A Russian opera director who found himself mired in legal controversy after he provoked the ire of a local church leader was cleared of a charge of offending the sentiments of religious believers, the theater announced Tuesday via Twitter.
Director Timofei Kulyabin had faced administrative charges for offending religious believers with his rendition of Richard Wagner's opera "Tannhauser," which has been performed at the Novosibirsk State Theater of Opera and Ballet since December.
The presiding judge found Tuesday that it had not been proven that Kulyabin violated the law.
Prior to the acquittal, the judge considered the opinion of a panel of experts who concluded that the opera had not desecrated religious sentiments, state news agency TASS reported Tuesday.
"The production contains emblems and symbols that represent religious beliefs, but they were not degraded or destroyed," Vladimir Vinokurov, an expert from Moscow State University, wrote in the statement, which was read out before the court.
Kulyabin "did not want to offend anyone in any way. Quite the opposite, he is extending his hand to the Orthodox Church, and in response he has received insults," Boris Falikov of the Russian State University for the Humanities said in the statement.
Kulyabin's rendition of the opera features a scene where the Roman goddess Venus promises eternal love to Jesus Christ, so long as he agrees to stay with her in a grotto. But he rejects the offer and destroys the grotto with the help of the Virgin Mary, according to a summary on the theater's website.
The investigation was launched because of a complaint by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in the region, Metropolitan Tikhon.
He referred to the opera as "an affront to the feelings of religious believers, an offense to the Orthodox Church and an incitement to religious hatred," culture news site Colta.ru reported.
Russia criminalized insulting the sentiments of religious believers in 2013 after protest group Pussy Riot sang a "punk prayer" in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral calling on the Virgin Mary to banish President Vladimir Putin.
Contact the author at p.spinella@imedia.ru
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.