A Russian home improvement chain had begun selling bathroom accessories featuring the Buddha’s face
Russian home improvement chain Lemana Pro (formerly Leroy Merlin) has reportedly withdrawn a line of bathroom accessories that featured the face of the Buddha after the spiritual leader of Russia’s Buddhists complained about the product.
The accessories were spotted in a Lemana Pro store in the southern Russian city of Volgograd. A video of the store’s shelves featuring the line, including the $20 toilet brush, as well as liquid soap dispensers and toothbrush cups, was posted by local media outlet Volgograd News. The line was also reportedly available in the chain’s online store.
Complaints registered by customers ended up reaching the spiritual leader of Russia’s Buddhists, Geshe Yonten, who took to Telegram on Thursday to express “great indignation” at the products.
“This is completely unacceptable, it offends the religious feelings of Buddhists,” he wrote. The spiritual leader threatened to file a complaint with the prosecutor’s office if the line is not removed “immediately.” He also said he was sure that the items in question would stop being sold.
The authorities of Kalmykia, a predominantly Buddhist region that borders Volgograd, reportedly launched a probe into the store chain and the controversial product line.
Lemana Pro has since said it has started removing the controversial line from its stores, according to TASS.
Source: a screenshot from Lemana PRO website
“The company has always had deep respect for the feelings of believers. We regret the situation. The products have already been withdrawn from sale in the online store and will be removed from the shelves of [offline] stores as soon as possible,” the company’s press service told the news agency.
Insulting the feelings of believers is a criminal offence in Russia punishable by up to three years in prison.
Some media outlets pointed out, however, that it could be “almost impossible” to recall a huge batch that has already spread across online stores, marketplaces, and offline shops in different regions of Russia.
Buddhism is the third-largest religion in the country after Christianity and Islam. It is most densely represented in Kalmykia and Tyva Republic, with respective shares of 70% and 60%. Buryatia Republic in Siberia is 26% Buddhist. There are also Buddhist communities in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities.
Leroy Merlin operated in Russia from 2004 until the chain’s French owner, ADEO, departed in the spring of 2023 in the aftermath of Western Ukraine-related sanctions and transferred the business to local management. The chain, which operates over 100 stores across the country, subsequently changed its name to Lemana Pro.
