This season of ours
This was going to be a simple season’s greetings post, but then a bomb exploded in a St.Petersburg supermarket on Wednesday the 27th December, 2017. Thankfully no one was killed although 13 people sustained injuries in the blast. The injured will now spend weeks, months and possibly longer in a recovery process that is both mental and physical in nature. Hopefully they will all regain their full health, but it is quite possible that they will not. Not all damage and scarring is physical of course.
Like the explosion itself, the effects of the blast radiate outwards through concerned families and friends, lost work and income, medical expenses and permanent or temporary changes to those lives caught together in a single moment. We wish all the injured well, whatever the outcomes are in each case.
President Putin has ordered an FSB crackdown on terrorist activity, sanctioning lethal force if deemed necessary, according to the Financial Times. You may know that Russian forces are renowned for their severity at the best of times. In the light of such an overt proclamation; it’s hard to speculate on the longevity of the individuals and groups that fall under scrutiny. It’s not a great time to be a terrorist (or a terrorist sympathiser) in Russia.
Best regards to all who seek to do no harm during this Xmas and New Year holiday period. Our society has temporarily stalled whilst most of Russia has been operating (relatively) normally, notwithstanding the events described above, -in anticipation of the holiday to come. The Russian celebrations start in earnest on New Year’s eve and continue until Monday 8th January. The Russian/Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on the 7th, incidentally. The Old New Year is also remembered on the 14th, although it’s not an official holiday. Time for a celebration of family, friends and Orthodox faith -for many. Whatever your choice of festival, recreation and relaxation, stay safe.
