Archpriest Chaplin: “Russia will die if Matilda is screened”

The notorious archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin warns that the screening of Alexei Uchitel’s film will cause Russia’s death. He calls the screening of Matilda in cinemas a “ritual regicide”. The priest thinks viewers of the movie must be expelled from the Christian church.

“The film Matilda must be banned because if it is screened, Russia will die, and it will be fair in the eyes of God,” the archpriest warns.

He calls this turn of events a “benefit”, because “God will show through his guidance and punishment what we must never do”. Chaplin says all troubles Russia faced in the 20th century were caused by the sins of atheism and regicide. According to the priest, the problems include the Russian Civil War, World War II, “catastrophes, perestroika followed by poverty, the collapse of the great state”.

Vsevolod Chaplin predicts the beginning of a new world war. According to him, part of the Russian population can be saved from death in the conflict if Matilda is banned from cinemas. If the film is screened, it will cause death of all people in the country, which the priest finds fair.

“The world war is inevitable, but if the film is not screened, some people in Russia will probably remain alive, though not in cities. If it is screened, all people will die, which is fair and deserved,” Chaplin warns.

Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church earlier criticised Matilda, calling the movie the apotheosis of vulgarity. Hieromonk Nikon, spokesman for Chancellery of the Head of Romanov Imperial House in Russia, supported activists of the Tsar Cross movement who prayed for forbidding the film and demanded a ban on airing the movie on state-run TV channels.

Matilda focuses on the relationship between future emperor of Russia Nicholas II and ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska. The film will premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre in Moscow on October 6. The wide release is scheduled for October 26. Polish actress Michalina Olszańska plays ballerina Kschessinska, German actor Lars Eidinger plays Nicholas II. The film also stars famous Russian actors, among them Sergei Garmash and Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė.

Earlier, Russian MP Natalya Poklonskaya filed a complaint to a prosecutor’s office, asking to ban the film. She referred to conclusions by experts who said that the movie distorts the image of Emperor Nicholas II canonised by the Russian Orthodox Church and insults the religious feelings of believers. The Duma’s committee on ethics noted that Poklonskaya’s appeal was lawful as the MP had received a lot of complaints from citizens who were concerned about the film. Alexei Uchitel responded to criticism from the Russian Orthodox Church and said Natalya Poklonskaya’s complaints were a manipulation of public opinion.

Photo: KinoPoisk