Vandalism over pagan statues continues in Kiev, Ukraine

Dear friends!

Our pagan brothers and sisters in Ukraine informed us that on February 22, 2013 there was another act of vandalism over a pagan statue in Kiev. This time a statue to pagan God Sviantovid had its top portion (where the head is) destroyed. This statue is a grand life-size replica of a Zbruch idol (considered by academics to be a pre-Christian pagan statue of Sviantovid or a similar God, initially found in the 19th century in Ukraine and now on display in Krakow, Poland). The statue was crafted by a famous Ukrainian sculptor Inna Kolomietz. Many visitors from various countries came to regard this statue as having an exceptional value for paganism. Now, the vandals have destroyed it.

This act of violence is a continuation of a deliberate campaign to destroy pagan sacred places in Ukraine. In November of 2012 I reported about another similar act of vandalism - a statue to a Slavic Thunder God, Perun, was chopped off. See original story here: http://forum.paganfederation.org/viewtopic.php?t=3943
The police did nothing to investigate this crime, citing that the statue was on public lands and presented no cultural value, therefore no charges were laid.
In 2010 and 2011 pagan statues on the Ukrainian island of Khortitza were chopped up, burned up and sawed off several times throughout the time period, and the police again did nothing.
The suspicion in all cases falls on local Orthodox Christian activists, including those with a history of mental illness and clerics themselves, who preach against the pagans.

Please, join our Ukrainian brothers and sisters in protest. Let us not be silent when pagan sacred places are befouled by fanatics and lunatics, while the authorities ignore the issue!

Here is the link to official news story in Ukrainian http://ridnovir.in.ua/i ... ani-m-kyieva

Gods bless,
Gwiddon

You can see as this monument of history in even last year looked:

http://img-fotki.yandex ... cabfb_XL.jpg

http://img-fotki.yandex ... 8d6da_XL.jpg

http://pics.livejournal.com/kiyevskiy_drug/pic/005487fx

Wow this is unbelievable!

This is a terrible vandalism. Ukrainian pagans ready and turn to the authorities, but they simply do not perceive the current government...

This copy of the world famous sculpture Zbruchskoho Svitovyd - cultural heritage of the Ukrainian people - the original of which is in Poland, in Krakow museum.

Judging by official calls for such acts and their actual implementation (abuse of sculptural image idol of Perun in Kiev and rows of other criminal acts) - primarily be seen version involvement in the crime Moscow imperial-religious organization - Moscow Patriarchate "Russkaya Orthodox Church. "

Nepokarannya previous similar actions are prompting them to repeat, and therefore - spvuchasnyom are those who failed to fulfill his duties, having vvladni authorization - did not make appropriate efforts to stop abuse of the spiritual heritage of Ukrainians - their eternal worldview, language and images of the Gods Russia-Ukraine that klyals all rulers, including Russia Svyatoslav the Brave.

We are witnessing what has brought us relihyno alien-world-view system - devastation and extinction of people.

Like the fact that Ukraine is the Ukrainian people under occupation, slavery - spiritual, economic, political.

How to react true ancient, indigenous religions Ukrainian-Rusyns in Ukraine for another desecration of the Ukrainian people?

22 февраля 2013г. отрезали голову идолу Свитовиду, стоящему в Киеве на Софиевской площади.

Уничтожение скульптурного изображения каменного идола имеет все признаки надругательства над украинскими святынями и является актом разжигания межрелигиозной вражды, является свидетельством проявления враждебности относительно независимого Украинского государства и актом надругательства над духовными ценностями всех язычников Украины.

Напоминаем, что ранее уже был совершён ряд преступлений для разжигания межрелигиозной вражды в Украине. Данные преступления не были, не то что наказаны государством, но даже не расследованы:

- 6 сентября 2010 на острове Хортица совершен акт святотатства, было разрушено 9 деревянных образов Богов;
- в марте 2011 года в селе Малиевцы Дунаевецкого района Хмельницкой области накануне Пасхи была разрушена статуя идола Перуна;
- 1 ноября 2012 в Киеве на Старокиевской горе совершено надругательство над культовым центром украинской Родной веры: неизвестными злоумышленниками (предположительно ночью) спилена деревянная статуя Бога Перуна, которая являлась произведением сакрального искусства и известной святыней не только в Украине, но и далеко за ее пределами.

- В Украине христианином по религиозным мотивам совершено убийство известной на всю Украину личности: в ночь с 14 на 15 июля 2011г. был жестоко убит известный мольфар Михаил Нечай. - (Убийца приговорен к сроку заключения)

Безнаказанность преступников за подобные действия является побуждением к их повторению, а следовательно – соучастниками есть те, кто не выполнил свои должностные обязанности, имея властные полномочия: не приложил соответствующие усилия для прекращения издевательства над духовным Наследием Славян - их исконным мировоззрением, их исконными ценностями, ведь было совершено надругательство над изображениями богов Руси-Украины, которыми клялись все князья Руси вплоть до Святослава Храброго.
Уточним, что идол, поврежденный 22-го февраля, стоит в самом центре города в окружении известных зданий и структур, в том числе министерских (недалеко от памятника находятся учреждения МИД и МВД), поэтому все происходило под видеонаблюдением.

Мы призываем все мировое сообщество, а в частности министерства культуры, департаменты по сохранению культурного наследия обратить внимание на данную проблему.
Также просим международные структуры подать ходатайство в украинское Министерство Культуры о том, чтобы они обратили внимание на данную проблему и приложили все возможные усилия для предотвращения подобных ситуаций в будущем.

ПЕТИЦИЯ В ЗАЩИТУ КУЛЬТУРНЫХ ЦЕННОСТЕЙ - http://www.change.org/r ... 0%B4%D0%B0-2

Our Ukrainian brothers in faith have experiment on protection of a cultural heritage. Head of Slavic spiritual movement "Great Fire" ("Welikiy Ogony") Gennady Botsenyuk (Ogin) submitted the application to prosecutor's office of Ukraine.

Best of luck, it is difficult when even the police will not do their job. Is there any kind of action that pagans else where can do to help?

Blessed Be,

Christopher

Thank you, Christopher, for your support and kind words!!

Certainly, I would rather not go into the reasons as to why the police is not doing their job on a public forum. That part is not surprizing, considering all the challenges of the new democracies in Eastern Europe. There is something that pagans the world over can do about it - spreading the word. The more people know about this act of vandalism in different countries, the better. It will be more difficult to ignore the issue in Ukraine if there is enough attention devoted to it by foreign media. In our day and age, blogs and twitter help spread the news like wildfire. So, by all means, if anyone is wondering what they can do to help - post the news on your blog, send it to the local media outlet, mention it on the radio. Informing the government officials in your country is another way of getting coverage.

Thanks for your support!!
BB
Gwiddon

Thank you for your support, Nadir! I will certainly let our Ukrainian friends know about your input and suggestions, perhaps they can do something to that effect, I don't know. I presume that there are a number of statues in different parks around Kiev, so I can see how that can be a very challenging task, particularly since people also have jobs, family, etc. This case serves to illustrate what sort of protection of human rights pagans can count on in difficult times. And I would also like to point out to our friends in other countries that the same thing can happen anywhere, it is not just the former Soviet Union issue.

BB
Gwiddon
PFI Russia

To update the story - most popular Russian internet-news nexus Lenta.ru with the audience of tens of millions of readers posted news about the desecration of the Sviantovid statue, including comments from the Ukrainian pagan community! The link is here http://lenta.ru/news/2013/03/01/statue/

In addition, the Ukrainian news site Segodnya.ua reported that the Kievan police have launched their investigation of this issue, and promised to dilligently review this case. Here is the story: http://www.segodnya.ua/ ... itovidu.html

Good news!
BB
Gwiddon

Another update, the Trinity Council - which is the joint council of group leaders of three largest pagan organizations in Russia, have issued their statement of support for Ukrainian pagans, protesting the vandalism of statues of pagan Gods in Kiev. Here is the link http://pagan.ru/forum/i ... D0%BA%D0%B8/

Here as well http://triglav.ru/forum ... p;#entry3795

It is good to see the international cooperation on this issue! We stand united in the face of adversity)

BB
Gwiddon

Hi Gwiddon,

Yes indeed we stand united.

Thanks for the links - even though I can't understand Russian.
I can see and recognise some of the people posting [Very happy]

Keep up the pressure!

BTW I will be in Hungary and Serbia from March 9-20th.

I will be attending an academic conference in Szeged 14-16th:
9TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE SIEF WORKING GROUP ON THE RITUAL YEAR:
"POLITICS, FEASTS, FESTIVALS"
See;
http://www.siefhome.org ... mp;Itemid=69

I will see if any of the delegates are from Russia/Ukraine or take a particular interest in Slavic paganism

Is there anything else we can do?

Good luck,
Morgana

None from the official authorities of Ukraine does not respond to the incident.
I think that our hope is that other countries have sent their letters of outrage and questions about the causes of the destruction of slavic pagan monuments.
Although... living in my country, I do not always believe that something can be changed in this dispensation, but I continue to hope for the best.

Thanks Gwiddon for making this FB page:
Vandalism over pagan statues continues in Kiev, Ukraine

and
http://www.facebook.com/groups/117844641734299/photos/