Grazie, signore Berlusconi

In this morning’s Financial Times the main Russian story, apart from the forest fires, is that Russia wants to extradite Yevgeny Chichvarkin, a Russian oligarch, now in exile in London, to face trial for kidnap and extortion back in 2003. I don’t know the ins and outs of the case (and don’t want to), but Chichvarkin is arguing in his defence that his real crime is to have pulled the plug on a bribe scheme worth $ 1 billion a year.

In other words, Russia = corruption.

This for me is the Russian Church’s single biggest problem in this part of Europe (even bigger than the episcopal Mercedes fleet). Russia is perceived as corrupt, and its national church as inevitably part of this system. Unless and until the ROC is seen, very clearly indeed, to disown the corruption that we in northern Europe are led to believe is endemic in the Russian system, it will struggle to win friends. 

The problem is not just Russia’s. Ask any European which are the most corrupt European countries, and Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia will top the list. If he believes them to be in Europe, Mr Average European will add Russia, Belarus (the pits) and Ukraine.  All ‘Orthodox’ countries. To give praise where praise is due, Romania may now look cleaner than Italy. Grazie, signore Berlusconi.