Madonna's prayers for Pussy Riot's imminent liberation has fallen on the eager ears of the Orthodox believers, antigay activists, and certain politicians. Obviously tired from an onslaught of criticism from the Western media and voices of support from all corners of the world, Russian public figures and organisations lost the nerve. The Vice Premier Minister of Russian Federation wrote in his Twitter on Wednesday morning:

      "Every aging ex-tart seeks to teach morals to others, especially during overseas tours and concerts".

      This was only the beginning. Later the same day the representatives of the Union of Orthodox Gonfaloniers burnt the posters of Madonna and Pussy Riot in front of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral. As the Union's head, Leonid Simonovich-Nikshich explained to the Russian Interfax news agency, the Union was "against sin, not against people".

      One of the State Duma deputies claims, the Moscow Government turned the blind eye to the fact that Madonna used a cultural venue to stage a political action: "although she entered the country as an artist, she then used her concert to orchestrate an unsanctioned political event", he says. The deputy genuinely does not understand why "Citizen Ciccone escaped any sort of responsibility". 

      Tonight, on August 9, Madonna gives a concert in St. Petersburg. The northern capital of Russia has its own grievances: Madonna supports the LGBT movement, whereas Petersburg authorities adopted the law prohibiting the propaganda of homosexuality and paedophilia. Petersburg citizens, hostile to the LGBT and Madonna, planned to organised several events across the city "enlightening" others on the threat Madonna presents. They were also reported as planning to go to the Palace Square in St. Peterburg where Madonna gave her first concert in this city several years ago and to ask a priest to purify the space with holy water.

      The aforementioned deputy was planning to attend Madonna's concert in Petersburg to personally observe the singer's behaviour. However, recently he was reported not going to the concert because he "did not want to lose several hours of his life". His assistants will go instead and make footage of Madonna's and crowd's behaviour. 

      Yesterday a pious woman from Novosibirsk was reported filing a suit against Pussy Riot for "moral damage" she bore while watching their "punk mass" on the Internet. The court verdict in Pussy Riot case is scheduled for August 17, 2012.

      UPDATE: The Vice PM wrote later yesterday evening on his Facebook page that he did not mean Madonna in his tweet:

      "They linked my tweet with the so-called "Madonna", although I didn't say a word about her. Here is what happens when there is a solid public opinion on something".  

      He evidently implies that it is the Russian public opinion that sees Madonna as an ex-tart, whereby his tweet was interpreted as related to her. It is unlikely that Madonna cares, though...