Two Russian women are facing criminal charges for insulting religious sentiments after posting provocative images of an Easter kulich cake. They face a year behind bars.
The Russian Investigative Committee (Sledkom) has started criminal prosecution of two young women who are suspected of insulting the religious feelings of believers. They committed it by “desecrating” the traditional Easter cake, known as kulic, informs the DPA agency, writes TASR.
The first of the pair of women, living in the St. Petersburg area, posted a photo on her Telegram account in which the ball was arranged next to the vibrator. After a wave of protests, she deleted the image.
The second case concerns a woman employed in a shisha bar in Moscow, who served a customer a hookah placed on a ball and subsequently published such a photo on the Internet.
Bloggers and believers of the Orthodox Church alerted the police to the problematic photos of ceremonial pastries. If found guilty, the women face up to a year in prison, the DPA agency reported on Tuesday, citing investigators. Both women have since publicly apologized for their actions.
Law for the Protection of Religion
The protection of religious feelings has been enshrined in the law in Russia since the performance of the punk band Pussy Riot, whose members staged a satirical performance in Moscow’s Church of Christ the Savior in 2013 calling for the Mother of God to rid Russia of its president, Vladimir Putin.
Kulič is a traditional cake made of sourdough with almonds, raisins, candied fruit, spices and sugar coating, which Orthodox Christians bake for Easter. It symbolizes the end of fasting on Easter Sunday. It is usually then taken to the temple and consumed only after being blessed by the priest.
