Didn't realize how fast the day went by...

[alexpgp]

It was 3 pm when I looked up from revamping my presentation, and upon realizing that I had committed to doing some actual work due Monday morning, I wound things up - at about the 70%-complete mark, I estimate - and then was shanghaied to go do some shopping.

Not much arm-twisting (or sap-wielding) was required, I must admit. Stepping outside was downright refreshing.

Almost as refreshing as getting doused with holy water while standing at the launch pad in Kazakhstan during the blessing of the rocket. With there being a chill in the air. (I found this shot while reviewing older launch campaign photos.)


You know this image is going to appear in my presentation, right? <grin>

Cheers...

Comments

[russia-insider.livejournal.com]

Blessing of the rocket. I don't think Korolev would like it. Kind of weird joke, priest blessing the rocket developed by the Soviet atheistic scientists.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether Sergey Pavlovich would've liked it or not, because a number of the older Russians who attended the service with me certainly were active in the industry back in the day when a belief in God was considered politically incorrect, and yet they apparently kept that belief under wraps successfully in a very paranoid-from-the-perspective-of-state-security industry.

On the other hand, you're probably right that Korolev wouldn't approve, seeing as how the rocket was built by the Khrunichev Center. :)

Cheers...

[russia-insider.livejournal.com]

Well, don't take me the wrong way, it's just I don't like our modern orthodox church with all those high rank priests driving in expensive BMWs with private drivers and doing huge businesses under church cover. Take all these blessings, it's a service you can order even for your personal car, I wander how much they charge for blessing of a whole rocket. Modern Russian church is something far from the example of the proper religion.

And actually in Soviet times, at least in 60's and later and according to my relatives, it was not that difficult to be religious, myself I was baptized in Soviet Union in a church. The thing is that a lot of Soviet people were atheists not by force, they just truly despised church which was on the side of monarchy which was really hated after Civil war.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I understand your point. I guess the affluence of the ROC varies with location, as I recall meeting a RO priest on Long Island (outside of New York City) who, in addition to officiating at all services and "tending a flock," actually earned a living during the day as a carpenter, mostly doing home remodeling.

I'm aware it was not difficult to be religious in the times of the USSR; heck, Uncle Joe himself ordered the resurrection of the Church during the Great Patriotic War. However, I've been told that any manifestation of religious interest among the military and engineers who worked at Baikonur in the early years was a sure-fire career-ender.