Draft mural depicting Lenin causes furor at northern Greece church
Agamemnon
Ecclesiastical tradition in mural painting and 20th century politics
apparently made for a volatile mix in Greece this week following
reports that frescoes in a cathedral in the country's north are adorned
with, among others, a depiction of Bolshevik leader Lenin cutting off
the beard of a persecuted Ukrainian Orthodox priest.
The unfinished draft mural shows Lenin leaning over the handcuffed and
kneeling priest and using scissors to cut off his beard, a symbolic
depiction that generated heated reactions in the local community of
Axioupolis, Kilkis prefecture, as well as subsequent coverage by
Athens' television stations. Most of the criticism centred on the use
of the controversial revolutionary's likeness in a Christian holy
place.
In defending his works, mural painter and fine arts professor
Konstandinos Vafiadis said the depiction of figures who are not saints
or martyrs has been employed by the Orthodox Church since the dawn of
the Byzantine era to demonise, among others, persecutors of Christians
and Christianity. He cited Roman emperor Diocletian as one example,
whose likeness is often included in murals depicting St. George's
(Aghios Georgios) execution and martyrdom.
Other criticism focused on a black-and-white depiction of Greek poet
Costas Varnalis, a noted Marxist literary figure in the country
throughout much of the 20th century, high on a wall in the sanctum.
Vafiadis defended this mural by saying that Greek Orthodox artistic
tradition has allowed the depiction of pre-Christian or secular
thinkers, such as ancient Greek philosophers, sages, playwrights and
even scholars upon church walls.
Finally, in a series of television news appearances, the painter also
defended his depiction of the Madonna breastfeeding the Baby Jesus,
saying the scene is found in several medieval churches and chapels
around the east Mediterranean nation.