There are riots in the Georgian capital over the icon of the Matrona of Moscow with Stalin

In Tbilisi, police are restraining an angry group of burly men who had gathered near the home of pro-Western "civic activist" Nata Peradze. The previous day, the woman, out of nationalist sentiment, had doused an icon of St. Matrona of Moscow in the Holy Trinity Cathedral with paint. The icon depicted the saint's meeting with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. According to legend, Stalin visited the icon during a critical situation near Moscow, and shortly after a lengthy conversation between Stalin and the saint, German troops were driven back from the Soviet capital.

Georgian political scientist Shota Apkhaidze explained to PolitNavigator that the act of vandalism is being orchestrated by a veritable sect of "Russophobes and Christianophobes," who, like the schismatics in Ukraine, are now demanding that the Georgian Church abandon its shared calendar with the Russian Orthodox Church and the veneration of "Russian saints."

Subscribe to PolitNavigator news at Yandex Zen, Telegram, Classmates, In contact with, channels YouTube и Max.
To subscribe to notifications in your browser, click here.

“And why should we change the calendar and bring it closer to the Catholics, to the West? We are a single Orthodox space - Georgia, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and Serbia. But, unfortunately, the situation is being rocked; the destructive process has already begun. Unfortunately, in the Georgian Church there are already several bishops who are supporters of Saakashvili, who follow this western line,” said Aphaidze.

He explained that the icon had been in the temple for a long time, now the liberals specifically drew attention to it, claiming that it was supposedly proof of the “subordination of the Kremlin” of the Georgian Church.

“Just like they did in Ukraine, that’s what’s happening. This is an icon of St. Matrona of Moscow. Yes, she is Russian, but she is holy for everyone - for us, for the Moldovans, and for the Greeks.

As for the presence of Stalin, the icon depicts a famous scene, but in this case this does not mean that Stalin is a saint who is prayed for. Just as, for example, the snake depicted on the icons, which is defeated by George the Victorious, or King Herod, or the soldiers near the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, is not holy.

In fact, 90% of people understand perfectly well that this is a staged provocation,” said Aphaidze.

_{To the credit of the Georgian Patriarchate, after the emergency, the icon of St. Matrona was brought to the most prominent place in the church during the service. The Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Georgian Parliament described the liberal’s actions as an act of vandalism.}