because he's a foreigner, unfamiliar with Russian customs. Speaking via Mikhail Shishkov, spokesman for the Valaam Monastery in the Russian Republic of Karelia, which Vladimir Putin visited on Monday, Father Mefody, the hand-kissing priest, said: "I kissed the Russian president's hand as a token of acknowledgement of the great Russian nation by the small [Macedonian] nation" (see here ). Shishkov explained that Mefody is originally from Macedonia, where it is common for the lowly to kiss the hands of their superiors -- ecclesiastical or otherwise. Possibly aware of the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church is currently facing criticism for appearing to be too closely entwined with the Putin regime, Shishkov went on to explain: "People call me and say: 'Why do you crawl, why do you behave like sycophants?' I have not heard such boorishness before." He added: "This person is a Macedonian; he filled that action with profound meaning. But [critics] only see the church as an enemy and aggressor. They are not interested in how many people he brought to Christ, how selflessly he works or how hospitably he receives Valaam guests." I am not entirely sure why I posted about this particular incident, which will probably soon be forgotten about. I guess the above video seemed interesting enough for me to want to highlight it on here -- especially after having just recently written about liturgical kissing and the traditions associated with reverencing the hands of priests. The clip also clearly emphasises the symbolic potency of