Russian Opera Director, Timofei Kulyabin, Faces Jail Time for Wagner Debacle

Russian theater director, Timofei Kulyabin, is facing jail time for his misinterpretation of a Wagner opera in the Russian city of Novosibirsk. We've heard of a bad performance, but this bad?

Prosectuors are checking Kulyabin's staging of Tannhauser, which features a scene where Roman goddess Venus promises eternal love to Jesus Christ to stay in her grotto, which he ultimately destroys with the help of the Virgin Mary, according to The Moscow Times.

After a complaint was filed earlier this month, an investigation was launched by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in the region, Metropolitan Tikhon. And as time has shown, you don't want to upset the Russian church.

As MT points out, the new staging of the opera, which has been performed at Novosibirsk State Opera and Ballet Theater since December, is "an affront to the feelings of religious believers, an offense to the Orthodox Church and an incitement to religious hatred," Tikhon says.

Funny enough, the new sovereign was put into effect in 2013 when Pussy Riot insulted the feelings of religious believers. They sang a "punk prayer" in Moscow's main cathedral, calling for Mary to banish President Putin.

As one would imagine, Putin is doing fine.

However, if convicted, Kulyabin faces a fine of up to 50,000 rubles ($800) or 120 hours of community service.

Until then, here's a preview of the opera below.