Orthodox activist leader imprisoned for exhibition attack

A Moscow court has sentenced the leader of ultra-conservative Orthodox group God’s Will to ten days in prison for vandalising an art exhibition at the Moscow Manege.

On 14 August, self-proclaimed “missionary” Dmitry “Enteo” Tsorionov led members of God’s Will in vandalising sculptures at the Manege exhibition space, damaging several pieces in the Sculptures We Do Not See exhibition. Mr Tsorionov accuses the exhibition organisers of violating the Russian law that protects the feelings of religious believers and describes the work as “blasphemous”.

Mr Tsorionov’s supporters attempted to disrupt the hearing by holding a prayer service in the court, but desisted after being reprimanded by a bailiff, according to a report by RIA Novosti.

Earlier this month, two participants in the attack at the exhibition space on 14 August, named as Pavel Timonin and Lyudmila Yesipenko, were found guilty of “petty hooliganism” and fined 1,000 rubles (US$14), despite art restoration experts estimating that the cost of restoration to the damaged art will exceed one million rubles.

Source: The Moscow Times