|
PLANTING THE SEED OF KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS ON THE RUSSIAN SOIL
 Srila Prabhupada in Red Square, Moscow
During his visit he discussed philosophy with Prof. Kotovsky, a Soviet scholar of Hinduism, but most significantly met with one young, educated Russian boy who later became his first and only initiated disciple from the Soviet Union, Ananda Shanti. This Russian boy single-handedly started preaching the eternal message of Bhagavad-Gita, and in this way the teachings of Srila Prabhupada became known to the hundreds and hundreds of Soviet people, so much so that in the beginning of the 1980's the KGB declared ISKCON one of the greatest threats to the Soviet nation. In this way, the war was declared............the war of the totalitarian state against the handful of first devotees of Krishna in Soviet Russia.
THE YEARS OF STRUGGLE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
The KGB started massive persecution campaigns against the first followers of ISKCON. For their belief, around hundred of the first Russian devotees were thrown into prisons, labor camps and psychiatric hospitals. They underwent tremendous sufferings and tortures, but kept their strong, unflinching faith in Lord Krishna and His words in Bhagavad-Gita.
One of them, Sarkis Ohanjanyan was only 21 when he was put in prison. His only "guilt" was that he believed in God, chanted the Hare Krishna mahamantra and refused to eat meat. One and a half years later he died in the winter of 1986 in a labor camp out of malnutrition and tuberculosis. Before departure he was chanting on the beads made from the prison bread, and had applied tilaka on his body with the toothpaste.
Olga Kiselyova was put in prison in 1983 when she was pregnant. Her "crime" was that she helped in translating the Bhagavad-Gita into the Russian language. After undergoing tortures and long, arduous interrogations she delivered a baby girl Marika in prison who died only two months later.
Amala Bhakta Das father of 5, was sentenced for 5 years of labor camps, and was only released on the personal plea from Nancy Reagan.
These are only a few stories among many. Early devotees in Russia sacrificed their health, freedom and sometimes even life for the preaching and for the service to Srila Prabhupada.
Hare Krishna devotees around the world started a campaign of protest against religious persecution in the USSR. As a result, in 1988 all Soviet Hare Krishna devotees were released by Mr. M. Gorbachev and the new era of religious freedom in Russia had begun.
THE FIRST KRISHNA TEMPLE IN MOSCOW
The beginning of the 90's was the start of the new Russia, and also the start of a new chapter. The Moscow government gave devotees a ruined building unsuitable for inhabitation and commercial usage on rent. In a short time, laboring with love for Lord Krishna, devotees turned that building into the first Hindu temple in Russia.
The Moscow Temple became the centre of the spiritual life for the Krishna community of Indian and Russian devotees. Festivals, services, and educational programs were held daily at that temple. Thus the seed of Krishna bhakti planted by Srila Prabhupada sprouted in Russian soil. For fourteen years this building served as a temple, the place where thousands of Russian people received and nurtured faith in God.
However, in 2004 the Moscow government took the building back and destroyed it according to the plan of reconstruction of the city district. Surrounded by growling bulldozers of the "Donstroi" construction giant, it may soon become the very first Hindu temple in the West ever destroyed by authorities. Now again the thousands of the followers of Hinduism in Russia were deprived of a place of worship.
Hundreds of churches, cathedrals, mosques, synagogues are there, but not a single temple in the city of ten million people. Seeking the help and support devotees requested different prominent Indian politicians for help. Mr. Atal Bihar Vajpayee, former prime minister of India met with devotees on numerous occasions both in India and Moscow and assured devotees that he will try to convince his Russian colleagues to help ISKCON in Russia.
THE CULTURE OF COMPASSION
GROZNY, Chechnya, 1995 - Since the beginning of the Russian counterinsurgency campaign into this breakaway republic, that began on Dec. 11, 1995, Food for Life volunteers served 850,000 bowls of hot porridge, freshly baked bread and tea to the local residents. Risking their lives, devotees in Russia went on humanitarian missions to the war zones, like Chechnya and Abkhazia. Again and again they proved that the faith in God and His saving grace was more important to them than bodily comforts, and selfish pursuits.
Devotees helped literally hundreds of thousands of Russians, Chechens, Georgians, Armenians, children and adults, victims of war giving them free food. But even more important, devotees of Krishna gave these deprived people a hope for better future, spiritual solace, and moral support. Often arrested by the conflicting parties, robbed and threatened, devotees still continued to distribute the sacred food to the needy people. One devotee was also killed while trying to help others. "Hare Krishna Food For Life" was the only Russia-based non-governmental charity organization, working in the war zone.
SAKHALIN, Russia 1995 - An earthquake measuring 7.2 flattened this small city in the far eastern peninsula of Russia. The following day, Food for Life volunteers were flown in by helicopter by the Russian Emergency Ministry, to provide hot food to survivors and rescue teams who worked around the clock to find bodies.
TSUNAMI RELIEF, SRI LANKA, India 2004 - The strongest earthquake in 40 years set off a string of killer Tsunami waves that utterly devastated the coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and other nearby islands, killing nearly 200,000 people.
Devotees from Russia were quick to respond again, providing relief support and hot vegetarian meals to needy people who suffered in the disaster. In Sri Lanka alone more than 10,000 meals were provided daily, along with medical care, clothing, and shelter for orphaned children at the ISKCON orphanage.
MAYOR FINALLY GIVES US LAND
After many years of struggle, the Mayor of Moscow on 21st January 2004 finally signed the order to give the land for the construction of a new temple in a very prominent location in Moscow.
The land is located on the boulevard which goes straight from Kremlin to the International Airport in about 10 minute drive from the heart of Moscow. Measuring 1,05 hectare, it would cost at least 10 to 15 million US dollars and the government gave this land free. The devotees moved into a temporary temple building on the land. As till date, they still have no water, no sewage etc.
Plans to construct a Hare Krishna temple here however, sparked off a controversy in Russia where the Orthodox Church dominates and many regard Krishna followers as dangerous sectarians.
In January 2004, Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish religious authorities in Moscow spoke out against construction, saying it is against Russian tradition. The protestors had rallied in Pushkin Square in the centre of the capital, brandishing icons, flags and banners reading Friends, Defend Your Faith, We Oppose the Expansion of Sects and Beware! Krishna followers go in for brainwashing.
There are at least 100,000 followers of Lord Krishna spread across the country. Russia's Indian community led by Sanjit Kumar Jha, President of the Association of Indians in Russia supports the project since numerous Hindu believers were forced since so many years to pray in a little room with a 200-person capacity, housed in a building that was eventually demolished by the Russian government. Moscow Temple Timeline:
May 2003 - Prime Minister of India AB Vajpayee speaks with President Putin about the Krishna temple in Moscow. June 2003 - The city government offers us to give the land in the center of the city in exchange of us vacating the governmental building which was used as the Hare Krishna temple since 1990.
Janmastami 2003 - official inauguration of the new temple project in Moscow. The first design of the temple is created and presented to the public.
October-November 2003 - the first wave of resistance against the temple project instigated by some radical groups of people affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).
December 2003 - The Mayor of Moscow signs the order to give the Moscow Society for Krishna Consciousness 2.5 acres of land in the center of the city.
December 2003 - January 2004 - The second wave of resistance against the temple project.
Spring 2004- Big demonstration arranged by the ROC against the temple project; public TV debates between Madana-mohan das and the representative of the Church. Madana-mohan wins the debates in a very convincing manner, but that victory inflames the Church even more against the project.
Spring 2004 - temporary building for the Deities is constructed on the new land and given to us free of charge.
May, 2004 - Parliamentary Delegation from India visits the old temple.
June, 2004 - the old temple building is demolished; the Deities are moved to the new land. Around 35 brahmacaris rent a house. There is no water or sewage on the new land, even electricity connection is not completely legal. Summer, 2004 - land is acquired for the ashram, and construction of the ashram begins. Fund raising campaign for the new temple project started. September, 2004 - several attempts to get the preliminary governmental approval of the temple design. 2 more new designs are created in order to get the approval< but rejected by the government. October, 2004 - delegation of the Patron Council members of Bhaktivedanta Manor visited Moscow and promised to help the temple project. August, 2005 - big Janmastami celebration on the new land, during which we received the first alarming message that the government is planning to take back the land from us. October, 2005 - The Mayor cancels his initial order under some legal pretext. November, 2005 - big PR campaign in India culminating in meeting with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. TV coverage on Indian TV and other Indian channels. December, 2005 - Manmohan Singh speaks with President Putin about our situation and supposedly gets favorable answer. January, 2006 - campaign in England inaugurated in the British Parliament; start of the litigation with Moscow government. January, 2006 - New ashram (around 6000 sq. feet) construction is finished. Now 48 brahmacaris live and study in the ashram. February, 2006 - During the GBC meetings in Mayapur the Fund-raising Committee for the Moscow Temple Project under the Chairmanship of HH Bhakti Charu Swami is formed. The new strategy to acquire the land is adopted. March, 2006 - we lost two legal cases against the Moscow government. The appeal cases are also lost in May of the same year. April, 2006 - the government agrees to offer another plot of land for the temple construction. May, 2006 - Chief-Minister of Delhi speaks with the Major of Moscow, and as a result the official agreement signed between the two cities mentions the construction of Hare Krishna temple in Moscow. The new plot of land is offered. The work on the new design suited to the new plot of land has started. July, 2006 - Moscow Vedic Temple Development Board is formed. The Chairman of the Board is Mr. NK Sethia based in London. September, 2006 - some legal complications with the new plot of land were found, we had to reject the offer. The government tries to offer some other plots of land which we reject. October, 2006 - finally we accept the offer from Moscow government of the new land in the outskirts of the city. After some negotiations the government agrees to double the land, so as a result 5 acres of land is offered. March, 2007 - the Mayor signs the order of the Moscow government. According to the conditions of this order we have to finish all the architectural and legal work within the period of 2007-2008. The new conceptual design is created. April, 2007 - the City government approves the design. May, 2007 - legal work begins. July, 2007 - we get all the necessary preliminary approvals and start negotiations with the architectural firm. September 4, 2007 - the contract with the Architectural firm is signed.
|
History 
