Father Gleb Pavlovich Yakunin, 80, former Soviet Prisoner of Conscience who became a member of parliament in the first post-Soviet legislature, died on Christmas Day in Moscow. He is survived by his wife, Iraida, his children, Maria, Anna, and Alexander, and six grandchildren.
Born in Moscow, March 4, 1934, Yakunin was an iconic figure in the fight for religious freedom and democracy in the Soviet Union. With the same integrity that he risked his freedom – and even his life – speaking against the Communists, he also spoke against the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) leadership’s collusion with both Soviet and post-Soviet governments. Yakunin’s courageous confrontation with a co-opted Church was largely ignored by churches in the West, even after his accusations proved true – and just the tip of the iceberg, at that!
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