverent?) Unfortunately, it would have been difficult to walk around inconspicuously taking photos.

This is a sale that takes place every year and the end of the tourist season (coincidence?) where all the churches take all their stuff that they normally sell at their church and pitch it all in for a cheaper price.

This was really interesting because the Russian Orthodox Church is very colourful and it uses a lot of symbolism, icons and images. I simply could not believe what was on sale. The hall was huge and absolutely packed with ordinary Russian people buying these things as though it was the first day of the Harrods sale.

It was possible to buy the full dress, robes and headdress for a priest! My friend informs me that the more wealthy may buy these for their priest. I couldn't imagine what other use they would have.

There were even a few onion domes for sale!

There were priests with queues of people lining up to buy a cheap, plastic replica of their favourite icon and the priest would bless them, kiss the plastic icon and hold it up to the real icon, kiss it and then take the money.

There was one stand where it was possible to pay a priest to say a prayer for you. I can't understand why that would work better. Surely the priest should do that for free?

Several things struck me today. The ordinary people there, mainly woman, really did represent the average Russian, not rich, not poor or homeless but the type of which there are several million. They are so very simple, making do with the very cheapest, simplest clothing, some poor souls in slippers, all of them wearing headscarves because they are so in awe of anything to do with the Church. How hard things really have been for the ordinary, peaceful people of Russia. Putin's Russia has had no impact on their lack of wealth whatsoever. Although there are so many things available in the shops now, I doubt that these women even look at those things and carry on managing how they always did. It's no wonder they turn to God, they really need all the help they can get.

Another thing that struck me is, just where was all this religion during the communist time? How on earth did they manage to hide their really deeply held beliefs for so many years?

As always in a crowd of people here, I can't help noticing how many people live their lives with some sort of disfiguring which could be so easy to fix in our modern world. There is no social justice in this country.