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An Orthodox priest in Russia's Urals region has been posted to a remote village as punishment for his wife's participation in a local beauty pageant during Lent.
Oksana Zotova, who runs a beauty salon in the city of Magnitogorsk, won the Miss Sensuality prize at the contest, and attracted a wave of criticism after an anonymous revealed that she was the wife of a priest.
Once religious authorities in the diocese got wind of the story, Sergei Zotov was promptly dismissed from his post at Magnitogorsk's Cathedral of the Ascension of Christ.
He must now ply his trade in the village of Fershampenuaz, around 65 kilometres away from Magnitogorsk, and with population of just 4,000.
The village was named in honour of Cossacks who fought against Napoleon in the battle of Fère-Champenoise in 1814.
The diocese of Magnitogorsk was not entertained by the exploits of Fr Sergei's wife.
Archpriest Feodor Saprykin, chair of the diocesan court, "it is a great sin when the wife of a priest exposes herself for show".
He ruled that Sergei Zotov "will not be rehabilitated until his wife repents".
"What kind of a priest is he if he cannot control his own family?" he questioned. "How does he intend to control his congregation?"
The anonymous Pikabu post also claimed that this was not the first example of her "outrageous behaviour".
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