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Holder "Forbidden Art" wrote a letter to Patriarch Cyril

Art critic Andrei Erofeev, accused of inciting religious hatred in connection with the exhibition "Forbidden Art - 2006", wrote a letter to the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church of Cyril. In his LiveJournal letter published on June 8 artist Dmitry Vrubel.

Erofeev denied accusations that the show he was "deliberately trying to humiliate and insult the Christian believers of their religious feelings," and asked for forgiveness from those Orthodox who show offended. He noted that "the use of religious images are not for its intended purpose, but as elements of a secular language for expressing criticism of Soviet ideology, deification of leaders or consumer cults present society" inherits much of an artistic tradition, to break that believers can not.

In addition, according to Erofeev, presented at the "Forbidden Art" artists "have always championed Christian values, although in small comprehensible to a wide audience aesthetics of modern art."

According Erofeev, ultra-conservative organizations, such as the "People's Cathedral", "National defense", "Union of Orthodox Youth", "Union horugvenostsev", accusing him of blasphemy, launched a campaign of slander artists and curators. They are obviously in good faith interpret works of art, trying to "drive out the culture of the public space of Russian life as an evil mirror of social diseases and personal spiritual and emotional trauma," says curator.

The reason for the letter Erofeev called that on June 2 the process was made by monk Sretensky Monastery Nicodemus, repeated the statement "ultra-right reactionaries." Nicodemus explained that advocates on behalf of the ROC, as received by the blessing of the Moscow Patriarchate. In this earlier Russian Orthodox Church has remained "above the fray" and its position on the criminal process is not stated.

"If this is true, then the rush, some words of his father and categorical Nicodemus cause me so much annoyance and anxiety ... This approach, if it prevails in the circles of the Orthodox clergy, deforms, and then completely negate your sensible and balanced policy sphere of culture. I will be very glad if you, Your Holiness, would dispel these fears, "- wrote Erofeev.

The exhibition, held at the Sakharov Center in 2007, were submitted works are not allowed to display art or of the Director of the Moscow museums and galleries. In June of that year Taganskaja Public Prosecutor instituted proceedings under article 282 of the Criminal Code. However, Yerofeyev accused was director of the Sakharov Yuri Samodurov (he later resigned).

June 8, 2010 Moskovsky Komsomolets wrote that the defendants had no hope for acquittal. Attorney Dmitry Kurepin said that "reports of interrogation of witnesses, made a blueprint," "themselves witnesses at the trial only on paper, and read, but evidence of the immorality of the exhibition made by the experts," which itself has admitted that for 20 years did not attend the exhibitions of contemporary art " . The penultimate meeting is scheduled for June 21 /lenta.ru