Russian physicist is the first to register electrical discharges during the descent of the Holy Fire

Section on "Christianity and science" of the 17th Christmas educational readings carried out on Tuesday in Moscow first voiced the results of scientific experiment held by Russian scientists on Great Sunday 2008 in the Church of Lord's Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The branch head of the Kurchatov atomic energy institute Doctor of Physics and Mathematics Andrey Volkov spoke about his own attempt to measure low-frequency long-wavelength radio signals in Jerusalem church during annual descent of the Holy Fire.

The scientist used special equipment to make measurements in the church during 6,5 hours of waiting for the fire and it took him the next few months to decipher it.

Volkov considers "absolute miracle" the difference between indices received on the descent day and the day before. Besides, according to him, analysis of cracks in the column before the entrance to the church really makes him think they could appear only in result of electrical discharge."

According to Volkov, his counterpart, leading expert on mechanics of destruction, Yevgeny Morozov, proves the same things. Though he believes that "measures taken only once cannot be evident enough from the strictly scientific viewpoint," Volkov also states he bears full responsibility for the received results and is ready to present them.

"However, if you ask me as a scientist if there was something (a miracle - IF) or not, I'll tell you I don't know," he said.

Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Commission on miraculous events, lecturer of St. John Russian Orthodox University Alexander Moskovsky said Volkov "made a scientific achievement as he carried out the first in history serious, trustworthy and responsible scientific research of the Holy Fire."

The Holy Fire has appeared at the Lord's sepulcher for many centuries shortly before Orthodox Easter. Eastern Christians are convinced that the miracle of the Holy Fire proves the truth of the Orthodox faith as every Easter the Holy Fire appears at the Lord's Sepulcher. The believers think the descent of the fire disapproves of any atheistic views.

Source: Interfax religion