Illustration: OVD-Info / Photo: Maria Terekhova, Igor Orlovsky’s family archive
08.11.2023, 02:27 Articles
AChristian, publicist and caver— these words describe Krasnoyarsk resident Igor Orlovsky. Two more have recently been added. The Kremlin’s authorities accused him ofinciting terrorism and extremism, spreading «fakes» about the Russian army and «rehabilitating Nazism». The Nobel-winning Memorial Centre has recognized him asapolitical prisoner. Read more about the deeply religious man who received athree-year prison sentence and faces the prospect ofanew term.
Igor Orlovsky isacreativeman. More than 150,000 people have read hundreds ofhis articles, stories and drafts published onhis page onProza.ru— apopular Russian platform for publishing independent prose. Literary works, recipes and articles about caving, ahobby that Orlovsky has long been dedicated to, make uponly asmall part ofhis bibliography. The main focus inIgor’s life and creative pursuits isfaith.
Inhis youth, his interests included occultism, East Asian philosophy and shamanic practices. Inthe process ofsearching for the meaning oflife, Orlovsky found his way toChristianity. Helived like amonk—in seclusion, fasting and prayer. Still inhis youth, inthe company ofseveral like-minded individuals, hefounded anOrthodox monastic community, where friends lived according tothe rules ofmonastic life.
Having decided todeepen his knowledge oftheology, Orlovsky left Krasnoyarsk and enrolled atthe Moscow Theological Seminary, where 30applicants competed for each spot. However, after studying there for three semesters, Igor became disillusioned with the rigid teaching methods that left noroom for profound theological exploration orthoughtful theological discussions. Heleft the seminary «following aparticular incident» heprefers not todiscuss indetail. Orlovsky then returned tohis hometown.
«Ididn’t intend topursue a[priestly] career. Ienrolled inthe seminary tobecome aChristian; not just tobear the title ofaChristian, but totruly beone— tolive according tothe Gospel, tofollow Jesus Christ. That’s what Sergianism isall about— ordination only with the approval ofthe „authorities“, and moving from one place toanother also only with the consent ofthe „authorities“, » Igor explains.
Inhis secular life, hecontinued tolive asbefore, inprayerful vigil and seclusion. Heallowed his sister, whose divorce had left her onthe streets, tolive inhis apartment with her child. Igor, onthe other hand, settled inarented apartment and simultaneously, completely alone, built ahermit cabin 30kilometres from the city, not far from acave heloved toexplore either alone oraspart ofcaving groups— the «cave people», asthey referred tothemselves. Heearned aliving byworking onthe furnishing ofresidential spaces, specialising intiles, mosaics, natural stone and drywall construction.
Igor Orlovsky during caving / Photo from the family archive
«Just recently, when Igor was still afree man, hedecided toventure into alarger project, » his sister Elena Orlovskaya recounts. «Together with another person hehad barely known, they took onacontract towork onthe interior finishing ofseveral townhouses atonce. However, this acquaintance turned out tobeafraudster who pocketed the money provided bythe client. Asaresult, there was nothing left topay the workers. And Igor, for whom honesty was ofutmost importance, pledged his apartment ascollateral for the debt.»
«That’s already adifferent story»
The full-scale invasion ofUkraine was, inOrlovsky’s own words, agenuine shock. Inthe initial days, hecouldn’t tear himself away from the news feed, continuously scrolling through videos ofChristian elders who unanimously referred toRussia asanaggressor and social media profiles ofUkrainians caught inthe midst ofwar.
«Myanti-war views formed inearly childhood. Starting from the first grade, wewould makes posters like „Peace for the world!“ and „Nowar!“. Our teachers explained tousthe terrible evil that war represents, » recalls Orlovsky. «That’s why it’s unacceptable for people tostart fighting again.»
Unable tostay silent, heexpressed his feelings about the situation insocial media comments. Asstated bythe prosecution inthe criminal case, one ofhis comments contained «acall for the destruction ofRussian military personnel taking part inthe special military operation inthe territory ofUkraine, » and the other contained «acall for the physical liquidation ofthe acting president inorder tostop his political activities.»
Within afew weeks, Igor received anotification about two administrative cases filed against him under Article 20.3.3 ofthe Code ofAdministrative Offences (discrediting the Armed Forces ofthe Russian Federation) for these comments. Acouple ofmonths later, inthe summer of2022, courts fined him 30thousand rubles (US$ 320) for each statement.
Early morning ofJanuary 10, 2023, the apartment where Orlovsky lived was raided byatask force: police and FSB officers, accompanied byaninvestigator from the second department for investigating especially important cases ofthe Main Investigative Directorate ofthe Investigative Committee and five maskedmen. After conducting asearch, during which the visitors did not seize anything except acopy ofthe Constitution, the latest issue of«Rossiyskaya Gazeta» newspaper and anote with aprayer for Ukraine and Russia, Igor was charged with public calls for extremism and terrorism (Part 2ofArticle 205.2 and Part 2ofArticle 280ofthe Criminal Code ofthe Russian Federation). The grounds for that were the same two comments onsocial media.
The case against Orlovsky was largely based onthe linguistic examinations carried out bySiberian Federal University teachers Natalia Zhbankova and Olga Felde, aswell asthe testimony ofpeople who acted aswitnesses inmany similar cases. While reviewing the materials, Orlovsky and his lawyers found out that his posts onsocial media were used asthe basis for yet another criminal proceeding— «rehabilitation ofNazism» (Part 2ofArticle 354.1 ofthe Criminal Code). The reason for initiating this case was Orlovsky’s comment onRussian VKontakte social media platform, where, comparing the policies ofHitler and Stalin before the start ofWorld War IIand relying onthe works ofvarious historical publicists Dmitry named both authoritarians asaggressors.
These charges were based onanexamination compiled bythree «specialists»: Alla Kipchatova, Anna Tolmacheva and Mikhail Shibaev. Anna Tolmacheva, ateacher atKrasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University, who subsequently spoke atthe trial asanexpert, relied inher conclusion onthe verdict ofthe Nuremberg Tribunal, which accused the leadership ofNazi Germany ofunleashing World WarII. Itrelied aswell onthe «official position ofthe Russian Federation» expressed indocuments ofthe Military University ofthe Ministry ofDefense.
University professors whose expertise formed the basis ofthe case and the indictment: 1— Natalia Zhbankova (Siberian Federal University), 2— Olga Felde (SFU), 3— Alla Kipchatova (Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University), 4— Anna Tolmacheva (KSPU), 5— Mikhail Shibaev (KSPU) / Photos: Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University
Tolmacheva insisted that Stalin could not becalled anaggressor, since all Soviet interventions inneighbouring countries were legal and regulated byrelevant international treaties. The expert admitted that half ofPoland and some Baltic countries were defined asthe sphere ofinfluence ofthe Soviet Union inthe secret protocols tothe Non-Aggression Pact concluded between the USSR and Nazi Germany, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. However, she flatly refused toconsider this asthe USSR’s aggression against its neighbours.
«OnSeptember 15 [1939], the Polish government left the country and after that its statehood ceased toexist. OnSeptember 17, Red Army troops crossed the border ofanolonger existing state inorder tooccupy those territories that were falling into the zone ofinterests [of the USSR], » Tolmacheva said during court interrogation, responding toaquestion from Orlovsky’s defence attorney, Dmitry Levichev.
According tothe expert, the invasion ofSoviet troops into Latvia and Estonia in1940cannot becalled anoccupation either, since the Red Army did not cross the borders ofindependent states, but only occupied the territory ofthe Soviet socialist republics, which had just been proclaimed assuch bylocal political forces.
Asfor Finland, according toTolmacheva, «the fact that Soviet troops crossed the border with Finland isnot recognized inscientific literature, » whereas the Soviet-Finnish war of1939–1940 together with the occupation ofthe Karelian Isthmus bythe Red Army was anatural result ofthe socalled Mainila incident, when ashooting started atthe border bypersons who still remain unknown.
The question ofattorney Levichev onwhether itwas true that Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have been inone way oranother occupied bySoviet troops right after the conclusion ofthe Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact greatly outraged Tolmacheva. She stated that Levichev «mixes apples with oranges, » since «that’s another story, » and all these territories were incorporated not asaresult ofanagreement with Germany, but asaresult ofother international treaties.
The charges against Orlovsky were soon supplemented byanarticle on«fakes» about the Russian army (Part 2ofArticle 207.3 ofthe Criminal Code). This time, law enforcement officers did not like the comments inwhich Orlovsky spoke critically about missile attacks onMariupol: «Why did the Russian occupiers attack Ukraine? Why did they wipe Mariupol off the face ofthe earth? Why are the troops killing civilians? Why are they humiliating civilians?» Moreover, hequoted the official statement ofthe then Ukrainian Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova about the rape ofwomen and minors inBucha (these statements were later disavowed and Denisova herself was fired from her position— OVD-Info).
Igor during the trial inMarch 2023 / Photo: Maria Terekhova
«There were nocomplaints from users, nodenunciations, nothing like that. But the case officer who discovered a„gold mine“ inthe form ofMrOrlovsky’s social media page with enough comments tobring asmany asfour criminal charges, that is, two cases for each ofthe two agencies— the FSB and the Investigative Committee— expressly told usatthe court’s cross examination that hehad discovered them „during the monitoring ofthe VKontakte social network.“ Atthis point, incase someone has not yet understood, Irecommend not topost orcomment onanything atall onthat site, » advises attorney Maria Terekhova, who collaborates with the OVD-Info project.
«Myplace isamong the suffering»
Orlovsky honestly admitted writing the comments. However, headamantly refused toplead guilty and insisted that his moral imperatives did not allow him toincriminate himself orrenounce his political position, which was completely inline with his ethical stance.
Igor stayed inhis rented apartment and remained under recognizance not toleave until March 2023, when, after five court hearings that took place within one week, the 1st District Military Court began topass asentence. The state prosecution demanded that Orlovsky beimprisoned for 6.5 years, citing the social danger ofthe «criminal acts» hecommitted.
The attorneys strongly advised Igor topack abag with clothes, medicines and food for the initial period ofpossible detention and take ittothe last court hearing. However, Dmitry refused, trusting inGod and common sense.
«Actually when welearned that the case ofinciting extremism and terrorism was investigated bythe Federal Security Service, wewere quite surprised and horrified. Moreover, itfell under the jurisdiction of(surprise-surprise) amilitary court and even apanel ofthree judges. The said incitement was discovered incomments ofour harmless and self-immersed confidante onthe Russian social network VKontakte, » admits Maria Terekhova. «The thing isthat the District Military Court considers cases inseveral Russian constituencies, travelling between them for short periods oftime. They gostraight from the plane tothe court session with their bags, then from the court session straight toatemporary accommodation centre. This directly affects the quality oftheir work: ifthey want tosleep and leave earlier, they will deny the petition; ifthey are obliged bylaw togive time toprepare the petition, they will give 15minutes; ifitisnecessary topass averdict inthe days allocated for the business trip, they will passit. Everything isclear ifyou forget that human freedom isatstake.»
The judges sentenced Igor tothree years’ imprisonment inageneral regime penal colony with arestriction onInternet publications for two years after his release. Then the guards demanded Orlovsky totake everything out ofhis pockets, handcuffed him and took him topre-trial detention centre No. 1inKrasnoyarsk Kraj, amajor constituency inSiberia. The only two items found inhis pockets were aBible and anOrthodox prayer book.
Igor’s detention came asashock toeveryone: tohimself, tohis relatives and even tohis lawyers, who had witnessed alot inRussian courts. Asconvicted, Orlovsky lost the ability towork and make his loan payments, his apartment was foreclosed bythe bank and Orlovsky’s sister together with her child lost their home again.
InMay 2023, the «Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial» human rights project recognised Orlovsky asapolitical prisoner and his prosecution for anti-war comments aspolitically motivated and illegal. The state, through the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, has placed Igor onthe list ofterrorists and extremists.
Igor Orlovsky onahike / Photo from the family archive
Orlovsky isstill inthe pre-trial detention centre waiting for the end ofthe new trial onthe cases for «rehabilitation ofNazism» and «fakes» about the Russian army. They are being considered inthe Krasnoyarsk Regional Court and are atthe stage ofpresentation ofdefence evidence. The maximum sentence for the first offence isten years and for the second one— five years.
Igor, who his friends and family describe as«humble», accepts his misfortunes with Christian stoicism. According tohis lawyers, hehas maintained apositive attitude since the first days ofhis detention, finding support inreligion. Hekeeps away from despondency, which inthe Orthodox tradition isconsidered among the gravest ofsins, prays toGod for peace and preaches Salvation tohis fellow inmates. Healso tells them about the benefits ofthe Vadim Zeland system ofnutrition. Igor, along-time practitioner ofraw food diet, isnow forced toeat «meagre» food inaccordance with the dietary regime established inthe Russian penitentiary system.
Healso thinks about his ancestors. His great-grandfather, apriest, was exiled toaspecial settlement bythe Bolsheviks in1921, ruined his health there and died onthe way home after his release. Another great-grandfather ofhis, adoctor, was repressed in1938and never returned from the camps alive. His maternal great-grandfathers were kulaks dispossessed inthe early 1930s.
«Iconsider myself, firstly, acitizen ofthe Kingdom ofHeaven and only then acitizen ofthe Russian Federation. The question iswhat side Jesus Christ would beonduring thiswar? Hewould beonthe side ofthose suffering onboth sides ofthe front. So, myplace isamong the suffering. Christianity and war are incompatible. God-Man Jesus Christ would never take upasword and kill anyone, » summarises Igor Orlovsky.
The political prisoner states that, inretrospect, the path ofmaking angry comments that hechose was wrong because itisalien tothe Christian soul. Orlovsky believes that heshould have concentrated onprayers and asked God for Vladimir Putin’s sobering judgement and aquick end tothe fratricidal massacre. After all, this iswhat the Saviour demands ofpeople with the commandment «Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall becalled the children ofGod» (this quote from the Sermon onthe Mount isstill posted asIgor’s status onhis VKontakte page— OVD-Info).
The persecution ofpeacemakers bystate power, according toOrlovsky, isthe epitome ofthe eternal plot ofthe Sacred History: the slaughter ofthe infants inthe vicinity ofBethlehem bythe order ofHerod the Great, king ofJudea.
Fidel Agumava
