Unknown persons poured paint on the icon of Matrona of Moscow with the image of Joseph Stalin in the Tbilisi Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Sameba. Footage from the scene was distributed by activist Nata Peradze, UNN reports with reference to Novosti Georgia.
In connection with the incident in Sameba, the police initiated proceedings under Article 166 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Georgia.
An icon hung in Samba a few months ago depicts the life of Matrona of Moscow (canonized as a locally venerated saint of the Moscow diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1999). One of its scenes tells how the Matron blessed Stalin to defend Moscow.
A scandal erupted over the icon of Stalin. Later it turned out that the icon was donated to Sameba by the leaders of the pro-Russian Patriot Alliance party, Irma Inashvili and David Tarkhan-Mouravi. Many observers believe that this whole story is not a coincidence, but a campaign planned in Moscow to study the mood in Georgian society.
