Cynicism and faith as Russia goes to polls

SERGIYEV POSAD (RUSSIA): As the bearded Russian Orthodox priest came in to vote, the head of the polling station bent down to kiss his hand.

Monks, icon painters and seminary students were among those who trickled in on Sunday morning to cast presidential ballots in the vaulted chambers of the 19th century seminary at one of Russia’s most famous monasteries, the Trinity-Saint Sergius monastery, 70 km outside Moscow.

The election will certainly see Kremlin’s preferred successor Dmitry Medvedev, who has had the public backing of the Russian orthodox church, become president.

"Most of the students are going to vote for Medvedev. He is inclined toward the church. That means he is also inclined toward God," said seminarian Alexei Melnikov, 19, wearing a black uniform. "He will create a good society, our hopes are in him." he said.

A few yards away from the Mariinsky theatre in St Petersburg, the hometown of Medvedev, the mood was not so optimistic for city’s new favorite son. President Vladimir Putin also hails from the city.

I’ll trust you with a secret. I wrote on my ballot paper ‘We want honest elections,’" said Yury who is a pensioner.

International observers have criticized the elections, which have seen liberal opposition candidates barred from the poll and blanket coverage in favour of Medvedev on state television.

"I have had enough of these Peterburgers. They take everything," said Sergei Vanisian, an architect who was thinking of voting for the Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov.

"I would have liked for all the candidates to have boycotted the poll so that Medvedev would take part in this joke all alone," he said.

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