Isihlahla SikaNcibijane—Ingabe Siwuphawu LwaseRussia Noma LobuKristu?

“EKUQALENI kwawo-1830, isihlahla i-evergreen sasisabizwa ‘ngenkolelo ekhangayo yaseJalimane.’ Ekupheleni kwalelo shumi leminyaka, ‘saba uphawu’ emakhaya ezicukuthwane eSt. Petersburg. . . . Kusemizini yabefundisi nabalimi kuphela lapho lesi sihlahla singazange samukelwe khona ekhulwini leminyaka le-19. . . .

“Ngaphambili, lesi sihlahla . . . sasingathandeki ngempela. Ngokwenkolelo yaseRussia, ukuba khona kwaso kwakubhekwa njengophawu lokufa futhi sihlanganiswa ‘nezwe lemimoya,’ kanti umkhuba wokumisa isihlahla phezu kophahla lwasenkantini, wawuphikisana nezimo zengqondo ezishintshayo ezazikhona maphakathi nekhulu leminyaka le-19. . . . Kuqondakala ngokugcwele ukuthi ukwamukela lesi sihlahla kwakuzoba ukungena kwesiko lakwelinye izwe, futhi kube nencazelo efana neyaseNtshonalanga ngesihlahla sikaKhisimusi, esihlobene nomqondo kaKhisimusi. . . .

“Ukwenziwa kwalesi sihlahla sibe uphawu lobuKristu akushelelanga eRussia. Kwaphikiswa yiSonto Lobu-Orthodox. Abefundisi babona kulo mkhosi omusha ‘izenzo zobudemoni,’ isiko lwamaqaba, elalingahlangene nokuzalwa koMsindisi, futhi ngaphezu kwalokho, kwakuyisiko laseNtshonalanga.”—UProfesa Yelena V. Dushechkina, udokotela wesayensi yolwazi lwezilimi wase-St. Petersburg State University.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 32]

Photograph: Nikolai Rakhmanov