New Fully Revised and Expanded Edition of Lydia Istomina’s book Bringing Hidden Things to Light: Spiritual Revitalization of the Last Soviet Generation is available on Kindle:

“The Easter celebration was broadcast as “East Meets West.” Before the service, a corner of Red Square had been set off for our group. We had just gotten there when we saw on the opposite side of the square, in front of the Hotel Russia, a crowd of people with red flags and banners.

“Yankees, get out of Russia!” we read as the demonstrators began to move toward us.

“Let’s defend children from the influence of the West!”

“Russia for Orthodox believers!” The “patriots,” apparently hired by someone for this action, were obviously drunk and were holding their banners with difficulty.

“Shield the children!” one of us shouted, and we closed ranks, forming a semicircle around our children. Then, suddenly, the pure voices of Yuri Bondar’s boys choir began singing behind our backs, seeming to raise a protective dome over us. Though the Methodist church had no building on its own in Russia then, it suddenly acquired a temple; all of us, the ordinary people united by one Faith, became that temple.

“What do you teach the children, sectarians?” Through the singing, we could hear the shouts of the aggressive men and women.

“Listen, they are singing in Russian,” someone answered calmly. “This is Russian music.” This argument, or possibly the purity that surrounded us, cooled the attackers. Some of them inconspicuously disappeared in the crowd and others, still holding high the now ludicrous slogans, moved back across the Square.”