Russian Nativity Play: A Tale of Two Josephs

JosephThis “life imitates the People’s Cube” moment comes from St. Petersburg, Russia. What seems to be a spoof is a legitimate story via RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency. As a historical footnote, Nativity plays are a new concept in Russia, where Joseph Stalin is more known than the biblical Joseph, which occasionally causes Freudian slips like this one.

A St. Petersburg student mistakenly showed up dressed as Joseph Stalin to the Christmas play where he was supposed to play the biblical character of Joseph.

“Yesterday, my 12-year-old son participated in a school play. He told us ahead of time that he got the role of Joseph Stalin who is talking to some woman. It wasn’t a big surprise to us, as he has played parts in school plays before, and once he was even a watermelon,” wrote the student’s father Fyodor Gavrichenko on his Facebook page.

Gavrichenko said the whole family worked on making the costume – especially the grandmother, who sewed trouser stripes to the pants, found some old army boots, made a generalissimo mustache and a red folder with a big star.

They didn’t realize the mistake until the last moment because the play was in German as part of the boy’s foreign language class, and no one understood what the son’s lines meant. Apparently, the boy hadn’t been paying attention in class either. Instead of bringing the costume to school before the play, he showed the teacher its picture on his cell phone. The teacher thought it was a joke and said that the costume “rocks.”

The family sensed trouble when they saw their son’s classmate dressed as Magi. “Who are you?” asked the Magi. “I’m Mary’s husband… Joseph Stalin,” said the boy. His confidence shaken, the classmate went to the teacher: “Our Joseph turns out to be Stalin… Is that a good thing?” “What?” asked the teacher, as he pulled the curtain revealing the Nativity scene with Joseph and Mary. It was too late to change.

The plot thickened before the drama began. According to the father, Stalin’s outfit was a smash. The boy’s lines were accompanied by fits of hysterical laughter through the tears from other parents, some of whom reportedly fell off their chairs.

Those who can read the original Facebook post in Russian will notice that the father knows as little about the Nativity story as his son, confusing characters and their roles in the story. This is rather a norm in Russia, where erstwhile official atheism is only now being replaced by the official Orthodox Church. This St. Petersburg father couldn’t tell the shepherds from angels even if his son’s play weren’t in German. But at least he’s trying.

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  • Softly Bob

    I don’t get it.
    Is the play meant to be about the Freddie Mercury story or not? The photo suggests that it is.
    But let’s be fair here. Stop knocking the Ruskies. At least they are trying. It’s not their fault that they don’t know any better. In another generation or so they will.
    In a generation or so, Libtard America really will be having Stalin in their nativity plays and any suggestions of other Josephs appearing will be officially classed as Leftist blasphemies!

    • Randy Wanat

      Define “Leftist.”

      • Carlos_Perera

        Define “define.”

        • Randy Wanat

          One term differs from person to person; the other is “define.” Your definition almost certainly differs in some way from the next person’s. As such, seeking an individual’s understanding of what the term means is more sensible than merely assuming what they think and addressing that instead. That’s what thoughtful people do. Is that frightening to you? And, are you the person I addressed?

    • BagLady

      At least Stalin actually existed.

      You come across as a patronising bible thumper regurgitating the mythology fed to you at your mother’s breast. Perhaps in another generation of so you will know better.

  • DaCoachK

    I initially thought the play was done in New York City. Just a matter of time, I guess. That place is a Godless and socialist paradise.

  • cacslewisfan

    Hilarious! This sounds like a story from The Onion. I’m not convinced this is a true story, the teacher’s reaction doesn’t sound plausible.

  • RMThoughts

    As if Oleg Atbashian really cared. It seems Putin hoped a reawakened Russian conservative nationalism and a return to the traditional Orthodox Christian faith would not predetermine an eventual clash with the European Union nor with the United States. It didn’t work out that way.

    Despite the supposed migration of the Neocons towards the political Right in the 1970s and 1980s, the globalist and “democratic” legacy of Trotsky remains a not-so-distant ideal for many zealous partisans. For the American Neocons, the emergence of a nationalist, Christian, and unliberal Russia is perhaps too reminiscent of the Czarist “bad old days.” And despite very different circumstances, a non-conforming Russian state demanding any form of parity with the world’s “only remaining superpower” is out of the question.

  • Sedated Princess

    This is hilarious

  • Erudite Mavin

    Too bad the Radical left and Libertarians support Putin, an admirer of Stalin who killed over 80,000 people, most innocent civilians
    KGB trained Putin Vladimir Putin: Soviet leader Joseph Stalin was no worse than Oliver Cromwell

    Soviet leader Joseph Stalin was no worse than 17th century English dictator Oliver Cromwell, Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed at a press conference…….

    “What’s the real difference between Cromwell and Stalin? None whatsoever,” Mr Putin said on Thursday, according to news service RIA Novosti.

    Mr Putin made the comments at a press conference after he was asked about a monument to Stalin being put up in Moscow.

    The city said recently that it planned to commemorate all Soviet leaders who had lived there.

    The president said that Stalin was just as deserving of a statue in his honour as that “cunning fellow” Cromwell who “played a very ambiguous role in Britain’s history”.

    • Nabukuduriuzhur

      Something happened to Putin. It’s downright weird. He started out as a reformer, and dismantled the Soviet system.

      Then, his entire personality changed. And now he’s acting like some two-bit Soviet dictator.

      I’d love to know what happened. If nothing else, it would help in predicting what he will do.

      • Erudite Mavin

        Same KGB trained Putin from day one..
        Putin’s attempt of looking like a reformer was show knowing the many gullible of the west would buy this as not understanding how the Soviets are trained and their history.
        The so called dismantling of the Soviet system was a Potemkin production.
        To put it in other words, may have opened a window or two and new paint on the old car but Putin’s Neo Soviet agenda is being played out.

  • Erudite Mavin

    Why It’s Time to Start Calling Putin a
    Fascist

    May 12, 2014
    http://www.worldpolicy.org/blog/2014/05/12/why-it%E2%80%99s-time-start-calling-putin-fascist

  • Kevin R.

    This play could be bigger than Spring Time For Hitler.