Joint press release following the 8th Association Council meeting between the EU and Ukraine

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6 September 2022

Association Council meeting between the EU and Ukraine — From left to right: Denys SHMYHAL (Prime Minister of Ukraine), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES (High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy), Olivér VÁRHELYI (European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement)

On 5 September 2022, the European Union and Ukraine held the 8^th meeting of the EU and Ukraine Association Council in Brussels.

The Association Council condemned in the strongest possible terms the unprovoked and unjustified Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The EU commended the courage and determination of the Ukrainian people and its leadership in their fight to defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom of Ukraine and underlined its unwavering commitment to help Ukraine exercise its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression and to build a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future. It commended Ukraine’s civil society for their continued key role in building Ukraine’s resilience against the Russian aggression.

Ukraine expressed its appreciation for the previous packages of EU restrictive measures and underlined the necessity to foster the process of strengthening EU restrictive measures against Russia. Ukraine also called for measure in the sphere of visa policy.

The Association Council emphasized that those responsible for human rights violations, atrocities and war crimes committed in the context of the Russian war against Ukraine, the perpetrators and their accomplices must be held accountable.

The EU emphasized its strong commitment to supporting the intensive work of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal court and Ukraine’s Prosecutor General in this respect and underlined its continued financial and capacity-building support to these efforts. Ukraine considered that its suggestion on the establishment of the special ad hoc international criminal tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine shall be further explored. The EU recalled Ukraine’s commitment in the Association Agreement to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and encouraged Ukraine to implement this commitment urgently.

The Association Council highlighted the historical importance of the decision of the European Council of 23 June 2022 to recognise the European perspective and grant the status of candidate country to Ukraine. It stressed that the future of Ukraine and its citizens lies within the European Union. The EU recalled that the Council will decide on further steps once all the conditions specified in the Commission’s opinion on Ukraine’s EU membership application are fully met, underlining that the progress of Ukraine towards the EU will depend on its own merit, taking into consideration the EU’s capacity to absorb new members. The EU noted the action plan prepared by the Ukrainian Side on the implementation of the recommended steps included in the European Commission’s opinion, welcomed the progress already made, and underlined the importance of their full and effective implementation.

The EU reiterated its commitment to further strengthening relations with Ukraine, including through well-targeted support to Ukraine’s European integration efforts and exploiting fully the potential of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), and stressed the mutual commitments to that end. The EU recognised the substantial progress that Ukraine has made thus far in its reform process and underlined the need to preserve and build on the achieved results.

The Association Council welcomed the steps that Ukraine had taken thus far with regard to reforms in the sphere of anti-corruption, fighting against fraud, anti-money laundering and rule of law and urged Ukraine to pursue further efforts in these areas. It stressed the paramount importance of ensuring the independence, effectiveness and sustainability of the anti-corruption institutional framework and avoid politicisation of the work of all law enforcement agencies. The Association Council welcomed the major steps taken by Ukraine towards a comprehensive reform of the judiciary in 2021 and the appointment of the new Head of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, while emphasising the urgent need to complete the selection of the new Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the reform of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU), including a clear and transparent competitive selection process for judges.

The Association Council welcomed the prompt mobilisation of EU humanitarian assistance since the beginning of the Russian invasion against Ukraine. The Association Council also welcomed the EU’s and its Member States strong emergency response via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism at an estimated value above EUR 430 million. The EU highlighted the key priority in ensuring winterized shelter facilities and housing ahead of the upcoming winter and the need to enhance cooperation within the international community.

The Association Council recalled EU’s activation of the temporary protection status for citizens of Ukraine giving them temporary residence rights, access to labour markets and housing, medical assistance and education.

The Association Council welcomed the EU’s financial support and immediate relief efforts with over EUR 9,5 billion, including support amounting to EUR 2.6 billion under the European Peace Facility, that will have been provided since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression. The EU reiterated its strong commitment to Ukraine’s reconstruction, geared towards fast-forwarding the green, climate resilient and digital transitions, underlining its readiness to take a leading role in the effort and stressing the importance of Ukraine’s ownership. Both sides underlined the need for practical development of the partnership initiative between European and Ukrainian regions and municipalities aiming at recovery of the destroyed and damaged Ukrainian cities. The EU recalled that its support for reconstruction will be linked to the implementation of reforms to ensure the rule of law, resilient democratic institutions, to reduce the influence of oligarchs, to strengthen anti-corruption measures consistent with Ukraine’s European path and to further the process of aligning legislation with the EU acquis.

Ukraine expressed gratitude for the military assistance provided by EU Member States to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including under the European Peace Facility and called for continuation of these efforts as long as required.

The Association Council welcomed the decision on allocation of loan funds of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in the amount of EUR 1,059 million to cover priority needs.

The Association Council noted the priority given to the objective of integration of Ukraine’s payment market participants into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and the necessary steps to achieve that objective.

The Association Council recalled the common values of democracy, rule of law, gender equality, respect for international law and human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities and LGBTI persons.

The Association Council emphasised the need to ensure – in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission – respect for rights of persons belonging to national minorities. In particular, Ukraine needs to finalise its reform of the legal framework for national minorities as recommended by the Venice Commission and to adopt effective implementation mechanisms as indicated in the steps specified in the Commission’s opinion on Ukraine’s EU membership application.

The Ukrainian side presented its vision on the accession framework.

The Association Council commended Ukraine’s decision to ratify the Istanbul Convention as a major step forward in protecting all women and girls.

The EU reconfirmed its commitment in supporting Ukraine’s efforts to preserve its macroeconomic stability during the war. Both sides acknowledged the disbursement to Ukraine of EUR 2.2 billion in emergency and exceptional EU macro-financial assistance programmes in the first half of 2022 and expressed their commitment to deliver on the remaining part of the exceptional macro-financial assistance package of up to EUR 9 billion, as announced by the Commission in its Communication Ukraine: Relief and Reconstruction of 18 May 2022.

The Association Council welcomed the success of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), which has supported the doubling of bilateral trade flows since its entry into force in 2016. Both sides welcomed the temporary full trade liberalisation and temporary suspension of trade defence measures introduced by the EU on Ukrainian imports since June 2022. The EU stressed the importance of a solid implementation of the DCFTA and welcomed progress on the “Priority Action Plan for enhanced implementation of the DCFTA”. The EU welcomed Ukraine’s progress in implementing its commitments in the public procurement sector, notably as regards the first and second phases of the roadmap, which is a step towards the further gradual mutual opening of public procurement markets. The EU and Ukraine emphasized their willingness to continue negotiations on the review of customs duties under the Article 29 (4) of the Association Agreement. The EU noted in particular the decisive progress on Ukraine’s path towards joining the Common Transit Convention and the Convention on Simplification of formalities in trade in goods. The EU also confirmed its commitment to continue supporting Ukraine on its path towards an Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial products. The Association Council welcomed Ukraine’s association to the EU Customs and Fiscalis programmes. The Association Council welcomed the start of the negotiations between Ukrainian Side and the European Commission on Ukraine’s participation in the EU Single Market Program (SMP).

The Association Council welcomed accession of Ukraine to the common transit system (NCTC) as from 1 October 2022. Ukraine underlined the importance of setting up automatic exchange of advance customs information between Ukraine and the EU Member States as an efficient instrument for combatting customs fraud.

The EU welcomed Ukraine’s ongoing engagement in implementing its commitments in the telecommunication services sector, which, if fully met, can lead to internal market treatment for this sector. The Association Council welcomed the signature of a joint statement by telecom operators based in the EU and in Ukraine on their coordinated efforts to secure and stabilise affordable or free roaming and international calls between the EU and Ukraine. The EU underlined its commitment to explore the possibilities for a longer-term arrangement eliminating roaming charges between the EU and Ukraine. The Association Council also welcomed the signing of the agreement on Ukraine’s association with the EU’s Digital Europe Programme, an important step in further integration with EU’s Digital Single Market.

The Association Council welcomed the Ukrainian Regulator’s joining the work of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and its supporting agency the BEREC Office.

The EU reconfirmed its solidarity with Ukraine in countering hybrid and cyber threats as well as its continued engagement in strategic communication and countering foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, notably in light of increased cyber-attacks linked to Russia’s war of aggression. Both sides underlined the importance of conducting the second round of the Cyber Dialogue in September 2022 and welcomed their readiness to further extend the scope of cooperation in cyber field. The EU and Ukraine agreed to work closely on further strengthening overall resilience of Ukraine, including within actual Eastern Partnerships instruments.

The Association Council welcomed the successful synchronisation of Ukraine’s electricity grid with the Continental European Network. The Sides commended the start of commercial exchange of electricity between Ukraine and the EU. They welcomed the start of a gradual increase in electricity trade on a level playing field in terms of equivalent basic rules with respect to market access as well as compatible environmental and safety standards. The Association Council acknowledged a considerable progress of Ukraine in implementing key EU energy legislation, including the unbundling of its transmission system operators in gas and electricity. The EU reiterated its readiness to support Ukraine’s energy sector as well as reform efforts, including via the EU-Ukraine High Level Working Group on energy markets. The EU took note of the availability of vast gas storage capacities in Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities. The Sides stressed the need to decrease dependency on Russian fossils and nuclear fuels and technologies. The EU and Ukraine agreed to continue close collaboration to coordinate the security of gas supply and increase resilience in view of possible disruptions in gas supplies.

The Association Council welcomed efforts of Ukrainian nuclear regulator and operator to maintain safe operation and energy generation on Ukrainian nuclear power plants as well as to continue corresponding legislation approximation. The Association Council condemned the Russian military control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and called for an immediate withdrawal and de-militarization of the facility, and restauration of full control over the plant to the legitimate operator and Ukrainian authorities to ensure nuclear safety and security. The Association Council emphasised its support to the efforts of the IAEA and underlined the need for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to remain an integral part of the Ukrainian energy system.

The Association Council stressed the need to achieve Ukraine’s green transition as part of the reconstruction efforts. Both sides welcomed the finalisation of the development process of the EU – Ukraine strategic partnership on renewable gases.

The Association Council welcomed the signature of the agreement to associate Ukraine to the LIFE Programme, with the objective of addressing climate change and environmental challenges, including air, soil and water contamination, biodiversity conservation through the demonstration of innovative solutions and techniques and the capacity building of actors involved.

Both sides welcomed the intention of the parties to complete in 2022 the negotiations on an Agreement on Ukraine’s accession to the regional satellite navigation system European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS).

The Association Council welcomed successful transit of the first ships from Ukrainian ports following successful UN and Turkey mediation. It welcomed also the ongoing implementation of the EU solidarity lanes action plan and its achievements so far. Ukraine highlighted the Solidarity Lanes as a key assistance by the EU to address the challenges in relation to agricultural exports and its necessary imports due to the persisting constraints put by Russia on Ukraine’s Black and Azov Sea ports. The Council welcomed the Ukrainian initiative to associate with the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Programme. The Council welcomed the provisional application of the road transport agreement between the EU and Ukraine and the amendment of the indicative TEN-T maps for Ukraine. Ukraine underlined the need to further update the TEN-T maps for Ukraine, in particular regarding inclusion of the Danube river.

The Association Council welcomed the potential of the cross-border cooperation programmes with EU Member States to foster the capacities of regional and local authorities and to further strengthen the EU-UA links. The Association Council also welcomed additional financial support of 26.2 million for Ukraine in the new Interreg programmes 2021-2027 as well as more flexible legal provisions towards the on-going cooperation programmes with the EU. The EU marked the renewed Ukraine Presidency of the European Strategy for the Danube Region.

The EU encouraged Ukraine to participate in and take fully advantage of the international dimension of the Erasmus+ programme. The Association Council welcomed the entry into force of Ukraine’s association agreement to the Creative Europe Programme and to Horizon Europe and EURATOM Research & Training programmes. The Association Council welcomed the signature of the agreement to associate Ukraine to the EU4Health Programme.

The Association Council commended the EU support to Ukraine’s cultural and creative sectors.

The meeting was co-chaired by Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine and Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

“Book Alley” in Sofia begins with Record Number of Publishers

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News desk

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6 September 2022

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“Book Alley” in Sofia begins with Record Number of Publishers

A record number of publishing houses – 122, are participating in the “Book Alley” opening today in Sofia. The tents are located in the pedestrian area of Vitosha Boulevard and the park in front of the National Palace of Culture (NDK).

There are a total of 52 tents in which publishing houses are located, presenting new and rare books, specialized and children’s literature. The large-scale literary event is organized by the “Bulgarian Book” association within the framework of the #LITERACY Cause, which started at the beginning of the year. The goal of the association “Bulgarian Book” is to increase the interest in reading and functional literacy through the frequent encounters of readers with literature.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== “Book Alley” in Sofia begins with Record Number of Publishers

The event is being held under the patronage of Vice President Iliana Yotova, who will officially open it.

The Literary Corner of the Alley will be the scene of the cultural program with free access, including book premieres, meetings with authors, publishers and translators, events for children and fun workshops.

The working hours of the exhibition will be every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Book Alley will continue until Sunday, September 11.

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Write to us at [email protected]

Информирайте се на Български – Novinite.bg

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Night of Religions returns to full live presence in Barcelona

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Newsdesk

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6 September 2022

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Night of Religions returns to full live presence in Barcelona

On 17 and 18 September, the seventh edition of the Barcelona Night of Religions (Nit de les Religions) will take place. In this seventh edition, under the subtitle “Faiths and Beliefs in Dialogue”, there will be around fifty activities spread across the whole of Barcelona and organised by places of worship and organisations of different faiths, which will offer talks, workshops, concerts, performances and guided tours, among other activities.

The main objective of the Night of Religions is to generate and promote a space for meeting, mutual knowledge and dialogue between the citizens and the faiths and religious communities and entities of Barcelona. There will be two days of open doors and dialogue with the participation of some fifty communities and entities from different religious traditions and convictions: Christians of different denominations, Muslims, Jewish, Buddhists, Bahá’ís, Hindus, Hindus, Sikhs, Scientologists, other beliefs and non-religious.

As in previous editions, it will be a day to get to know and interact with the plurality of convictions, spiritual traditions and denominations of the city’s residents. The two previous editions were adapted to the reality marked by a context of a health crisis as a result of covid-19, but this time it is back to being fully face-to-face (only one activity will be virtual).

The initiative, which is supported by Barcelona City Council and the “La Caixa” Foundation, is organised by the UNESCO Association for Interreligious and Interconvictional Dialogue (AUDIR), with the leadership of its youth group.

Through interreligious, inter-convictional and intercultural dialogue, the Night of Religions highlights the fact that religious plurality enriches Barcelona’s identity and plays a part in it. The proposal aims to generate a meeting and dialogue point between the citizens of Barcelona and religious communities and organisations of different beliefs. The Night of Religions also seeks to break down prejudices and stereotypes that are the source of various forms of discrimination and to promote the values of the culture of peace.

“The diversity of beliefs and convictions is a heritage of our society and, when accompanied by respect and dialogue, it is a pillar on which to build a fairer and more egalitarian society,” says Arnau Oliveres, co-director of AUDIR. He adds that “‘The Night of Religions, Faiths and Beliefs in Dialogue’ is an event that promotes the meeting and inclusive dialogue, which aims to be a space that allows us to get to know the diversity of our country and to combat prejudices, stereotypes and discourses that promote hatred, showing the contributions of traditions to shared humanity”.

For his part, Khalid Ghali, Commissioner for Intercultural Dialogue and Religious Pluralism of Barcelona City Council, stressed “the importance of a plural and diverse city like Barcelona having an event like La Nit de les Religions, an annual event which, now in its sixth year, is consolidating its position as a proposal to raise awareness and bring the diversity of beliefs and convictions present in the city closer to its citizens”. He emphasises that this initiative “generates spaces and opportunities for meeting and dialogue, breaks down stereotypes and prejudices and enriches the whole of citizenship”.

The inaugural event will take place on 17 September at 12 noon, in the Sala d’Actes of the Centre Cívic Cotxeres de Sants (Carrer de Sants, 79). Among others, Mr Khalid Ghali Bada, Commissioner for Intercultural Dialogue and Religious Pluralism of the Barcelona City Council, and Ms Montse Castellà, President of AUDIR, will speak. Afterwards, the group “Rumba Nois” will offer a Catalan rumba concert, with explanations about the origin of the gipsy population and the Catalan rumba, and a hand-clapping workshop.

Of all the activities organised in this edition, the guided tours around different parts of the city stand out, as well as the themed tours, which over the previous six editions have been very successful and have been consolidating and increasing in number. Some of them, as in previous editions, are organised by Interreligious Dialogue Groups in Barcelona*. All of them will take place on Saturday 17 September and require prior registration. In this edition we find:

Guided tour of Barcelona’s cemeteries: guided tour of the Montjuïc cemetery, a reflection of the city.
Route of the gipsy memory and the Catalan rumba at the Ecomuseu Urbà Gitano de Barcelona.
Guided tour of the Grup de Diàleg Interreligiós de Gràcia: visit to the Parròquia de Verge de Gràcia i Sant Josep, the Dojo Zen Ryokan and the Església Evangèlica Baptista de Gràcia.
Guided tour of the Grup de Diàleg Interreligiós de Nou Barris: visit to the Mesquita Yamaat Ahmadia, the Parròquia Sant Sebastià and the Església Evangèlica Unida de Barcelona.
Guided tour of the Eixample: visit the Church of Scientology of Barcelona and the Brahma Kumaris centre, both offering a workshop.
Guided tour of the Grup Interreligiós del Raval: visit to the Mesquita Tarek Ibn Ziad and the Centre Filipí Tuluyán-San Benito.

Freedom of conscience and worship and its recognition in the city is fundamental. And in order for freedom of conviction and conscience to be truly possible, it is necessary to work within the framework of laicism, so that all worldviews and options of conscience (religious and non-religious) meet and cooperate on an equal footing. But beyond the right to express one’s faith, religious and conscientious bodies and traditions bring incalculable wealth and value to a city like Barcelona. They form part of a common good, a historical good, a cultural and human good that must be guaranteed and preserved.

So, on 17 and 18 September, there will be two days to discover the different religions, cultures and convictions of Barcelona. A day for believers and non-believers, for coexistence and enjoyment.

You can consult the PROGRAMME of all the activities HERE (it will be updated).
You can follow all the news on social networks through #nitreligions2022.

*Interreligious Dialogue Groups (IDGs) are meeting places where people with different beliefs and convictions in a specific territory come together with the aim of enhancing the value and visibility of religious pluralism in the city, defending the right to religious freedom, freedom of thought and conscience, breaking down prejudices between traditions and improving social cohesion in the territory. The objectives of the GDI are: to promote mutual understanding, and dialogue between confessions and beliefs, establish alliances and common projects in the territory, and make themselves known to the rest of the population. The GDI programme is promoted by Barcelona City Council and managed by AUDIR.

UN congratulates couple who married with ‘equality agreement’

By

Gaston de Persigny

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6 September 2022

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A couple in the western province of Izmir has set the stage for a new trend in Turkey by signing a “gender equality agreement” before getting married, saying there can be no love when there is no equality.

The remarkable wedding ceremony that took place recently attracted attention in the country.

Zeleha Shemin and Murat Büyükülmaz got married in a ceremony led by Filiz Sengel, Mayor of Selcuk Region, and signed a wedding agreement in front of the guests.

In an agreement, the couple declared: “We, as two free individuals, declare that we will be the two sides of an equal life and will unite our lives on this basis of equality.”

“We promise to protect and strengthen this equality agreement at all times of our lives together.”

“No equality, no love,” the couple announced.

The agreement entered the country’s agenda with an Instagram post by the UN Turkish Women section on September 3. The institution noted: “The inspiration of the day comes from a couple signing the ‘equality agreement.’ We wish the couple happiness and hope their inspiration for equality extends throughout their lives.

The newlyweds told the Turkish daily Miliyet: “We believe that the main reason for the problems people are experiencing is based on social inequalities. We thought our love could only exist if we could maintain equality and decided to sign the unusual agreement in front of our guests,” they added.

Equality at home, equality in society

In 2017, UN Women in partnership with Promundo, ABAAD – Resource Centre for Gender Equality and Connecting Research to Development (CRD) conducted the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) study in Lebanon which analysed the perceptions of masculinity and the impact it has on the lives of women and girls, on men themselves, and for gender equality more broadly. The study found that for 35 per cent of men ‘to be a man, you need to be tough,’ and 19 per cent of men also agreed that it is “shameful when men engage in caring for children or other domestic work”.

Unique monasteries in Romania painted with frescoes on the outside

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News desk

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6 September 2022

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The frescoes have remained almost unaffected by time and atmospheric conditions

In Romania, several monasteries hundreds of years old, as well as their main churches, are painted on the outside of the temples. Considering the technology of the creation of the frescoes, it is surprising that they have survived, unaffected neither by time nor by atmospheric conditions.

Perhaps the most famous of these monasteries is Voronets. But he is not the only one. The Humor Monastery, built in 1530, is also dotted with frescoes on the outside. They are not as preserved as those in Voronets, but they look impressive. In 1488, the Moldavian prince Stefan the Great founded Voronets as a sign of gratitude to the hermit Daniil, who encouraged him to fight against the Ottomans in Wallachia. The monastery was built between May 24 and September 14, 1488. The church was erected over a period of about four months, and in 1547, during the reign of Metropolitan Grigore Rosca, the vestibule was added, which was also painted on the outside. Since its creation, the monastery has been inhabited by monks. Monastic life was interrupted in 1758 after the annexation of the Bukovina region to the Habsburg Empire. Then Voronets did not function, and the cells of the monks were destroyed. In 1991, the activity of the monastery was renewed by nuns, headed by the abbess Irina Pantescu Stavrofora.

Murals on the outer walls of the temple

The frescoes on the walls of the Voronets monastery are distinguished by the fact that the painter depicted strong, memorable figures that do not have the aristocracy of the images from the Arbora monastery, for example, but have very realistic features, as if they were people of the people.

The Voronets Monastery is called the Sistine Chapel of the Orient, because of the large fresco on the western facade – “The Day of Judgment”. She amazes with the finesse with which she presents the most apocalyptic picture in the Moldavian open-air gallery. Unlike Michelangelo’s original, there is no huddle of half-naked muscular bodies, no tumult in the face of impending inevitability. This impressive picture is executed compositionally in five registers. In the main part is God the Father, and on both sides of him are depicted the zodiac signs.

The Moldovitza Monastery was built in 1532 as a symbolic protective barrier against the attacks of the Turks. It was built by the voivode Petr Rares, an illegitimate son of Stefan III the Great, by whose order the Voronets monastery was built. The frescoes were painted by Thomas of Suceava in 1537. They are filled with yellow accents and are well preserved. The predominantly yellow-blue paintings on its exterior represent recurring themes in Christian Orthodox art: a procession of saints leads to the Virgin enthroned with the Child in her lap above the narrow east window; The “Tree of Isaiah” springs from a recumbent Isaiah at the foot of the wall to marshal the progenitor of Christ around the Holy Family; the “Siege of Constantinople” commemorates the Virgin’s intervention in saving the city of Constantinople from a Persian attack in AD 626. (although the siege depicted is more the Fall of Constantinople in 1453).

High arches open the porch to the outside and daylight. In it the “Doomsday” covers the entire surface of the western wall with its river of fire and its image of the sea giving its dead to judgment. Moldovi and Humor are the last churches built with an open porch, a crypt above the tomb, and with Gothic-style windows and doors.

In 1585, the Sucevitsa monastery was built, the outer walls of which were also decorated with frescoes. Like the other monasteries, Sucevitsa combines elements of Byzantine and Gothic architecture, and the frescoes use scenes from the Old and New Testaments. The architecture of the church contains both Byzantine and Gothic elements and some elements characteristic of other painted churches in Northern Moldova. Both the inner and outer walls are covered with frescoes that have great artistic value and depict biblical episodes from the Old and New Testaments. The paintings date from around 1601, making Sucevica one of the last monasteries decorated in the famous Moldavian style of exterior paintings.

The courtyard of the monastic ensemble is almost square (100 by 104 meters) and is surrounded by high (6 m), wide (3 m) walls. There are several other defensive structures in the ensemble, including four towers (one at each corner). Sucevitsa was a princely residence as well as a fortified monastery. The thick walls now house a museum that presents an extraordinary collection of historical and artistic objects. The lids of the tombs of Jeremiah and Simeon Movila – rich portraits embroidered with silver threads – together with church silverware, books and illuminated manuscripts, bear eloquent testimony to the importance of Sucevitsa first as a manuscript workshop and then as a printing house.

Correspondents in the Russo-Turkish War 1877-1878 on the Balkan Peninsula (2)

By

Guest Author

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6 September 2022

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The number of Russian correspondents of the Balkan Theater increased over time. As of July 5, 1877, their composition was as follows [14]:

Table 1.

Periodical / Correspondent

“Birzhevye Vedomosti” – N.V. Maximov

“World illustration” – N.N. Karazin; H.P. Fedorov

“Voice” – P.P. Sokalsky

“Moscow Vedomosti” – L.V. Shakhovskaya; M.F. Metz

“Our century” – G. Stambolov; V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko

“Novoe vremya” – A.A. Suvorin; M.P. Fedorov; V.P. Burenin; N.N. Karazin; P.P. Sokalsky; A.D. Ivanov; N.N. Rossolovsky; V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko

“Odesski Vestnik” – P.P. Sokalsky

“Government Gazette” – V.V. Krestovsky

“Russian Mir” – E.K. Rapp

“Saint-Petersburg Vedomosti (Gazetteers)” – M.P. Fedorov; H.V. Maximov; A. Teoharov

“Severny Vestnik” – D.K. Gears

“Tiflissky Vestnik” – N.Ya. Nikoladze

“Sankt-Peterburger Zeitung” – N.V. Maximov

It should be noted that during the war V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko switched to “Novo Vremya” and began to send his correspondence to this newspaper. The staff of the Active Army included, apart from V.V. Krestovski, in his capacity as an official correspondent of the “Government Gazette” the artist E.K. Makarov, and also the famous martial artist V.V. Vereshtagin. in July 1877 the number of artists increased. P. Sokolov, Butkevich, M. Malyshev arrived at the Main Quarter, and P.O. Kovalevsky – in the detachment of the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. The famous artist V.D. Polenov. Together with the Russian army, he took part in the battles, saw the heroism of the soldiers, the suffering of the Bulgarians, and sealed all this both in paintings and in watercolors (“Position”, “Artillery in the mountains”, “Bulgarian village” and etc.). [15]

The most complete list of correspondents who joined the theater of hostilities is given by N.V. Maximov. [16] It lists everyone whose photographs were pasted in the correspondence album. As mentioned above, correspondents were required to carry two photographs each. One was left at the Field Headquarters, where it was kept in a special album, and the second, with the pass and stamp, was carried with them as a personal certificate.

Table 2. Russian correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“Government Gazette” – V.V. Krestovsky

“Saint-Petersburg Vedomosti“- Modzolevsky; Komarov

“Novoe vremya” A.A. Suvorin; M.P. Fedorov; V.P. Burenin; N.N. Karazin; A.D. Ivanov; N.N. Rossolovsky; V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko; Maslov

“Russian invalid” – M.P. Fedorov (artist); Sukhotin (Lieutenant of the Russian Army)

“World illustration” – M.P. Fedorov (artist)

“Voice” – P.P. Sokalsky

“Severny Vestnik” – D.K. Girs; Baikov (Lieutenant Colonel of the Russian Army)

“Russian Mir” – E.K. Rapp; Georgievich

“Moscow Vedomosti” L.V. Shakhovskaya; M.F. Metz; Ilovaisky (professor, former temporary correspondent)

“Russian Vedomosti” – A. Teoharov

“Birzhevye Vedomosti” – N.V. Maximov

Among the correspondents of “Novo Vreme” N.V. Maksimov does not mention the names of N.N. Rossolovski and P.P. Sokalsky, although V.V. Krestovski to attribute them to this edition. P.P. At the beginning of the campaign, Sokalski was a correspondent of the “Golos” newspaper, but later he was replaced by the Americans Mac Gahan and Stanley. As for V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, at the beginning of the war he was a correspondent for the newspaper “Nash Vek”, and then he started writing for “Novoe Vremya”. A.D. Ivanov was also a photographer.

Regarding the foreign correspondents admitted at the beginning of the war to the theater of hostilities, their composition was initially small, as a rule, one or two from the major European countries. As of July 5, there was the following representation. [17]

Table 3

Country / Periodical / Correspondent

Austria-Hungary “News Wiener Tagblatt” – Not listed

Great Britain “Daily News” – MacGahan

Prussia “Militär Wochenblatt” – Captain Danngauer

Prussia “Kölnische Zeitung” – Doctor Schneider

North American United States “New-York Herald” – MacGahan

France “Figaro” – de Westin

As a rule, as correspondents, foreign publications sent officers from the General Staffs, who at the same time appeared as unofficial military agents with the Russian troops. Official military agents were also attached as correspondents, such as, for example, the Prussian Major von Liegnitz. He sent his letters to the “North German Universal Gazette”.

Foreign correspondents entered the theater of hostilities on recommendations from Russian embassies and high-ranking officials. At the same time, the foreign newspapers urgently petitioned the diplomatic missions for the admission of their correspondents. [18] Not all those who wished were given access to the army. Thus, on April 28 M.A. Gasenkampf was forced to refuse two correspondents – German and English. The English lieutenant colonel Howard Vincent arrived, according to the testimony of M.A. Gasenkampf, with a mass of letters of recommendation. However, Prince V.A. Cherkassky, head of the Russian Civil Administration in Bulgaria, happened to be familiar with him and recommended him, sent him as a potential British spy. This was the reason why the Grand Duke recommended the Englishman to give up, which was done. [19]

After all, the representation of foreign correspondents, according to N.V. Maksimov, was the following. [20]

Table 4. English correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“Daily News” – A. Forbes; Mac Gahan (American)

“Times” – Grant Breckenbury (a colonel on active service in the English army who was on leave)

“Grafic” (illustrated magazine) – Villers (artist)

“Illustrated London News” (illustrated magazine) – Gale (artist)

“Standard” – F. Boyle

“The Skotsman” – D.L. Carrick (a doctor living in St. Petersburg); Rose

“Manchester Guardian” – Stanley (American)

“Freemens” (Irish magazine) – Stanley (American)

Mac Gahan also wrote for the Russian newspaper Golos, as did Stanley. Havelok also belonged to the corps of English journalists, but there is no information about which newspaper he worked for in any of the sources we processed.

Table 5. American correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“New-York Herald” – Dokankoz

“Boston Jornal” – King

The paper did not specify Jackson

V.V. Krestovsky, in his capacity as an American correspondent, also mentions Millet, without specifying which newspaper the latter belonged to. [21]

Table 6. Prussian correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“Militär Wochenblatt” – Danngauer

“Hambourger Nachrichten” – Danngauer

“National Zeitung” – Danngauer

“Ausburger Allgemeine Zeitung” – von Maree (or von Mare)

“Üeber Land und Meer” – I. Schoenberg (artist)

“Post” – von Brauchitsch

“Neue Militäriche Blatt” – von Brauchitsch

“Berliner Tagblatt” – Beta

Table 7. Austrian correspondents

Periodical Correspondent

“Neues Wiener Tagblatt” – Lukesch

“Politik” (Prague newspaper) – Reinstein (retired lieutenant); Lachman

“Presse” – Lichtenstadt

Table 8. French correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“XX Siècle” – Breban

“National” – Breban

“Jornal d’Odessa” – Breban

“Figaro” – I. de Westin

“Moniteur Universel” – D. de Lonlet (or Lonnet [22])

“Monde Illustré” – D. de Lonlay

“Estafette” – Bleach

“Indépendance Belge” – Con-Abrest

“Temps” – Lamont

“Republique Française” – Granet

“La France” – Farey

V.V. Krestovsky also mentions Pagnon among the French correspondents, but without specifying which newspaper he belonged to. [23]

Table 9. Swedish correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“Stockgolms Dagblad” – Berling (Lieutenant of the Swedish General Staff)

Table 10. Italian correspondents

Periodical / Correspondent

“Opinion” – M.-A. Canines

“Pungolo di Napoli” – M.-A. Canines

“Gazetta Piemontaise” – M.-A. Canines

“Courier du soir de Milan” – M.-A. Canines

“Fanfulla” – Marcotti

“Roma di Napoli” – Lazzaro (artist)

“Illustration Italiana di Milano” – Lazzaro

Romania was represented by the Prince’s personal artist Karl Satmari and the princely photographer Duchesne. [24]

The Spanish artist José Luis Pellicer from Madrid arrived in the Russian army from the Spanish illustrated magazine “La Ilustración Española y Americana”. [25]

Correspondents of the “Daily Telegraph” and the majority of Viennese newspapers were not admitted to the army, as they represented unfriendly publications. Due to this fact, they lived in Bucharest, used second-hand information, including from colleagues by profession, and sometimes “from their own conclusions”.

In addition, Poggenpohl was sent to the theater of war as a representative of the Agence Havas, Reiter, Wolf and Vienne telegraph agencies. [26]

War 1877-1878 became the date of birth of Russian military correspondence. Here the first steps were taken (and it should be noted – successful) in the work of the military with correspondents: bribery, dosing of information entrusted to correspondents. Although there was no direct censorship, in order to obtain information, one had to be directly at the front, since the headquarters was reluctant to share it with correspondents.

Russian correspondence arose spontaneously, and its emergence was associated with the need of Russian society to know about the course of hostilities, about the life of the army, about the life and life of the local Bulgarian population, etc. This need was explained by the great interest in Russian public circles in the fate of the Slavic peoples of the Balkan Peninsula. Unlike foreign correspondents, Russian correspondents did not have many privileges. Despite the fact that admission to the theater of operations was centralized and carried out by the Field Headquarters of the Army in the Field, the attitude towards correspondents and their position was different. If foreign correspondents were well prepared for their work, enjoyed the support not only of the newspapers that sent them, but also of their governments, then the Russian ones did not have one.

Although foreign correspondents arrived at the theater of war no less than Russian ones, most of them did not even appear on the battlefield. Russian correspondents, for the most part, directly participated in the battles, watched the life of the army.

Conventionally, the correspondents who covered the war in the Balkan theater can be divided into three groups: those who wrote from the rear, those who wrote while at the Field Headquarters, and those who wrote correspondence from their own experience. Correspondents of these groups were both among foreigners and among Russians. True, among the last representatives of the third group there were more. Of the foreign ones, one can distinguish in this respect the German correspondents who were discharged from the service of the military, and watched the war not only as correspondents, but also as military specialists.

In their letters, diaries, notes, Russian correspondents of the second group described all the “charms” of the war, without idealizing it, and without reducing it to a dry description of military operations and the life of royal people. Sometimes they are strict, overly critical in their conclusions, but what they saw made them so: deaths, injuries, stupidity of the highest command ranks, often senseless heroism of soldiers, etc.

Despite the difficulties, many Russian correspondents showed their best side, making a significant contribution to the development of Russian military journalism and truthful coverage of the war.

(to be continued)

Notes:

[14] Compiled on the basis of: Apushkin V., “War of 1877-78 in correspondences and novels”, Military Collection, No. 7 (1902), p. 202; Gasenkampf M., My Diary 1877-78, pp. 33-34; Krestovsky V., Twenty months in the active army…, item 1, pp. 170-172.

[15] Vinogradov V.I., Russo-Turkish War 1877-1878. and liberation of Bulgaria, (Moscow: Mysl, 1978), p. 187.

[16] Maksimov N.V., “About the Danube”, No. 5 (1878), pp. 176-177.

[17] Apushkin V., “War of 1877-78 in correspondence and novels”, Military Collection, No. 7 (1902), p. 201.

[18] Apushkin V., “War of 1877-78 in correspondences and novels”, Military Collection, No. 7 (1902), p. 196.

[19] Gasenkampf M., My Diary 1877-78, pp. 13-14.

[20] Maksimov N.V., “About the Danube”, No. 5 (1878), pp. 175-176.

[21] Krestovsky V.V., Two months in the active army…, item 2, p. 177.

[22] Ibid., p. 177.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Maksimov N.V., “About the Danube”, No. 5 (1878), p. 175.

[25] B.P., “With Shipki and Plevny”, International Life, No. 3 (2003), p. 128.

[26] Maksimov N.V., “About the Danube”, No. 5 (1878), p. 176.

With abbreviations from: Canadian American Slavic Studies. – 2007. – Vol. 41. – No. 2. – R. 127-186; portal “Russia in colors”: https://ricolor.org/about/avtori/gokov/

Source of the illustration: Vinogradov V.I. Russian-Turkish war 1877-1878 and the liberation of Bulgaria. – M.: Thought, 1978. – pp. 6-7 (in Russian).

Archaeologists have discovered a “female vampire” with a sickle around her neck and a padlock on her leg in Poland

By

Gaston de Persigny

-

6 September 2022

0

Archaeologists have discovered a grave of a “female vampire” from the 17th century in Poland. An iron sickle lay around the neck of the deceased, and a padlock was on the big toe of her left foot. According to the publication Arkeonews, it is possible that the appearance of the deceased was the reason for the unusual ceremony. In the practice of archaeologists, deviant burials are sometimes encountered. They are distinguished by the funeral ritual, which differs from that generally accepted in the respective culture. For example, the dead may be buried outside the cemetery or only some parts of the body. There can be many reasons for the appearance of deviant burials, related to both the belief system and the circumstances of the life and death of people buried in an unusual way. One of the categories of non-standard burials are the graves of so-called vampires.

Archaeologists believe that such burials contain the remains of people who were feared by others – they were afraid that the deceased would rise from his grave. To prevent this from happening, stones were placed in the mouths of the dead, they were mutilated and even nailed to the ground. In addition, placing sickles and hair on the neck or abdomen was practiced. Someone could be defined as a “vampire” because of unusual appearance, witchcraft, suicide, or being one of the first victims of epidemics. Similar rites were performed in many cultures, for example, in Italy a ten-year-old “vampire child” was found who died in the 5th century. And in the USA they even identified one of the “vampires” from the 19th century with the help of DNA analysis.

Professor Dariusz Poliński from Nicholas Copernicus University headed the archaeological dig that led to the discovery of the remains, which were found wearing a silk cap and with a protruding front tooth, the Daily Mail reported Friday. Polish archaeologists from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń under the leadership of Prof. Dariusz Polinski conducted excavations near the town of Bydgoszcz (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship), where in 2005 – 2009 an early medieval necropolis whose burials contained valuable inventory was investigated. This year, however, scientists focused on an adjacent burial complex from the 17th century, damaged as a result of agricultural work. In one of the burials, archaeologists discovered the remains of a “female vampire”. An iron sickle lay around her neck, and a padlock was placed on the big toe of her left foot. At the same time, the remains of a silk hat were preserved on the skull of this woman, which may indicate her rather high status, since it was a very expensive item in the 17th century. Perhaps the reason why the locals buried her in such an unusual way lies in the woman’s unusual appearance – her front tooth protruded forward. According to Polinsky, usually the rite of “disposal” of the deceased consists, for example, of cutting off the head or legs, or placing the deceased in the grave face down. Currently, the discovered remains have been transported to Toruń, where they will be subjected to a detailed examination.

Photo: Female ‘vampire’ with a sickle across her throat found in Pień, Poland. (Mirosław Blicharski)

The Large Hadron Collider is preparing to shut down if there is no power

By

Gaston de Persigny

-

6 September 2022

0

The European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) is developing plans to shut down particle accelerators during peak hours on the electricity grid. This means that the Large Hadron Collider could shut down if there was a power cut across Europe. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing the head of the CERN Energy Management Commission, Serge Claude. “We’re really concerned about the stability of the power grid because we’re doing everything we can to prevent blackouts in our region,” Claude said.

CERN is located in a vast complex on the border of France and Switzerland and is one of the largest consumers of electricity in France. During peak hours, it consumes around 200 megawatts of electricity: just three times less than the nearby city of Geneva. The center is trying to keep the collider running and avoid a sudden power outage that could knock out the $4.4 billion machine, Claude said. The Large Hadron Collider is one of the complex’s eight accelerators, and separately there are two particle moderators that allow scientists to study antimatter.

The center is negotiating with its electricity supplier, which is controlled by French energy giant EDF SA, to get advance warning when to use less electricity. In this way, CERN will prioritize the shutdown of other accelerators and reduce electricity consumption by as much as 25%.

On July 5, the Large Hadron Collider began round-the-clock operation after a three-year hiatus. He was expected to work for four years at

Photo: CERN

A society that has abandoned charity in the name of prosperity has been abandoned by God

By

News desk

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6 September 2022

0

We are publishing an article by the Russian priest Prot. Pavel Adelheim (1938-2013) from “Live Journal” from 2010. With great pain, the priest missionary and confessor, who paid with his life for his faithfulness to God, describes how imperceptibly the spirit of Christ is pushed out of church life in his Church. Compromises with God’s justice, made in the name of expediency or personal gain, naturally and invariably lead to falling away from God. In this sense, his words, spoken more than ten years ago, sound prophetic today.

What is happening to the Russian Orthodox Church cannot leave indifferent the clergy who have connected with it and have lived with it all their lives as a bride. When I was ordained, the Russian Church was completely different. Spiritual changes were slow. The old spiritual environment was preserved. The main mass of believers and clergy, even the bishops, were confessors, their spiritual children and admirers. Gradually this core, which guarded the fullness and purity of church ritual, the striving for spiritual life and the moral principles of the Gospel, went to God.

Over the years, this environment began to be blurred by the new people who came to the Church from the Soviet society and introduced a different hierarchy of values into parish life. Evangelical ethics became more and more blurred with new concepts about the meaning of church life. The environment has changed and become very different. We have reached a catastrophic destruction of evangelical ethics in the Church. Evangelical moral principles have been destroyed in the minds of bishops, clergy and laity. The reminder of ethics does not cause repentance, but irritation and a desire to destroy the speaker. Hierarchy demonstrates immoral behavior without narrowing down or justifying it. Those who have promised to be “a rule of faith and an example of meekness” silently do evil: deceit and violence, injustice and betrayal, rage and revenge. How then can we call for missionary work and catechesis? Where do we call people to come and what will they say in response?

Bishop Nikon, tainted by homosexuality and abuse, was barely expelled from Yekaterinburg a few years ago. Under the new bishop, the diocese refused to pay for the gold and precious stones taken on debt. She is being sued for millions of debts. The Latvian Metropolitan Alexander sells off church properties that he received by virtue of restitution. The facts were presented to the attention of the patriarch with documents and photographs. The result is the same: the cleric who reports the facts is defamed, discredited and excommunicated, in violation of all canonical regulations of the Universal Church. Archdeacon Kuraev published that an episcopal ordination costs one hundred thousand dollars. Simony deprives the one who was ordained and the one who ordained him. According to the new canons: there is no persecution for simony.

In the name of the Church, the houses and property of the poor are confiscated, and clergy and laity are persecuted without fault. Ecclesiastical courts gloss over bishops’ crimes and punish innocents by falsifying court decisions. Ecclesiastical judges and officials answer all questions in silence.

They can say that the facts are singular, but they cannot be called a general rule.

Unfortunately, they already can! Individual facts become public because others are carefully hushed up. They erupt in tongues of fire as from under the closed door of a burning furnace. The information space is cleared, censorship is introduced. From all dioceses, the groans of clergy tortured by the bishops are heard.

I was told a typical episode with Patriarch Kirill. In response to a request to intercede for a priest persecuted by a bishop, he says: “I need a bishop more than a priest.”

This was actually Pilate’s answer. Pilate formed his own opinion about Christ and expressed it to the bishops: “I find no fault in Him.” But the bishops threatened him: “If you let Him go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Anyone who pretends to be a king opposes Caesar.”

Pilate had no need to risk his office for a poor preacher. He refused, unwilling to defend justice against his own gain. He asked for judgment, washed his hands and said: “I am clean from the blood of this righteous man. Think of him.”

The crowd unanimously agreed to take all responsibility: “His blood be on us and on our children.”

The church hymn evaluates his act thus: “Pilate washed his hands, but defiled his heart.” This is an assessment of Pilate’s crime for all time. Pilate’s action can be understood, but it cannot be justified. Why spoil your relationship with a bishop you will still need? It is easier to renounce Quixotic justice, the spirit of Christ, and deliver the innocent to the bishop’s slaughter. Fewer problems. Justice? – emptiness!

This is how Pilate reasoned, but he was not the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. If Patriarch Cyril reasoned in the same way, he stood against Christ on the side of Pilate. Hypocrisy has become the norm of ethics. Abandoning justice in the name of efficiency robs everyone, including the patriarch, of their Christian dignity. The principle of expediency is enshrined in the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church.

If Patriarch Kirill is a politician and businessman, this is his business. If he does not respect evangelical ethics – this already affects God and us. I have nothing against politics as long as it is understood as applied ethics. But when politics rejects ethics, the jagged jaws of monsters open before us: Lenin, Stalin, Hitler… and now… Cyril.

A society that has abandoned justice and mercy in the name of prosperity has been abandoned by God. It becomes Sodom. If the ROC has given up its evangelical ethics, who needs it? It will be thrown away like saltless salt.

By announcing publicly that the patriarch and the metropolitan “faithfully transmit the word of Christ’s truth”, the cleric bears responsibility for the witness with his conscience. To respect them, we must see a pure and blameless life. The priest is engaged in missionary and catechizing activities. He calls, invites his spiritual children to the ROC and is responsible for their destiny. If he knowingly delivers them into the hands of shepherds who “come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves,” he becomes an accomplice in their wickedness (Matthew 7:15).

The Soviet power persecuted a Church worthy of respect and love.

Today, the Church has become an apparatus for violence and persecution. “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:16). The persecuted in the Church is still Christ, who suffers for His younger brothers.

Illustration: Orthodox icon of Adam and Eve, 19th century, Bulgaria.

Orthodox prayer has nothing in common with the Muslim prayer except for …

By

Charlie W. Grease

-

6 September 2022

0

Coming to the topic of Muslim prayer, an Orthodox person enters an area, many components of which will lead him into serious bewilderment. Despite the common name of this aspect of religious prescriptions, the Orthodox prayer has almost nothing in common with the Muslim prayer, except perhaps the common terminology (God, repentance, meekness, humility, etc.), as well as the fact that, like the Orthodox, Muslims consider its fulfillment necessary and classify it as obligatory (fard) deeds.

Prayer (salat) in Islam is one of the five most important duties for Muslims. The Qur’an even calls it “the basis of Islamic rites” (K.2:153). Moreover, according to the Qur’an, the cleansing of a person’s heart depends on the correct performance of the external side of the prayer: “Worship your Lord with certain actions and rituals. And you will have pure hearts full of reverence” (K. 2:21). Sharia zealously monitors the exact performance of the prayer ritual by believers. (From the following it will become clear that it is not even zealous according to reason). No obstacles: natural-climatic, family, industrial – can distract the “orthodox” from the fulfillment of this great duty. It is interesting to note right away that Muslims perceive a prayer obligation precisely as a duty, as an order from above, which is not subject to appeal. As it will be seen now, a Muslim during prayer thinks about something completely different – how not to doubt, or not to violate any of the actions and positions of the body, as a result of which his prayer will be considered invalid, and his duty unfulfilled.

As mentioned above, only after a properly performed ablution can a person begin to pray, otherwise his prayer will be annulled. “It is narrated from the words of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said: “Prayer from the defiled will not be accepted until he performs ablution” (Al Bukhari)” [1]. When starting to pray, a Muslim must refrain from forbidden food and drink, sinful deeds, must be aware of himself standing before God and feel himself a humble and humble slave before Him. It is necessary to completely disconnect from everything that can distract a person from prayer and make it invalid. Tradition tells how one day, while Muhammad was praying, a splinter was pulled out of his leg, to which he did not pay any attention and continued to pray.

In Islam, there are six types of obligatory prayers, as well as additional or optional ones. The obligatory ones include: daily five-fold prayer (morning, noon, afternoon, evening, afternoon or night (K.17:78); prayer over the deceased; prayer when going around (tavvafa) around the kaaba during the great and small hajj; prayer ayat; prayer which the eldest son must perform for his parents; prayer for hire, oath and vow. Recommended (sunnah) or desirable prayers include additional ones: holiday, funeral, prayers for natural disasters, prayers for sending down rain.

Islamic scholars have different opinions regarding the fivefold prayer. Some of them suggest that at first the prayer was three times. However, Muslims consider this statement unfounded and recognize as a mandatory daily prayer only five times. There is a hadith about the so-called night ascension (miraj) of Muhammad to heaven. That night, Muhammad, on a certain demonic creature (burak), was, as it seemed to him, ascended to the highest heaven (eighth), where even Jabriel could not enter, and was honored with a conversation with Allah. During this conversation, he received a command from Allah to pray 50 times a day. However, on the advice of Moses, Muhammad for some time bargained with Allah to reduce the number of prayers. In the end, the bargaining settled on five times a prayer, but with the condition that each of them was worth ten, after which Muhammad no longer dared to ask for a greater reduction. In memory of this event, the 17th sura received the name – “al-isra” – “night transfer”. There is another hadith that offers a different version of the origin of the fivefold prayer. According to it, the angel Jabriel (Gabriel) descended to earth five times in one day and performed Muslim prayer in the presence of Muhammad, who, having adopted this practice, taught it to his adherents.

The Qur’an says: “Indeed, prayer for the believers is a commandment at a certain time” (K.–4:103). Each of the five obligatory daily prayers is read strictly at a certain time of the day and consists of a certain number of rak’ahs (rak’ah is one complete prayer cycle that includes bows, glorifying phrases addressed to Allah and reading the suras of the Koran). “Perform the rite of prayer from the moment when the sun begins to decline from the middle of the sky towards the west, and continue until dark. These are prayers: az – Zuhr (Midday prayer), al – Asr (Afternoon prayer), al – Maghrib (Prayer at sunset) and al – Ishaa (Evening prayer). Pray al-Fajr (Prayer at dawn). For the angels are the witnesses of this prayer” (K. 17:78). The Muslim daily prayer rule includes:

Morning prayer (salat as – subh), which includes two rak’ahs.

Midday prayer (salat az – zuhr) – four rak’ahs.

Afternoon prayer (salat al-asr) – four rak’ahs.

Evening prayer (salat al – maghrib) – three rak’ahs.

After-evening prayer (salat al-isha) – four rak’ahs.

1) Prayer times

The morning prayer time begins with the call to prayer (azan) and ends with sunrise. During this time period, it is necessary to perform salat as – subh. It is better to do this immediately after the adhan or as close to it as possible. There are such words in the Qur’an: “… until the white thread begins to differ from the black one in front of you at dawn” (K.2:187). Muslims refer to these words as the morning sunrise. After the so-called “false dawn” – a vertical strip of light, which with its narrow end rests on the horizon, a completely distinguishable horizontal strip of light appears in the sky, similar to a light thread bordering on a dark strip of night. After it, gradually expanding, floods the sky with light, it is believed that the “true dawn” has come and you can perform morning prayer.

The time for midday and afternoon prayers begins at noon and ends at sunset. For civilized Muslims, the definition of half a day is not difficult, but for those who are currently deprived of the benefits of civilization, Sharia has developed a method for determining half a day. “According to Sharia, noon can be determined if a stick or the like is stuck vertically in a flat place, then at sunrise its shadow will fall in the direction of sunset. As the sun rises, its shadow decreases. After noon, the shadow of the stick moves towards the sunrise. As the sun approaches sunset (in the direction of its sunrise), the shadow of the stick increases. Therefore, it becomes clear that the time when the shadow of the stick, decreasing, reaches its minimum point and begins to increase, is noon according to Sharia.

The midday prayer, which is also called the “middle prayer” (salat al-wusta), stands out from other daily prayers and is considered a priority: “Be attentive to prayers and especially to the middle prayer” (K.2:238).

Immediately after noon, the length of time for which four rak’ahs can be performed (for example, 30 minutes in the afternoon) applies only to the midday prayer. This means that in this period of time it is impossible to fit both the noon and post-noon prayers, but one noon. And that time before sunset, which is enough to perform a four-raked prayer, refers only to the afternoon.

The time for evening and afternoon prayers begins immediately after sunset (as soon as the redness in the sky disappears) and ends at midnight. For those who do not have access to civilized methods of determining midnight, Sharia suggests dividing the time between sunset (evening azan) and dawn (morning azan) in half. The middle of this period of time is considered midnight. In the same way as with midday prayers, the time after sunset, which is enough for the performance of three rak’ahs (for example, 20 – 25 minutes), refers only to the evening prayer, and the time before midnight, necessary for the performance of four rak’ahs, is considered exclusively during the afternoon prayer.

Source: Chapter 8. Rites in Islam – Unexpected Sharia [Text] / Mikhail Rozhdestvensky. – [Moscow: b. i.], 2011. – 494, [2] p.

Notes:

1. Partial ablution (wudu). https://www.islamnn.ru/

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