The Russian entrepreneur and owner of several nightclubs, Mikhail Danilov, donated a part of the relics of St. Nicholas of Mirliki to the Moscow temple dedicated to the icon of the Virgin Mary “Znamenie”. Along with the particle, a certificate of authenticity for the relic, which was bought by the Vatican last November, according to the donor, was handed over. He acquired the relics with the idea of giving them to the Russian Orthodox Church for the Nativity of Christ. The donation made to the temple, which is located opposite the Kremlin, was filmed and circulated in the media. “We are against obscurantism, diabolical deeds and we support the Church”, declared Danilov upon handing over the relic. He emphasized that part of the money for the purchase of the relics came from several clubs, including “Mutabor”, and the priest thanked and said that this is a great honor for the temple.
The donation and the publicity with which it was made are no accident. Mikhail Danilov is the owner of the scandalous night club “Mutabor”, where the so-called “naked party” of Russian stars from the entertainment business took place on New Year’s Eve. The party caused outrage in Russia against its participants. Despite their public repentance in various video formats, most of the stars were removed from all New Year’s and Christmas entertainment programs, had their advertising contracts terminated, and were generally subjected to the so-called “cancellation” with its accompanying career collapse, public humiliation, and overall rejection. It became clear that the “naked party” dealt a strong blow to the ideology propagated by the Putin regime, that Russia is a counterpoint to the liberalism of the Western world and embodies traditional Christian values. The scale of the persecution of the participants in the party suggests that it was ordered from a higher place.
Immediately after the scandal, the Mutabor club was closed and tax and other inspections of the owner began. The donation of relics can be seen as an attempt by Mikhail Danilov to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of the authorities as a supporter of Christian values and the Russian Orthodox Church.
In addition to “Mutabor” Danilov owns a dozen more nightclubs and there is a danger that his business will seriously suffer or be destroyed.
