A college in Novosibirsk covers nude statues in sheets to ‘spare the feelings’ of visiting Russian Orthodox priests

Ahead of a visit from a delegation of Russian Orthodox priests, staff at the Novosibirsk State Academy of Architecture and Fine Arts draped sheets over statues of nude bodies in its first-floor lobby.

The school invited the clergymen to a forum on local urban infrastructure, so they could discuss wheelchair access at churches. One of the event’s participants told the website NGS that the sculptures were covered to “spare the feelings” of the visiting priests.

Spokespeople for the school told reporters that they didn’t know why the statues were covered, but the sheets were taken down as soon as the priests left.

Russian Orthodox Priests can’t handle a little ceramic skin?

There are no reports that the Novosibirsk priests asked anyone to hide the nude statues, but the school’s caution is understandable, given the recent explosion of criminal charges against Russians for public behavior that supposedly offends religious sensibilities. Police have been especially fond of opening criminal cases against Internet users for posting content that pokes fun at faith. In mid-August, for example, Batenka.ru special correspondent Petr Manyakhin visited Barnaul and reported on two young people now facing felony charges for sharing satirical memes online.

For its part, the Russian Orthodox Church said in early August that criminal punishment is unnecessary whenever a suspect “confesses” and “repents” speech that offends religious people. But, hey, why repent when you can drape a sheet over it?