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Georgian pro-Russian party leaders dispute their inclusion in controversial icon featuring Stalin

Irma Inashvili and Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, leaders of the Georgian pro-Russian Alliance of Patriots party, who donated the controversial St. 

 

Matrona of Moscow icon to the Tbilisi Holy Trinity Cathedral, have refuted claims by the domestic opposition-minded TV Pirveli channel that suggested that, in addition to featuring the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, the icon also depicts the duo. 

Tarkhan-Mouravi defended their position, stating, “I observed the woman depicted on the icon; Irma Inashvili has black hair, while this woman is more reddish-brown. The eyes, facial contours, nose – it is clear that this is not Irma Inashvili. You cannot in any way associate the woman shown there with Irma Inashvili, not even with the eyes, nose, or the outline of the face.”Inashvili added, “I would be happy if I had such a refined face and nose, but I don’t. 

The controversy began when Dean Ilia Chigladze shared the icon image on social media, sparking public anger due to Stalin’s presence on it, allegedly in a positive context. 

Archimandrite Iovane Mchedlishvili, the priest of the Trinity Cathedral, stated on January 7 that the icon had been in the Cathedral for several months “without drawing attention until now.”

Inashvili confirmed in a Facebook video shortly after that she donated the icon of the Russian saint featuring the depiction of Stalin. Tarkhan-Mouravi echoed the same sentiment in a video on Facebook. 

A video circulated on social media on January 9, showing the icon smeared with blue paint. The icon was later cleaned and moved to a more prominent location on January 10.

Civil activist Nata Peradze was revealed to have defaced the icon, leading to members of the pro-Russian Conservative Movement gathering at her house on January 10, insulting both her and journalists.

On the same day, the Georgian Patriarchate requested the donors modify the visuals of the icon and acknowledged that the alleged meeting between Stalin and the saint, reflected on the icon, was “not supported by sufficient evidence”, was also not included in the canonical text of the latter’s life and not recognized by the Russian Church that canonized her. 

The Patriarchate noted they would modify the icon if the donors refused to do so. The icon is currently removed from the Trinity Cathedral, allegedly for repairs.

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