IVAN OHLOBYSTIN

March 13, 2001, 23.40 PM, Moscow

Russian Orthodox Postmodernism

Sorry, if any Post-modernists are reading this text: the word is used in most pejorative meaning.

Ivan Ohlobystin (born 22. 07. 1966) was known as a journalist, movie actor and an ardent Russian Orthodox. In 1997 he worked on TV as a presenter of telecast dedicated to Russian Orthodoxy. Still, he seemed a little bit distasteful, combining extreme views on religion as a tool for disciplining humankind with extreme liberalism in secular attitudes.

For example, in his last movie "Down-house," he made a remake of Dostoyevsky's "Idiot". He himself played Rogozhin. Movie is filled with most shocking scenes: for example, Prince Myshkin and Aglaya urinate together in Vorobyov's hills; Rogozhin and Myshkin eat the flesh of killed Nastasya Filippovna, a lot of faeces etc.

Among his saying: "Any violence has sexappeal." Received money from the mayor of Moscow for making a new movie (2001). "What's the difference between Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox? Catholic makes a deal with God: I've done - You give me."

The combination of such aesthetics with Russian Orthodoxy is what I call Russian Orthodox Postmodernism.