Small Russian Orthodox Sect Considers Vladimir Putin a Saint

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With his flagging poll ratings and uphill battle for re-election in 2012, President Obama could be forgiven for casting an envious eye at Vladimir Putin. Not only does the country's former and soon-to-be again president remain popular after more than a decade in positions of power, it's now been revealed that some sections of Russian society even worship the Kremlin strongman as a saint.

According to Der Spiegel, a sect of the Russian Orthodox Church based in the village of Bolshaya Elnya believes Putin is a reincarnation of St. Paul. The similarity apparently lies in the fact that Paul the Apostle persecuted Christians before sainthood, just as Putin did some unrighteous things as a Soviet KGB officer.

Led by Mother Fotina, who considers herself a reincarnation of Joan of Arc, the female followers in the village spread out prayer mats at a homemade altar in a functional three-story brick building – called the Chapel of Russia's Resurrection - and pray for the success of their (political) patron saint.

(MORE: Leader for Life? How Vladimir Putin Set Up His Kremlin Comeback)

"God has appointed Putin to Russia to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ," said Fotina. "He has the spirit of a czar in him...Every day we've prayed for him to return to the Kremlin."

However, a closer look at Mother Fotina's past life perhaps holds better clues to the sect's purpose. Allegedly jailed for 21 months in the mid-1990s for embezzling state money, upon her release Fotina opened the Center for Cosmo-Energetic Medicine. The local Orthodox Church were reportedly unhappy at the move, accusing her of witchcraft.

"A few years ago the Orthodox Church put the state police (or FSB, a successor to the KGB) on her trail," said a retired army officer from her neighborhood. "After that, she started to praise Putin in public as a saint — to protect herself from investigation."

But apparently this is not the only place where Putin worship occurs. In the current Prime Minister's hometown of Saint Petersburg, posters proliferate of him as an angel extending his hand blessing the city's inhabitants, while civic and political leaders regularly praise him emphatically in quasi-religious terms. Vladislav Surkow, the influential deputy chief of the Kremlin administration, once said Putin is "a man whom fate and the Lord sent to Russia."

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Putin names new finance minister

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27 September 2011 Last updated at 14:38 GMT Mr Siluanov served as deputy finance minister under Mr Kudrin Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has named Anton Siluanov as acting finance minister after Alexei Kudrin's dramatic departure from government.

Announcing the appointment to his cabinet, Mr Putin said it had been agreed with President Dmitry Medvedev.

Mr Kudrin resigned after publicly declaring he would not sit in a cabinet led by Mr Medvedev, set to swap roles with Mr Putin next year.

His fiscal skills were seen as crucial to recent Russian financial stability.

Separately, his responsibility for financial oversight as first deputy prime minister have been passed to another minister of the same rank, Igor Shuvalov.

On Tuesday, Mr Kudrin was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying he had quit the government because of fiscal risks the government was taking, and had offered to resign months before.

In a resignation statement quoted by the agency, he also said he had declined a proposal to lead Right Cause, a liberal party backed by the Kremlin.

He reportedly called it "an artificial project that in fact discredits the idea of liberal democracy".

Mr Siluanov, 48, was deputy finance minister under Mr Kudrin from 2005.

According to his biography on the finance ministry's website, he graduated from the Moscow Finance Institute in the 1980s, specialising in finance and credit.

He has occupied various positions at the ministry over the past two decades.

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Putin set to return as president

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24 September 2011 Last updated at 21:15 GMT Mr Putin's formal nomination for president is seen as a foregone conclusion Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he has accepted a proposal to stand for president in March 2012.

Addressing the ruling United Russia party's annual congress, Mr Putin and current President Dmitry Medvedev backed one another to switch roles.

The announcements end speculation over which man should run for the top job.

United Russia, which Mr Putin leads, dominates the country's politics and observers say his return to the Kremlin is now all but guaranteed.

He had already served two terms as president before Mr Medvedev took over in 2008. Mr Putin was barred by the constitution from running for a third consecutive term.

News of Mr Putin's candidacy, which had been widely expected, was greeted with dismay by the country's small liberal opposition.

Boris Nemtsov, a deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin, likened Mr Putin to Alexander Lukashenko, the long-serving autocratic president of Belarus.

'Great honour'

"I want to thank you for the positive reaction to the proposal for me to stand for Russian president," Mr Putin told delegates after Mr Medvedev suggested he should be a candidate.

Continue reading the main story Steve Rosenberg BBC News, Moscow

There is little doubt that Vladimir Putin will win next year's presidential poll. Not only is he the most popular politician in Russia, he also controls the entire political system, one which keeps any potential rivals from appearing and attracting support.

So what will President Putin Take 3 mean for Russia? His supporters say stability, a calm hand which will guide the country through potentially difficult economic times. His critics predict stagnation, more corruption and the suffocation of democracy.

There may be consequences, too, for the outside world. In the past, Western leaders have found it difficult dealing with Vladimir Putin - they will have to get used to the prospect that once again he will be the man they will need to do business with.

"For me this is a great honour."

Mr Putin also indicated that Mr Medvedev could become prime minister following the 4 December parliamentary vote, introducing a "new, effective, young, energetic management team".

Mr Medvedev had earlier accepted a proposal that he head the party's list of candidates in the elections and spoke of his "readiness to assume practical work in the government" in the future.

Backing Mr Putin for president, he said: "I think it would be correct for the congress to support the candidacy of the party chairman, Vladimir Putin, to the post of president of the country."

The congress must formally nominate Mr Putin as its presidential candidate - but that appears all but certain given the cheering and applause that greeted Mr Medvedev's proposal.

There have been months of speculation that Mr Putin planned to return to the Kremlin when elections are held in March.

Correspondents say most Russians believe he has greater influence in the country and far more power than Mr Medvedev.

Mr Putin told delegates that the two men had reached agreement on who should hold which post "a long time ago, several years back".

Continue reading the main story

I think Putin is the grave-digger of Russia, he should be in prison rather than in the presidential chair”

End Quote Andrei, Moscow He also warned of possible, unpopular measures to cope with the global financial turmoil.

"The task of the government is not only to pour honey into a cup, but sometimes to give bitter medicine," Mr Putin said.

"But this should always be done openly and honestly, and then the overwhelming majority of people will understand their government."

Mr Medvedev has spearheaded a drive to modernise Russia during his term in office.

Some economists say the return of the more conservative Mr Putin could counter this. Others say the two men vary in their styles but differ little on policy.

Mr Medvedev took over in 2008 after Mr Putin had served two terms as president

Under recent constitutional amendments, the new president will have a six-year mandate rather than four years as before. He or she will be able to serve no more than two consecutive terms, meaning Mr Putin could be in office until 2024.

Mr Nemtsov, who co-founded the unregistered People's Freedom Party, predicted "increased migration, capital flight and even more dependence on raw materials" under Mr Putin.

"We're in for a giant corruption component in politics, which will be incomparable with the current one," he told Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy.

Strange tweets

News of the candidacy generated a wave of Russian-language traffic on Twitter, much of it enthusiastic, such as a tweet by @xurinlev which read, "The man who pulled Russia out of the crash is coming back!"

However, along with genuine messages of support, a #putin2012 hashtag appeared which raised suspicions of manipulation among bloggers.

It was being promoted, in part, by tweeters who had registered on Twitter on the same date, 27 June 2011, some within seconds of each other, with account locations that spanned Russia.

"It's very easy to tell real public opinion from fake," tweeted @samklebanov after noticing the pattern. "Compare searches for "Putin" in Twitter with searches for #putin2012."

Meanwhile, one of the country's most popular micro-bloggers, @navalny, quipped "Android replacing iPod", seeming to refer to Mr Putin's strongman image and Mr Medvedev's well-known enthusiasm for social media.

"What happened to Mr Medevedev?" joked another tweeter, @ivan_f_davydov. "He drowned in the ovation."

The Russian president, who on Wednesday had tweeted "Half a million - that's cool. Thanks!", in apparent reference to the number of followers of his @MedvedevRussia account, did not tweet on Saturday.

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