Verdict Andrei Erofeev and Yuri Samodurov for organizing the exhibition "Forbidden Art 2006" caused a new wave of discussion in the foreign press about the role of the church in Russian society and the principles of the courts in modern Russia. "Artchronika" offers the most interesting comments.
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The Economist, London, UK
New dissidents
"Could be worse. Two years after the trial began, the organizers of the exhibition "Forbidden Art", which so outraged the ROC could be in prison if prosecutors succeeded. Instead, Andrei Erofeev, art critic and curator, and Yuri Samodurov, director (now former - Artchronika) Sakharov Museum, where an exhibition, was sentenced to fines of $ 150 thousand and 200 thousand, respectively, for inciting sectarian strife. It must be said that the exhibition not only insulted the feelings of believers who refused to watch it, how many outraged group of militant religious radicals, who have done everything to look insulted.
Perhaps the church and the state decided that the arrest Samodurov and Erofeev will have far-reaching consequences and cause more damage than the exhibition itself. However, the verdict brought a sense of relief rather than satisfaction. Relief - because both participants, have committed no crime will not go to jail. Nevertheless, the court found them guilty. "
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Louvre pour tous, Paris, France
Russia: Germans defeated the contemporary art
"Russian justice, condemning the organizers of the exhibition" Forbidden Art ", has recognized the rightness of the fascist organizations that filed suit. Of course, the two parties to this case were lucky in the fact that the international community stood on their side. Particularly active in protecting them were the Anglo-Saxon State. In addition, they supported the organization for the protection of human rights, for example, Amnesty International. It is possible that the state also exerted pressure on the process - this is a common practice in the Russian justice, especially in cases where there is risk of damage the country's image abroad. Finally, it must be noted that the victims of the prosecution were the organizers of the exhibition, and not the artists whose works have provoked such heated debate. It is much more subtle forms of censorship, and its existence can not but cause concern about the future of Russian art. And we still remains to be seen as united as followers of Hitler and fascism is rampant in Russia.
Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Zurich, Switzerland
In Russia won censorship
"For all of the accused may end up worse, but for the freedom of art in Russia, this sentence was simply crushing. On Monday, organizers of the exhibition ("Forbidden Art" - "Artchronika) Andrei Erofeev and Yuri Samodurov were found guilty of inciting religious hatred. The process was very tense because of the members of the ultra-Orthodox organization "People's Cathedral", which consider themselves the guardians of the Slavic-Orthodox values in Russia. During the two-year trial testimony of more than 80 witnesses. From the plaintiffs were mostly elderly faithful Christians who have not been on this show ...
After completion of the nationalists complained that the verdict was, in their opinion, too soft. They demanded for the defendants that not all seem to capital punishment: deportation to Europe ".
http://www.artchronika.ru/news.asp?idnews=456