Today will go down in Russian history, as a truly historical celebration of the victory over Nazi Germany. The parade – by far the most beautiful I have seen (alas, only on video, not in person) – was superb and for the first time included the Chinese PLA [People’s Liberation Army]. Clearly, we see history in the making. But something else, no less amazing, also happened today: Defense Minister Shoigu made the sign of the Cross before the beginning of the celebrations:
This is an absolutely momentous moment for Russia. Never in the past history had any Russian Minister of Defense done anything like it. True, the old tradition was to make the sign of the Cross when passing under the Kremlin’s Savior Tower, if only because there is an icon of the Savior right over the gate. However, everybody in Russia immediately understood that there was much more to this gesture than an external compliance to an ancient tradition.
Icon of the Savior
The Russian journalist Victor Baranets puts it very well when he wrote:”At that moment I felt that with his simple gesture Shoigu brought all of Russia to his feet. There was so much kindness, so much hope, so much of our Russian sense of the sacred [in this gesture]“. He is absolutely correct. To see this Tuvan Buddhist make the sign of the Cross in the Orthodox manner sent an electric shock through the Russian blogosphere: everybody felt that something amazing had happened.
For one thing, nobody in his right mind would suspect Shoigu of ever doing anything just “for show”. The man has an immense capital of popularity and credibility in Russia and he has no need for political hypocrisy. Furthermore, those who saw the footage will immediately see that Shoigu was very concentrated, very solemn, when he did this. Personally, I believe that Shoigu quite literally asked for God’s help in one of the most dangerous moment in Russian history in which he, the Russian Minister of Defense, might be called to take momentous decisions from which the future of the planet might depend.
For centuries Russian soldiers have knelt and asked for God’s blessing, before going into battle and this is, I believe, what Shoigu did today. He knows that 2015 will be the year of the big war between Russia and the Empire (even if, due to the presence of nuclear weapons on both sides, this war will remain 80% informational, 15% economic and 5% military)
Does that mean that Shoigu converted to Orthodoxy? Not necessarily. Buddhism is very accepting of other religions and I don’t see much of a contradiction here. But the fact that the first Russian government official to begin the historical Victory Day parade by making the sign of the Cross and appealing for God’s help is a Buddhist, is, in itself, quite amazing (even if it shames his nominally “Orthodox” predecessors who never did so).
I can only imagine the horror, outrage and despair Shoigu’s gesture will trigger in the pro-Western Russian “liberal intelligentsia” and in the western capitals. In placing himself and all of Russia in God’s hands, Shoigu declared a spiritual, cultural and civilizational war on the Empire. And just for that, he will go down in history as one of Russia’s greatest men.
The Saker
The Saker expresses: “I can only imagine the horror, outrage and despair Shoigu’s gesture will trigger in the pro-Western Russian “liberal intelligentsia” and in the western capitals. In placing himself and all of Russia in God’s hands, Shoigu declared a spiritual, cultural and civilizational war on the Empire.”
The president of the USA placing himself and all of USA in God’s hands and declares a spiritual, cultural and civilizational war on Russia. And I have heard it before: “Gott mit uns”.
There is one precedent to make sign of cross.
Marshal Zhukov made it in the first Parade of Victory on the Nice square at the Savior Gate.
See time 42:29
http://russia.tv/video/show/brand_id/5020/episode_id/187141
That is instinctive and very natural, seeing it alive. An original leader – defense head of such a big nation Russia
For many in the west, Buddhism serves as a bridge of mysticism that leads to Jesus Christ. I have know agnostics that struggled with finding Jesus Christ, until engaging the principles of of Buddhism and discovering much more.
Respect !!!
Beautiful! Thank you and thanks to the Motherland!
The Christian sign of the Cross by Buddhist Shoigu is also a clear sign to all those foreign to the ancient history of the Orthodox Christian Religion was the original Christian religion before the split that placed Roman Christianity in unreligious competition with the original belief. Russia’s Christianity predates most of European Roman Papal Christianity and demonstrates it’s strength is far greater than that of the Papacy that openly colluded with the 20th century Third Reich. The Orthodox Patriarchy never did so. The massive propaganda against naturally powerful Russia for over three hundred years has been using the claim that Russians are heathen barbarians as if Orthodoxy is a pagan system of belief. Shoigu just put that claim to bed. A picture is worth a thousand words. Yes, Russia is ready for war. It is the only nation that could defeat the EU/US/UK Zionist Western war already being genocidily waged against it for years, in fact since the end of WW1.
Beautiful! Just beautiful! God bless Putin, Russia and Russian Minister of Defense Shoigu.
Thank you The Saker. You are the best!
All the “West” that is controlled by the Satanic Cabal of the Khazarian Mafia, the Babylonian Talmudic Jewish criminals are going to be pissed of when they see that a country is a real Christian country who do not let themselves be controlled by these criminal Jewish mafia.
I have followed your blog for a couple of years and always admire and respect your opinion. This comment completely freaks me out;
” He knows that 2015 will be the year of the big war between Russia and the Empire (even if, due to the presence of nuclear weapons on both sides, this war will remain 80% informational, 15% economic and 5% military)” #Istandwithrussia Let’s hope you has the ratios right.
We are in our 1939 moment and 6 brutal years later 50million people were dead.
Keep up the good work using the Hashtag Everwhere! It does not go un noticed! :)
Dear Saker
Thank you for your great article on the Victory Parade. There was something else, that was I think even more important that was not reported in Western media at all. The march of the Immortal Batallion. Around 0.5 mln people in Moscow and around 12 mln in total over the country took to the streets with the portraits of their relatives who fought with nazi in that horrible war. I think it is very important event as it unifies people of different nationalities and puts the country at last in touch with its history. So strong was the movement that it was immediately stepped on and cursed by the liberal lobby. Memory of real people is the most dangerous weapon in the information war.
https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%82%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BA
He may well become the next president. In fact he is probably the only best candidate for this position after Putin himself.
Orthodoxy seems to be putting full weight behind, Natalia Poklonskaya, the now famous public prosecutor of Crimea, by awarding her the Order of the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Fedorovna from the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society
There was also the presentation, by Igor Yevgenyevich, of a copy of the miraculous myrrh-streaming icon of Tsar Nicholas II, a book dedicated to the imperial family, and presented high Orthodox award-Jubilee Medal “in memory of the great war”, dedicated to the events of the first world war.
There seems to be confusion of Shoigu’s religious confession. Could it be he is a syncretic mix, like the noble Baron Roman von Ungern Sternberg, who became honorary Khan in Mongolia while fighting for the Whites.
Momentous moment indeed. God bless this man.
I believe I see progress. He shows the sign of the cross. I bow my head. Please dear Lord lead us all in your direction. Let them know that they may go forward unafraid with you by their side. There’s no better army. Let peace run throughout our spirits. No boundaries. Unafraid. Just brothers.