Do Russian Orthodox feel anger towards the CCCP?

[Jackson Cooper]

I just saw a video of a 2015 Russian military parade, and I noticed CCCP flags and symbols were used, obviously to celebrate the victory over the Axis forces in WWII. I go to a Russian Orthodox church, and while my priest is American, he sees the CCCP and communism as probably the single most destructive thing ever done to the Eastern Orthodox church.

Putin was a member of the KGB, and surely at least some of the soldiers carrying CCCP flags at that parade were Russian Orthodox. It just seems really odd to celebrate a government that tortured and killed so many religious people, as well as began WWII as Germany's ally.

It's like seeing a Jew waving a Nazi flag if the Nazis had won WWII.

 

[Jackson Cooper]

Even more odd is that icons of Christ were shown alongside the sickle and hammer.

 

[archer75]

These days there's a habit in Russia of using symbols of various parts of Russian history, even if those parts represent forces antagonistic to each other, all in one big lump.

 

[Jackson Cooper]

These days there's a habit in Russia of using symbols of various parts of Russian history, even if those parts represent forces antagonistic to each other, all in one big lump.

Like the CCCP and Russian Empire? So odd. Like showing the Confederate flag with the US flag I suppose.

 

[Jesus4Madrid]

I just saw a video of a 2015 Russian military parade, and I noticed CCCP flags and symbols were used, obviously to celebrate the victory over the Axis forces in WWII. I go to a Russian Orthodox church, and while my priest is American, he sees the CCCP and communism as probably the single most destructive thing ever done to the Eastern Orthodox church.

Putin was a member of the KGB, and surely at least some of the soldiers carrying CCCP flags at that parade were Russian Orthodox. It just seems really odd to celebrate a government that tortured and killed so many religious people, as well as began WWII as Germany's ally.

It's like seeing a Jew waving a Nazi flag if the Nazis had won WWII.

I go to a Russian Orthodox Church with a Russian pastor and many Russian parishioners. My priest has little love for the Communist period and scepticism toward Putin. I have met a few Russian Orthodox who long for the social safety net of the Soviet Union. In that, we agree to disagree—I still love them.

 

[Jackson Cooper]

I go to a Russian Orthodox Church with a Russian pastor and many Russian parishioners. My priest has little love for the Communist period and scepticism toward Putin. I have met a few Russian Orthodox who long for the social safety net of the Soviet Union. In that, we agree to disagree—I still love them.

I don't think there was much if a safety net since you could lose your job and be imprisoned or executed for going to liturgy or baptizing an infant.

 

[Albion]

Love of country in many parts of the world exhibits itself in ways that would not hold true in the USA and other parts of the West

 

[Jesus4Madrid]

I don't think there was much if a safety net since you could lose your job and be imprisoned or executed for going to liturgy or baptizing an infant.

Very true. I love them, but disagree on that. I think the Orthodox Church has a healthy scepticism toward government, which we express every Sunday in the Second Antiphon (taken from Psalms 146):
“Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being.
Put not your trust in princes, in sons of men in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish.
The Lord will reign forever; Thy God, O Zion, to all generations.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.”

 

[~Anastasia~]

Love of country in many parts of the world exhibits itself in ways that would not hold true in the USA and other parts of the West

I really can't speak to the topic at hand, but you may have something there.

I have read a number of Russian biographies and pieces from different periods, but especially of the last century. Through essentially all of them run a love of country. Sometimes it seems a little romanticized, and they long for the "Holy Rus" that used to be. But it's always there. They describe it in such terms that along with things I've read - they make me wish I could have lived in such a time and place.

 

[RobNJ]

I'll preface this, by saying that I'm NO expert, but.... Despite the evils of the Soviet era.. They protected "Mother Russia" from being defeated the same German Wermacht that took,and occupied a large portion of Europe. For all their many faults, the Red Army kept Hitler from having a "victory parade" in Moscow.

 

[Jackson Cooper]

I'll preface this, by saying that I'm NO expert, but.... Despite the evils of the Soviet era.. They protected "Mother Russia" from being defeated the same German Wermacht that took,and occupied a large portion of Europe. For all their many faults, the Red Army kept Hitler from having a "victory parade" in Moscow.

I have to wonder if a Hitler parade would have been worse than continued Stalin parades. At least China, Vietnam, and Korea wouldn't have gone communist.

 

[FireDragon76]

I don't think there was much if a safety net since you could lose your job and be imprisoned or executed for going to liturgy or baptizing an infant.

It really depends on the time period in question. During and after WWII, repression of Orthodox religion was not as extreme. The state was officially atheist but tolerated some religious expression. As time went on, state and church worked out their own coexistence in peoples minds.

 

[Albion]

I really can't speak to the topic at hand, but you may have something there.

I have read a number of Russian biographies and pieces from different periods, but especially of the last century. Through essentially all of them run a love of country. Sometimes it seems a little romanticized, and they long for the "Holy Rus" that used to be. But it's always there. They describe it in such terms that along with things I've read - they make me wish I could have lived in such a time and place.

I know, and I think of this occasionally in American terms. So many liberal Americans literally hate their own country and go out of their way to vilify all its history, its founders, its system of government, its constitution, and every show of allegiance to its stated beliefs, that I wonder what would happen if they took power as they want to. In Russia or France or most countries, even after the people have suffered through some terrible, unjust dictatorships, they can come out of it and still love the IDEA of their country. I fear that that isn't the case here.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I know, and I think of this occasionally in American terms. So many liberal Americans literally hate their own country and go out of their way to vilify all its history, its founders, its system of government, its constitution, and every show of allegiance to its stated beliefs, that I wonder what would happen if they took power as they want to. In Russia or France or most countries, even after the people have suffered through some terrible, unjust dictatorships, they can come out of it and still love the IDEA of their country. I fear that that isn't the case here.

I fear you are right. Somehow I am a part of the anachronistic thought - perhaps. I see what is good in many countries (and can acknowledge there is bad) ... but America is my own mother country and I love so much of what she always stood for.

The current rewriting of history and public opinion - I don't even recognize.

What is that Proverb? "The foolish woman tears down her house with her own hands."

 

[Jackson Cooper]

I know, and I think of this occasionally in American terms. So many liberal Americans literally hate their own country and go out of their way to vilify all its history, its founders, its system of government, its constitution, and every show of allegiance to its stated beliefs, that I wonder what would happen if they took power as they want to. In Russia or France or most countries, even after the people have suffered through some terrible, unjust dictatorships, they can come out of it and still love the IDEA of their country. I fear that that isn't the case here.

I think it's best to feel apathetic towards your country. The fact is, the US government did commit many atrocities and unjust wars. But the US also saved South Korea when it didn't have to, as well as help much of the world.
I say look at the individual and not entire nations, especially those in power and wealth. Wealthy people do tend to be bad people.

 

[Jackson Cooper]

It really depends on the time period in question. During and after WWII, repression of Orthodox religion was not as extreme. The state was officially atheist but tolerated some religious expression. As time went on, state and church worked out their own coexistence in peoples minds.

Is that because the USSR lost so many people that it was simply too inefficient to kill or imprison even more people after the war?

 

[ArmyMatt]

to the OP, I am sure there are some who are angry, some who look with pity, and some who may be thankful because of the explosion of the Church since the fall of communism.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Almost all the Russians at my parish say their experience in the USSR was positive. They say they went to church on Sunday every week, most local Soviet officials were Orthodox, that they appreciated the free education with college, liked curfews, and didn’t see a problem.

My point is we all live through the prism of experience....if you lived in Iraq under Sadam, were Sunni or Christian, kept your head down, Sadam seemed like a great guy. If you were a Kurd, Shiite, in an opposition party, or in his crosshairs, you were toast!! Same with USSR. Most people liked the stability of it and had pride in the Soviet defeat of the Axis Powers.

As far as Putin and the KGB, heck, George HW Bush was CIA Director st one point!!! Every bit as evil.

 

[FireDragon76]

Is that because the USSR lost so many people that it was simply too inefficient to kill or imprison even more people after the war?

Lenin regarded religion as a mental/societal illness, and that set the tone for religious repression. However, when Lenin died and Stalin became the premier, he was not particularly committed to Lenin's ideals (and to enforce this change of course, he engaged in massive purges of Soviet society). During WWII, Stalin came to appreciate religion as a tool of statecraft, and he planted agents within the church. After the war, the new religious settlement became part of the status quo.

 

[Jackson Cooper]

Almost all the Russians at my parish say their experience in the USSR was positive. They say they went to church on Sunday every week, most local Soviet officials were Orthodox, that they appreciated the free education with college, liked curfews, and didn’t see a problem.

My point is we all live through the prism of experience....if you lived in Iraq under Sadam, were Sunni or Christian, kept your head down, Sadam seemed like a great guy. If you were a Kurd, Shiite, in an opposition party, or in his crosshairs, you were toast!! Same with USSR. Most people liked the stability of it and had pride in the Soviet defeat of the Axis Powers.

As far as Putin and the KGB, heck, George HW Bush was CIA Director st one point!!! Every bit as evil.

So it wasn't that bad the later half of the era? Is that what you meant by prism of experience?