Russian governor hires priest to bless office with holy water after predecessor is arrested for embezzlement
A day after his predecessor was arrested for embezzlement, acting Kursk Governor Alexander Khinshtein had his office blessed by an Orthodox priest. “Recent developments have made it clear how deeply sinfulness has taken root within these walls,” Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.
The acting governor said the consecration ceremony took place on Holy Thursday, a day when Orthodox Christians commemorate Christ’s commandment that his disciples should emulate his loving humility in the washing of the feet (John 13:14–17). In modern tradition, practicing Christians clean their homes in preparation for Easter.
On April 16, police arrested former Kursk Governor Alexey Smirnov on charges of embezzling at least 1 billion rubles ($12.2 million) from public funds allocated to build defensive fortifications on the Ukrainian border. Khinshtein, in his capacity as acting governor, replaced Smirnov on December 5, 2024.
