Russian Priest Killed in Arson Attack
A priest and his family were killed on the weekend in an arson attack on their home in a Central Russian region.
Reverend Andrei Nikolayev of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Tver Bishopric died together with his wife Ksenya and three young children, after unidentified attackers set fire to their house in the village of Pryamukhino in the early hours of Sunday morning, Orthodoxy & World said.
Citing a report by Bishop Viktor, the head of the diocese, the magazine said the priest’s home had previously been set fire to. According to local media, Nikolayev had received death threats from fellow villagers over his unwillingness to finance their drinking needs using parish funds.
The priest reportedly asked for official protection several months ago. A criminal investigation is under way.
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[…] For now, the Russian blogosphere appears to be a slightly wild place, but one that is pretty much free from political interference. It’s somewhat elitist, belonging to those few who have access to a good internet connection, but those who are in it have upwards of 1000 “friends” or online contacts. Stories can spread. One striking example the tale of a village priest and his family, murdered in an arsen attack on his house. It wasn’t until a blogger in the next village - the wife of another priest - blogged about it, that the story got around the blogosphere via “friends” and then into the traditional media. […]