Zealous Ural Prosecutors Saves City from Shiva Cult

One element in Kremlin disinformation is the attempt to depict Russia as a bulwark of “traditional values”. The EUvsDisinfo database on disinformation contains a hundreds of cases, forwarding such a claim: “Only Russian Civilisation Can Save the World from Collapse” warns state-owned Sputnik. Likewise state-owned RT shares a prophesy on Biden, launching a “Crusade against Traditional Values”.

The Cult of Shiva

The district attorney of the Ural city of Izhevsk – known internationally as the birthplace of the AK-47 rifle – is taking part in the Kremlin’s defence of Tradition and Decency and attacks a manifestation of a foreign religious movement attempting to lure Christians astray: the Cult of Shiva. The prosecutor’s office has identified a case of illegal missionizing in the city (names anonymised by EUvsDisinfo):

It has been established that the vk.com user Ekaterina K. has published in the group XX information on “The Great Night of Shiva – Mahashivaratri” and “Navaratri Puja – Veneration of the Nine forms of Durga” and on her personal account information on the religious celebrations connected to the Hindu deity of Shiva and the goddess Durga with details on time, venue and contact data, all made public to all users of the global network Internet.

The suspect Ekaterina K. is a yoga instructor, attempting to attract customers to her yoga studio.

Yoga has its roots in Hindu practices for mediation and contemplation and Shiva is, according to the legend, the creator of yoga. Yoga was his gift to his spouse, Parvati, also known as Durga. Modern yoga has usually no connection to any religious aspects, but many instructors and studios maintain a certain esoteric flare.

Impeding Missionizing

Russian officials have attacked yoga instructors before. In October 2016, a yoga instructor from St. Petersburg was charged under the same pretext as Ekaterina K. in Izhevsk – illegal missionizing. In that case, the instructor was acquitted. Both cases are connected to legislation, introduced in 2016, usually called “The Yarovaya Laws” – a set of laws to enhance the battle against terrorism. The law includes limitations on missionizing. Missionaries represent, in the Russian security concept, foreign aggression.

In January 2000, Acting President Putin, ten days earlier assuming the position of Russia’s head of state as the incumbent President Yeltsin resigned, signed a decree on a concept of national security of Russia. Already here, the Kremlin views foreign religions as a security threat:

….the negative influence of foreign religious organizations and missionaries.

Several religious organisations, for instance Jehova’s Witnesses are under attack from Russian authorities. The Salvation Army successfully protested in the European Court of Human Rights a Russian court decision in 2006, declaring the congregation “a foreign, militarised organisation”.

In this context, yoga falls into the category of foreign religious organisations with negative influence. The powerful Church of Russia has openly declared yoga incompatible with Christian believes. The Metropolitan Hilarion, the head of the Church of Russia’s section for international relations and one of the leading theologians of the Moscow Patriarchy declares:

For an Orthodox Christian, yoga, as a complex of physical, spiritual and psychological exercises, is against advice.

Ekaterina K. expects a fine of 5,000 roubles (55 EUR as per early May) as a first offender. She writes on her vk.com account that she generally has three options: keep paying the fines, emigrate, or register a religious congregation, formally taking up the competition with the Moscow Patriarchy.