Over the Airwaves

If you happen to have a shortwave set, there is a fascinating programme on the English language service of the Voice of Russia. The second half hour on Saturday evenings here (that's Sunday morning GMT) beamed to western North America is called "The Christian Message". It consists of lives of saints, spiritual reading, seasonal talks, and so forth from the Russian Orthodox tradition. It's astonishing enough just to hear a "Christian message" from the former Soviet mouthpiece, the quondam "Radio Moscow". But these programmes - at least the ones I've heard - really have some solid content. During the past month or so there has been a programme devoted to the writings of St John of Kronstadt and an inspiring two part reading of a life of an Orthodox priest ordained just after the revolution, his time in a soviet prison, his unaccountable release, a rehabilitation under Stalin, and another run-in with the authorities under Khrushchyov. So far, it has been a very profitable half hour. At least on this side of the continent, it's been on 15595khz.