VICTORY BELLS ERECTED IN LPR AND DPR WITH BLESSING OF PATRIARCH KIRILL
Religiia v Ukraine, 23 April 2015
As a sign of solidarity between Russia and Luhansk and Donetsk—the "capitals" of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics—copies of the bell that occupies a place on the territory of the memorial complex on Poklonnaya Gora in Moscow in memory of the victory in the Great Patriotic War have been erected. This is reported by Religiia v Ukraine, referring to Regnum.ru.
So, on 18 April a 120 kilogram Victory Bell, that arrived from Russia with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill, was erected in the square opposite the LPR Government Building (previously the provincial administration). This gift from the Russian federation was brought to the LPR by representatives of the international foundation "Heirs of Victory."
"From centuries everlasting, the bell has been considered to be the voice of God and was invested with the power to expel demons from Orthodox lands, and therefore bell towers have been erected in every city and every village," Aleksei Kariakin, the chairman of the "People's Soviet of LPR," declared while addressing the solemn ceremony of the installation of the bell. "So today this bell has arrived in our place in order to drive out all deviltry and to help us to resist spiritually what is happening in our land. Today we have seen again that Russia is not only helping to revive materially our motherland, but is also strengthening our souls."
Metropolitan of Luhansk and Alchev Mitrofan, the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate, declared during a scientific and practical conference "Spiritual component of a great victory" held in the Luhansk Agricultural University: "In no case must fascism return to the Donbass. This is a satanic and diabolical ideology that destroyed many human lives." Metropolitan Mitrofan also advised students "to study history and draw the correct conclusions."
Supporters of the LPR evaluated Metropolitan Mitrofan's statement as a sign of support for them.
We recall that in Ukraine, Victory Day is officially celebrated on 8-9 May. In particular, Ukrainian President Petro Peroshenko signed an order about events for celebration in 2015 of the 70th anniversary of victory over Nazism in Europe and the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. (tr. by PDS, posted 23 April 2015)
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