Russian MP says ancestors of politicians “boiled Christians in cauldrons”

A pro-Kremlin Russian MP came under fire on Monday after saying the ancestors of local Jewish opposition figures in Saint-Petersburg “boiled Christians in cauldrons,” sparking indignation from Russia’s Jewish community.

Vitaly Milonov, a Duma deputy known for his anti-gay initiatives, lashed out at the weekend at two local lawmakers leading a protest against handing over St. Isaac’s Basilica, a top landmark in Russia’s second largest city, to the Russian Orthodox Church.

“Christians survived despite the fact that the ancestors of Boris Vishnevsky and Maksim Reznik boiled us in cauldrons and fed us to animals,” ultra-conservative Milonov said at a rally Sunday to support the controversial handover.

Yuri Kanner, president of the Russian Jewish Congress, the country’s EJC affiliate, told AFP: “It is clear to any normal person that these lawmakers are of Jewish descent and that he means Jews.”

A fellow local lawmaker, Alexey Kovalev, officially appealed Monday to Russia’s investigative committee to launch a probe against Milonov.

Milonov “committed actions inciting hatred” and “dishonoured” MPs, Kovalev said in his appeal, posted on his official Facebook page.

He asked that Milonov’s statements be investigated under Russia’s anti-extremism law, which is widely used to prosecute opposition figures.

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