Dear friends
As promised I am posted our Q&A. Please don’t be too harsh on me, I recorded it without any prior preparations and, of course, I made a few mistakes here and there. Also, I recorded that on a loud laptop whose fan you can hear in the background. So this is hardly a polished recording, but I hope that it will be at least of some interest to you.
Love to all,
Andrei
You can also watch that video on BitChute and Rumble
Gotterdamerung – “Twilight of the Gods” Saker. Have enjoyed your responses, and learned quite a bit too, thanks for that.
Top-notch Andrei!… you are an absolute natural at making recordings like this.
This is extremely powerful and heartfelt… I will file this it away as a real treasure.
It is also being aired on my Farsebook page and will be a permanent reference resource within my new geopolitical blog.
Cheers and thanks
Col
Thank you, Andrei. I have listened attentively to your Q and A. On my behalf, as an Orthodox priest, may I say thank you for this. And not least for your answer to the last question about the profound corruption of the Moscow Patriarchate, which among some passes for the ‘Russian Orthodox Church’, but which it is not. Spiritually speaking, the present tragic bloodshed in the Ukraine is taking place precisely because of that profound corruption, that is, because of the nominalisation or falling away from the Faith of those concerned. I believe in the future, but there can be no future until there has been profound repentance for that corruption. Then there will be a real Russian Orthodox Church again.
Erdne Ombadykow (Telo Tulku) openly attacked the Russian state and the SMO last October on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. On February 27th he was declared a ‘foreign agent’, and on 29th of February he resigned as Shajin Lama of Russia and returned home to the United States. Henceforth the religious leadership of the Kalmyks, and the honourary office of Shajin Lama, will be decided by an election within the Russian Buddhist monastic hierarchy.
That’s how easy it is to purify anti-Russian religious elements, so the Mother Church of Russia should take heart. If traitorous Orthodox leaders even once put their heads above the parapet, then President Putin can remove them with a stroke of a pen.
Hi Batiushka,
can you pleas leave a link where we can find you in the future?
Thanks a lot.
Chris
Under Batiushka’s article (“For the First Anniversary: 24 February 2023”), he says he will be talking with Pepe Escobar about publishing his articles. Mod.
Hi Andrei,
Thank you so much for this Q&A.
I just wanted to confirm something you referred to in one of your responses. I live in the UK and my monthly Gas Bill in Jan 2022 was £195.32, in Jan 2023, the Gas Bill was £293.56, which if my math is correct, represents a 50.29% increase YoY.
Electricity costs are somewhat similar and I consider myself fortunate, by the grace of God, to be able to absorb these increases but many families cannot.
The so called leaders of the west do not represent me or people like me and they are losing the so called ‘middle classes’. No regime has ever survived such a loss.
Hopefully, it will be a peaceful transition but change is coming, if they don’t kill us all first with their psychopathic schemes. Thankfully there are sane souls in Moscow however I am under no illusion as to their determination to protect Russia.
Thank you once again for all your efforts over the years, may you be rewarded in Heaven.
Best wishes
Jim
1- 50% is enough to render uncompetitve on export market … which will cut jobs.
( funny enough , being uncompetitve will force un-globalist protectionist policies )
2- They worked very hard in 2022 to mitigate it . From next year it will get higher.
Dear Andrei,
If you will permit a [sidebar], I watched as documentary on Netflix entitled ‘Athos’, which I would heartily recommend to anyone interested in the Orthodox Christian faith.
Really good and enjoyable viewing.
Best wishes
Jim
I had been looking for a suitable reply to someone who often complains about a lack of ‘retaliation’ and ‘weakness’ from Russia and, at approximately 34.50 mins into the video, I heard your comment which is very apt. I do realize that the person who complained could be quite genuine and not necessarily a sixth columnist – it’s very hard to know for sure. Thank you!!
The Saker,
Thank you for allowing me to occasionaly post on your blog, which I have read for over 10 years. I have learnt so much, pariticularly about the events in Ukraine, from before someone “outed” you posting your photo and name, whilst you wanted to remain semi – anonymous. The articles you write, are so good, and have been since I was aware of you writing them, that over the years. I have linked to them from even mainstream sources, like the Daily Telegraph, when I was allowed to post for free, and actually challenge the views of the journalists getting paid to write there.
I am not a journalist – ex computer analyst – and I retired in 2004 at the age of 51, cos (from a position of loving it – double shifts and on call) I didn’t like working there any more. I didn’t like the new management, telling me how to do my job, when they didn’t have clue.
I don’t blame you for retiring too. I guess you are about 60. I am nearly 70.
I would love to meet you in a pub and buy you a pint.
Loads of people, I have worked with and retired, about our ages – 6 months later, without the stress, they look and feel 10 years younger.
There is life beyond what you have been doing.
You can do nothing for a bit, and then something completely different.
Good Man – Guitar Please – and New Microphone.
Tony
Hi, Saker,
You are so knowledgeable, generous, natural, relaxed, genuine, honest, humble, so much an obvious speaker of truth in front of the camera that I now almost regret being one of those who wrote to dissuade you from doing the videos that you proposed to do some time back.
5 days more to closing time, but still, thank you once again.
Your insight into the Russian Orthodox was very interesting. As an Orthodox follower myself there is something about the church that puzzles me. Why is the church defined by the country where it is located? Why is there a Russian Orthodox church or a Greek Orthodox church? I do not find this beneficial to the Orthodox faith. Does this mean that someone who is not Serbian cannot become Serbian Orthodox, for example? I am very anti-Vatican/Catholic but the Catholic church acts and defines itself as a single entity. You don’t have a Spanish Catholic church but a the Catholic church whose “headquarters is based in the Vatican. Thus everyone of all nationalities and countries can choose to be a Catholic of a single church. The word of God is for all and not restricted by national boundaries or borders. Wouldn’t having a single Orthodox church attract more and more new converts, especially those disillusioned with the corr up option of the Catholic Church and the falsehoods of other denominations that have chosen Wokeism over the word of God.
There will always be division amongst the Orthodox faithful while each church is separated by national concepts. I have no issue with the “headquarters” of the Orthodox church being in Moscow (though I would like to see it in Ohrid, Macedonia for reasons to long to get into here). We all belong to the Orthodox faith and should therefore behave as one single entity that should grow in number globally so the word of God can save this planet from the abyss we are entering.
I am no theologian, and this comment is brought about through my own ignorance. I would love to hear from you guys why the Orthodox church is structured as it is.
Thank you Saker.
This is a gem of a Q&A.
Very powerful and knowledgeable.
Hi Andrei,
many thanks for all the work and energy you’ve put into this blog. I serendipitously stumbled across it many years ago and it has helped expand my worldview and spiritual horizon considerably. I concur that what we are presently witnessing goes beyond a mere battle, and has the hallmarks of an epoch deciding spiritual war. My prayers are with those poor souls caught up in the frontline, hopefully they’ll soon find peace. It is a small comfort to know that one is not going crazy and to know that others see it in a similar way.
Sorry to see you go, wishing you and your family the best of health on your continued journey.
Мир и любовь
D
An answer to CCCP007.
The answer to your question lies in the epistles of the Apostle Paul, to the Corinthians, Ephesians, Romans, Galatians etc. All of these were written to the Local Churches. This principle has been followed to this day. Each locality has its own Church. This is inevitable because there are many different peoples, languages and customs in the world.
The concept of a Superstate is alien to the Church, as inevitably this becomes political and corrupt. The model of the Church is the Holy Trinity, unity in diversity (and also diversity in unity). The unity of the Church is assured by the Holy Spirit which expresses the Faith in the Scriptures, the Creed, the Councils, the Tradition, not by a Pope, who may have been installed by some Emperor or King, by Napoleon, Hitler or the CIA. Diversity ensures independence, If one Local Church becomes corrupt and politicised, others will ensure the continuity and so avoids Papism. This was the case under Communist persecution – some remained free of it and could speak up for the hostages and enslaved. This is also the case today.
None of this excuses nationalism, which is also a reality in Church life, but as an abuse. Practising Orthodox Christians, as opposed to nominal Orthodox Christians, put Christ and the Holy Spirit above mere nationality. We all have two passports, our spiritual passport which says that we are Orthodox Christians, and our secular passport, which says what nationality we belong to. For the practising , it is the first passport that counts. For the nominal, it is the second that counts. Real Orthodox say Glory to God. Fake say Glory to the Ukraine, of Greece, or Russia etc.
I fully agree!
Andrei
Thank you Batiushka for your detailed response but unfortunately I am not convinced. To me, religion is universal regardless of faith or denomination and should not be defined by borders or nationality.
If we go by the explanation you gave me then Macedonians have the right to have the Macedonian Orthodox Church recognised by all the other Orthodox churches. I am sure you are aware of the issue between the Serbian and Macedonian Orthodox churches but we won’t get into that debate right now. Macedonia is a country and is populated by the Macedonian people. They feel they are Macedonian Orthodox by their birthright and geographical location. Additionally, you have another issue regarding this where the traitorous and treasonous government in Skopje changed the rightful and legitimate name of Macedonia to North Macedonia. What happens now? Does it become the North Macedonian Orthodox Church? Doesn’t make sense to me.
And dividing up the Orthodox Church according to nation does not prevent corruption. none of us here are so naive to think there is no corruption any of the Orthodox churches. In fact, it is rampant. if there is a will, corruption can be defeated regardless of the level and scale of the institution.
I understand the reasons of the Orthodox/Catholic schism and I am definitely anti-papacy. As far as I am concerned no man can be a representative of God. So the solution for a universal Orthodox Church is just don’t have a pope. Simple. However, as I said in my previous comment I see no issue with a central “headquarters” of the church whether it be in Moscow, Constantinople or Ohrid.
An Orthodox Church not defined by nationality will spread the word of God far more easily, attracting other nationalities attracted to the practices of the Orthodox faith and not be put off by labels of nationality. And perhaps Greeks and Bulgarians will finally have the good sense to celebrate Christmas on its proper date.
Please reread Batiushka. He said it all. He summarized succinctly for all religions and civilizations and cultures wishing to retain sovereignty, sincerity and honor in these terrible times. There is a larger danger. Decentralization and local self-sufficiency better protects the whole; at least some will get to survive somewhere — the earth’s breadth is too wide for any Hegemon to encompass..
Don’t get hung up on externally driven linguistic warfare or in the current travails and agonies of the Balkans. It is an occupied zone willfully infused with poisonous mindsets. Once the occupiers are ejected — and they will be ejected soon — clarity will return.
May a fair wind be ever behind you, Saker!
Thank you for the explanation of why there are different Orthodox churches. I has wondered why that was the case. In response to CCCP007 comments concerning the creation of a Macedonian Orthodox Church I think that the other churches would not be opposed to this. If they are then it is probably for secular/political reasons.
Hvala brate Andrej ! THANK YOU, Andrej ” The Saker Man ” Words cant describe the gratitude that I feel for the work that you and your TEAM have done over the years. Well done ! I was sad to read that you where closing down the blog, but I understand , time to move on. It has been 10+ years since I discovered the THE VINYARD OF THE SAKER, trying at the time to make sense of the crazy world we live in ! Well, thanks for the Blog and an introduction to some of the most expert contributors, too many to mention, and the Saker community, the world is not so Crazy anymore to me, though it is still plenty Wacky ! As a Serbian American I would also like to Thank all my fellow Serbians ( Mag de bill ) who have contributed to the Saker Community. When the Serbian Nation stood alone you were among the few who stood up and came to our defense ! For that Serbia owes you a debt of gratitude ! May God bless and be Merciful to you and your family and all those near and dear, If you ever in the future you my find yourself traveling in Serbia, somewhere like on the road from Kragujevac to Kraljevo , stop at a village called Guberevac and ask the first local you see and ask, where can i find the American ! Mi Casa Su Casa It would be a honor, privlage and imense pleasure to show you Serbian hospitality Sumadija Style. Home to the world famous Rakija Gruzanski Nit, tucked in the hills and valleys of the first Serbian Uprising I neck ti bude Sveti Bog u pomp . Pozdrav
Dear Saker,
Given that the presumed reason for closing the blog is to avoid the threat of getting sanctioned i.e. everything stolen by the USG, and given the well-worn USG strategy of attacking people after they have unilaterally disarmed and appeased, then my question is: If you are sanctioned will somebody reopen the blog just long enough for us to hear about it and spread the word and try to help you as best we can?
Thank you for posting this Q&A, and especially for your short survey of the recent history of the Russian Orthodox Church. You answered some questions I have had about what went on in Russia recently regarding that.
I may not count myself a Christian, but I do acknowledge and believe that Christianity is too important in human affairs to be allowed to wither as it seems to have done in much of the West.
I would say the same about Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism, to name those faiths of which I am at least a little bit aware.
Mankind seems to be a faith based animal. We have always believed in something. Faith at its best, which I would define as faith in the positive as opposed to the negative, helps keep us from descending into the pits of degeneracy, something I see far too much of these days.
Thank you again.
The fantasy Western narrative is that religion is a primitive superstition that withers in the light of science and modernity, and that eventually and inevitably scientific materialism will supercede all forms of faith. In reality people of faith are much more family orientated so as a result the religious Global South is outbreeding the faithless West at a phenomenal rate. In time the meaningless, sterile nihilism of scientism will become just a memory, and history will record it as having been a comparatively short lived aberration.
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050/
This is my hope. The growth of the church in the Southern Hemisphere is phenomenal.
Dear Saker, so grateful for the wealth and completeness of information accessible on your site. Added to daily and rotating towards the stacks in the rear as situations constantly develop. Prodded along with timely analysis by yourself, by guest authors, and by senior commenters. So excellent, even I couldn’t fail to learn and mature my understanding.
This site is so well constructed and attended to by the mods, it has become a home, even a refuge, to large numbers, as the world threatens to crash and burn (or vaporize) around us.
I will continue to follow some of the guest authors and your last recommended sites – including new ones Serbian Aleks and Mike Krupa. I will continue praying fervently to God that all of us continue to have a future to follow them in.
May you, and your family who have waited so patiently for your attention to their needs, seek a refuge from the coming storms.
I will visualize the image of Mother Russia with sword raised. … Forward.
TBEL
Hope you get to travel, Andrei.
Lots to see even if you stay put in the USofA.
I, myself, look forward to seeing Asheville, NC in late May.
Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway with it’s outstanding vistas.
Tour the Biltmore Estate and art galleries. It is a long list.
Hope I see you in Beer City.
https://www.romanticasheville.com/getaways
I love NC and the Asheville area which I hope to visit at least once later in the years (God knows I need a break!)
Thanks for the pointer!
Andrei
That was really, really excellent. Thank you for recording it!
Thanks Saker. This is really one of the best or even the best blog ever. All the best for the future. Godspeed!
Hi Andrei,
I think that you did an excellent job answering reader’s questions. We are all going to miss reading your commentaries but understand and more importantly accept your decision to step away. What I can say is that the time that I have spent reading posts at The Saker has made me more well informed and a better person. God Bless you Sir!
Many thanks Saker for the years of insight and education, not least of which has been a primer understanding of Orthodox Christianity. I have read your blog as a go-to resource since the passing of Robert Parry. Thank you for all of the sacrifices over the years that have continued this excellent Saker Culture. I pray that you have peace and rest in all your life’s endeavors. May you have time to blister up your fingers on your favorite fretboard no longer the keyboard. Peace & love.
I don’t want to say good by to you my friend because a person like you can never be “retired”. Let say “until tomorrow” and that will leave a gate open to future encounters. But anyway I hope you can have a peaceful family life from now on because you deserve it. So, as we say in my land ! Hasta la Victoria !..Siempre !! 🤗🤞
Si, hasta la victoria!
FWIW, I join Martyanov in conveying thanks for splendid work of service through the years, imparting courage and knowledge, and also in commending reconsideration on closing The Saker, or at least, planning to restart it not too far into the future. That said, you helped get the boat ungrounded and back afloat where others can propel and navigate it with steerable momentum.
Perhaps Observer R is willing and able to facilitate in some way? Perhaps Jimmie Moglia? They come to mind as educated persons having refined feelings already familiar with industrial-grade communication technology.
I would offer to help had I facilities able to execute the task. I do not and have neither means nor training to acquire them. Also, for me, age is not on the side of continued lucidity.
Blessings to you and your family. Like you, I became a believing Christian as an adult. I am not Orthodox, but a Protestant of the confessionally-Reformed persuasion. Christ changes one’s worldview entirely. I was a career US military officer who began reading history and, combined with my Christian beliefs, changed my views of politics and war, especially foreign policy.
You have gone thorough much affliction in your career with blacklisting. Yet you have focused on what was the highest priority—your family. Homeschooling your children will bring rewards for generations. I pray that God blesses all your future endeavors.
Thanks for the answers.
What a gem indeed you are. It’s a pleasure to read you, to listen and see you, to learn from you. My gratitude to you, a True Beacon of Light!
Até à vista, dear Andrei!