After a mosaic featuring Putin, Stalin, and Shoigu, which was to be installed in the church of the Russian Ministry of Defense, became a subject of criticism, the faces of the soldiers sent to Ukraine are being painted in churches. In a place of worship in the city of Pskov, the portraits of soldiers Ruslan Sheika and Nikolai Savchenko have appeared.
Both have a military career behind them. Savchenko died in Zaporozhye, and Sheika – in Lugansk. No one knows why their faces were painted in the church named after the saints Cosmas and Damian, and the author of the work claims to support the war in Ukraine.
Initially, it was planned that the parishioners would worship four soldiers who died in Ukraine, according to the publication Sever Realii. The family of two of them, however, did not provide photos to inspire the painting.
The author of the works claims that he did not violate any religious rule, as Savchenko and Sheika were not represented as saints with a halo above their heads.
“On one icon is Saint Nicholas of Mojaisk, and below, at his feet, is warrant officer Nikolai Savchenko. On the second is the holy martyr from Paris, and at his feet – major lieutenant Ruslan Sheika. Both soldiers died in 2023, after invading Ukraine. Attempts to sacralize the “special military operation” have been made before. But this is the first time we see real soldiers, with real names,” commented journalist Vitalie Cojocari on the situation.
In 2020, in the Cathedral of the Russian Ministry of Defense, icons and mosaics with military themes appeared, including those related to the annexation of Crimea. The walls of the church featured several Russian politicians, including Vladimir Putin, Valentina Matvienko, Sergei Shoigu, Vyacheslav Volodin, and Nikolai Patrushev. Likewise, one of the paintings also represented Joseph Stalin, according to Meduza.
Shortly after, the cited source wrote that the images of politicians and Stalin, as well as the slogan about Crimea, were to disappear from the church.