ロシア最高峰の聖像画、正教会で公開　総主教はプーチン氏を称賛

【モスクワＡＦＰ＝時事】ロシアのウラジーミル・プーチン大統領が正教会に引き渡すことを決めた、同国史上最高峰とされる中世のイコン（聖像画）が４日、救世主ハリストス大聖堂で一般公開された。正教会の最高指導者キリル総主教は、プーチン氏の決定を称賛した。（写真はロシア・モスクワの救世主ハリストス大聖堂に展示された聖像画〈イコン〉「至聖三者」の前に立つロシア正教会の最高指導者、キリル総主教）
　正教会に引き渡されたのは、ロシアの画家アンドレイ・ルブリョフが６００年近く前に描いた「至聖三者」。１９２９年から国立トレチャコフ美術館に保管されていた。文化財の専門家は、適切な管理が可能な美術館にとどめるべきだと反発していた。しかし、イコンは３日夜、大聖堂に移送された。
　プーチン政権は、ウクライナ侵攻への支持を集めるため、正教会とのつながりを利用してきた。
　キリル総主教はミサで、「私の要請に応じてプーチン氏が歴史的な決断」を下し、「祖国が非常に大きな敵と対峙（たいじ）している」象徴的な時期に引き渡しが実現したと語った。
　さらに、正教会として「祖国」と「正教会の大統領、ウラジミール・プーチン氏に祈りをささげた」とし、自身は「１年以上ウクライナで戦っているロシア兵のためにも祈っている」と述べた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/06/05-16:27）

Moscow's spiritual leader Patriarch Kirill praised President Vladimir Putin on Sunday for handing Russia's most famous icon from a museum to the Orthodox Church as the country faces huge enemy forces.
The almost 600-year-old Trinity artwork, painted in the Middle Ages by legendary Andrei Rublev, was placed in Moscow's main Christ the Saviour cathedral this weekend, despite protests from art conservationists.
It had been kept in Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery for almost a century and experts warned the extremely fragile icon would not be properly protected in the hands of the Church.
The Kremlin has counted on the Church to gather support for its seismic Ukraine offensive.
As the icon was put on show at the huge cathedral in central Moscow, Patriarch Kirill said Putin had made a historic decision at a critical time.
Such events do not happen without direct divine intervention, said the 76-year-old religious leader, who is under UK and Canadian sanctions over his support for the Ukraine offensive.
Putin had signed a decree gifting the icon to the Church from the museum last month.
On my request, he made a historic decision, said Patriarch Kirill during a mass as the icon was brought to the cathedral.
He said it came at a symbolic moment when our fatherland faces, as you know, huge enemy forces.
Patriarch Kirill said the Church leadership had prayed to God to help our fatherland and we also prayed for our Orthodox president, Vladimir Putin.
He said he prays for Russia's armed forces, which have been fighting in Ukraine for more than a year.
The icon was brought to the cathedral late on Saturday, with several men wearing white gloves carrying it out of a truck.
It was placed behind a glass box in the cathedral and Russian media reported thousands of believers had come to see it on Sunday.