Estonian National Museum invites visitors to kick the Theotokos

[RaphaCam]

The National Museum which opened in Estonia in the presence of President Toomas Hendrik Ilves last week, is offering its visitors to kick one of the exhibits, an interactive image of Virgin Mary, causing the picture to fall into pieces. The virtual painting has been criticized by a number of politicians, entrepreneurs and parliamentarians in the Postimees newspaper. Thus, according to Priit Sibul, who chairs the parliamentary faction of the ruling Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, "kicking an image of the Mother of God is something they did in the Soviet cultural space but would not demonstrate in public."
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/97520.htm

Lord have mercy.

 

[Charles1967]

Amazing how they never think twice about doing things like this to Holy Christian Images to offend us. But if it was a Muslim Holy image I bet they
Would think twice.
Then again,I heard MIRIAM is reveared in their culture and religion as well.  Maybe someone should tell them

 

[Minnesotan]

The National Museum which opened in Estonia in the presence of President Toomas Hendrik Ilves last week, is offering its visitors to kick one of the exhibits, an interactive image of Virgin Mary, causing the picture to fall into pieces. The virtual painting has been criticized by a number of politicians, entrepreneurs and parliamentarians in the Postimees newspaper. Thus, according to Priit Sibul, who chairs the parliamentary faction of the ruling Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, "kicking an image of the Mother of God is something they did in the Soviet cultural space but would not demonstrate in public."
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/97520.htm

Lord have mercy.

Brazilians have been known to kick images of the Theotokos too....

 

[seekeroftruth777]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

 

[Mor Ephrem]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

et cetera

 

[ialmisry]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

et cetera

They were not free.

The Estonians are.

 

[Justin Kolodziej]

OK, so reading the whole article I have a couple of comments.
1. This image is not an Orthodox image of the Theotokos, but a drawing of a statue of the Catholic "Our Lady of Grace".
2. The part kicked is not the image itself, but the base of the installation.
3. From the description:

The installation on display at the Estonian National Museum is a depiction of Virgin Mary on a big light screen almost the size of a human being. It is static until someone kicks a specially marked spot at the bottom of the picture, causing the virtual figure fly into pieces and the word "Reformation" appear on the screen.

I'm not entirely sure if the artist is a Catholic angry about the Reformation or a Reformed angry about Catholic "idols"  ??? But it's not overtly anti-Orthodox, anyway.

Usually museums have to put in a plate explaining the "art" these days because it makes no sense to begin with...most of them should probably be closed down period.

 

[RaphaCam]

The National Museum which opened in Estonia in the presence of President Toomas Hendrik Ilves last week, is offering its visitors to kick one of the exhibits, an interactive image of Virgin Mary, causing the picture to fall into pieces. The virtual painting has been criticized by a number of politicians, entrepreneurs and parliamentarians in the Postimees newspaper. Thus, according to Priit Sibul, who chairs the parliamentary faction of the ruling Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, "kicking an image of the Mother of God is something they did in the Soviet cultural space but would not demonstrate in public."
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/97520.htm

Lord have mercy.

Brazilians have been known to kick images of the Theotokos too....

Yes.    This guy was deservedly disgraced, though.

 

[Mor Ephrem]

OK, so reading the whole article I have a couple of comments.
1. This image is not an Orthodox image of the Theotokos, but a drawing of a statue of the Catholic "Our Lady of Grace".
2. The part kicked is not the image itself, but the base of the installation.
3. From the description:

The installation on display at the Estonian National Museum is a depiction of Virgin Mary on a big light screen almost the size of a human being. It is static until someone kicks a specially marked spot at the bottom of the picture, causing the virtual figure fly into pieces and the word "Reformation" appear on the screen.

I'm not entirely sure if the artist is a Catholic angry about the Reformation or a Reformed angry about Catholic "idols"  ??? But it's not overtly anti-Orthodox, anyway.

Usually museums have to put in a plate explaining the "art" these days because it makes no sense to begin with...most of them should probably be closed down period.

Who is the person depicted in the exhibit? 

 

[FinnJames]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

Your ignorance of the grim realities of Estonian history is almost as astounding as your lack of empathy for the citizens of other countries. 

 

[Bob2]

At least it wasn't funded by US tax dollars

 

[mike]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

Like Alaska.

 

[RaphaCam]

At least it wasn't funded by US tax dollars

Someone should definitely have kicked that.

 

[LBK]

Someone should definitely have kicked that.

They did. At two separate exhibitions. The second time, destroying it.

 

[Alpo]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

Your ignorance of the grim realities of Estonian history is almost as astounding as your lack of empathy for the citizens of other countries. 

+1

 

[seekeroftruth777]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

Your ignorance of the grim realities of Estonian history is almost as astounding as your lack of empathy for the citizens of other countries.

What grim realities of Estonian history?  yeah I know they suffered under Communism, and Fascism yet it doesn't excuse their Blasphemy against the Mother of God! As far empathy goes well I don't have much empathy for Russians, and the hardship they have went through by others, it only empathy for their neighbors, but not them!

 

[seekeroftruth777]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

Like Alaska.

Go ahead take Alaska, one less state to deal with in the Union, nice try Mike your tactics don't phase me 8)

 

[Svartzorn]

When are the perpetrators of this act going to jail?

 

[seekeroftruth777]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

Your ignorance of the grim realities of Estonian history is almost as astounding as your lack of empathy for the citizens of other countries.

What grim realities of Estonian history?  yeah I know they suffered under Communism, and Fascism yet it doesn't excuse their Blasphemy against the Mother of God! As far empathy goes well I don't have much empathy for Russians, and the hardship they have went through by others, it only empathy for their neighbors, but not them!

It should say they don't have much empathy for Russians, and their hardship, my mistake

 

[augustin717]

When are the perpetrators of this act going to jail?

I'd say the injured part of she's really bothered by this can take care of it herself.

 

[DeniseDenise]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

Your ignorance of the grim realities of Estonian history is almost as astounding as your lack of empathy for the citizens of other countries.

What grim realities of Estonian history?  yeah I know they suffered under Communism, and Fascism yet it doesn't excuse their Blasphemy against the Mother of God! As far empathy goes well I don't have much empathy for Russians, and the hardship they have went through by others, it only empathy for their neighbors, but not them!

It should say they don't have much empathy for Russians, and their hardship, my mistake

When its the same neighbour that had invaded you.....I can pretty much see why there is not that much empathy for them.

 

[Svartzorn]

When are the perpetrators of this act going to jail?

I'd say the injured part of she's really bothered by this can take care of it herself.

You know, I don't agree with this PC BS going on about muslims, but I also don't think it's acceptable behavior to mock their faith.
It's also not acceptable to mock christians.
Some things are ok to do, some things are just silly jokes.
Other things are not.

 

[seekeroftruth777]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

Your ignorance of the grim realities of Estonian history is almost as astounding as your lack of empathy for the citizens of other countries.

What grim realities of Estonian history?  yeah I know they suffered under Communism, and Fascism yet it doesn't excuse their Blasphemy against the Mother of God! As far empathy goes well I don't have much empathy for Russians, and the hardship they have went through by others, it only empathy for their neighbors, but not them!

It should say they don't have much empathy for Russians, and their hardship, my mistake

When its the same neighbour that had invaded you.....I can pretty much see why there is not that much empathy for them.

So there should only be empathy for Estonia, not Russia?  Russians also suffered from Nazis, and Communists.

 

[Diego]

When are the perpetrators of this act going to jail?

I have a better question. When are they going to be arrested and burned at the stake? I still think that punishment should be applied for grotesque acts like this. His Grace the Lutheran Archbishop is entirely correct. This is an offence to Christians, be they Orthodox, Catholic, or Lutheran. One does not have to be Orthodox to be offended by this.

 

[hecma925]

Russians suffered from Tatars.

 

[DeniseDenise]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

Your ignorance of the grim realities of Estonian history is almost as astounding as your lack of empathy for the citizens of other countries.

What grim realities of Estonian history?  yeah I know they suffered under Communism, and Fascism yet it doesn't excuse their Blasphemy against the Mother of God! As far empathy goes well I don't have much empathy for Russians, and the hardship they have went through by others, it only empathy for their neighbors, but not them!

It should say they don't have much empathy for Russians, and their hardship, my mistake

When its the same neighbour that had invaded you.....I can pretty much see why there is not that much empathy for them.

So there should only be empathy for Estonia, not Russia?  Russians also suffered from Nazis, and Communists.

Not what I said.


but why should Estonians have empathy for Russia?

 

[Mor Ephrem]

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you..."

 

[DeniseDenise]

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you..."

ideally yes....but as a Nation? 

just saying that a claim that Estonians don't have much empathy for Russians and -their- hardships....is pretty understandable given history..

 

[Mor Ephrem]

Lots of things are understandable, and yet the gospel calls us* to transcend those things in favour of something better. 



*us = people, without whom there are no nations

 

[hecma925]

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you..."

Why do you have to bring Christ into this?

 

[Agabus]

It blasphemies like this is where I am all for Russia annexing that tiny little place.

Like Alaska.

You could put almost 38 Estonias inside Alaska. Besides, Russia doesn't want it; they sold it for 2 cents an acre. 

 

[Mor Ephrem]

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you..."

Why do you have to bring Christ into this?

I'm sorry, I forgot...

 

[Indocern]

According to Wikipedia 54% of the people of Estonia are without religion, so they don't know what they are doing.

 

[Mor Ephrem]

According to Wikipedia 54% of the people of Estonia are without religion, so they don't know what they are doing.

They know...

 

[seekeroftruth777]

According to Wikipedia 54% of the people of Estonia are without religion, so they don't know what they are doing.

It called mocking GOD and the Church, they know what they are doing. A lot of non-believers get off on it, you know piss-christ and all that type of blasphemy.

 

[Alpo]

According to Wikipedia 54% of the people of Estonia are without religion, so they don't know what they are doing.

It called mocking GOD and the Church, they know what they are doing. A lot of non-believers get off on it, you know piss-christ and all that type of blasphemy.

Yes, just like what Christ prayed on the cross. Father, punish them because they know what they are doing.

 

[mike]

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you..."

Is it a comment on Theotokos being abused with that exhibition or Estonians being abused by Russians?

 

[FinnJames]

This is the paragraph of the article that posters here seem to have overlooked:
The installation on display at the Estonian National Museum is a depiction of [the] Virgin Mary on a big light screen almost the size of a human being. It is static until someone kicks a specially marked spot at the bottom of the picture, causing the virtual figure [to] fly into pieces and the word "Reformation" [to] appear on the screen.
Source: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/97520.htm

So the "art"work is clearly not intended to mock Christianity, as many posters here seem to assume, but rather to commemorate/celebrate(?) the Protestant Reformation. The majority religion in Estonia is Lutheranism, a Protestant variety of Christianity. And as a previous poster pointed out, the image more closely resembles a Roman Catholic statue of the Virgin Mary than an Orthodox icon of the Theotokos. That being the case, it seems highly unlikely that the artist (or the visitors who kick in the appropriate place) set out to offend Russians (or the many readers of OrthodoxChristianity.net whose noses have been put out of joint). What seems much more likely is that the "art"work is intended as a celebration of Protestant "liberation" from Catholicism in which the viewer is invited to take part.

 

[Mor Ephrem]

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you..."

Is it a comment on Theotokos being abused with that exhibition or Estonians being abused by Russians?

It's from the "Sermon on the Plain".

 

[Diego]

Given the comments of the Lutheran Archbishop, I am not sure the Reformation mentioned is the Protestant one.