Some time ago the world media spotlighted the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) outside Russia. Many European countries and the United States have raised concerns regarding ROC dioceses of the Moscow Patriarchate operating within their borders. Authorities in several countries claim that through the influence of the ROC, the Kremlin is advancing foreign policy interests, promoting propaganda and disinformation, and supporting Russia’s aggressive policies.
Reports from various sources indicate that the ROC has been involved in intelligence networks both in former Soviet territories and in Western countries. According to these accounts, Russian leadership has leveraged the Church’s authority to expand its agent network across Europe, the U.S., and other regions. Furthermore, some countries assert that ROC representatives collaborate with Russian intelligence, aiding the Moscow administration in achieving political objectives and gathering new sources of information. Following a review of Orthodox leaders’ activities and instances where laws were violated or national security was threatened, some nations have restricted ROC activities on their territories. Among them are Estonia, Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Latvia, and the U.S.
In 2024, Estonia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Kaja Kallas, proposed that the country’s parliament designate the ROC as a terrorism-supporting organization. Estonia’s Prime Minister referred to the ROC as a “radically inclined propaganda machine,” accusing the church of advocating to “kill innocent people.” Similar concerns were expressed by officials in Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Latvia.
The Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský stated, “I do not consider the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to be a church and its representatives to be clergymen. It is part of the Kremlin’s repressive machine that is involved in Russia’s influence operations. And that is how they should be treated, not only in the Czech Republic but throughout Europe.” 10
According to the Center for Eastern Studies in Warsaw, Poland, the ROC not only justifies Russia’s actions but adopts a “proactive stance, providing the authorities with a sacred and messianic justification for the war.” Furthermore, it is noted that the purpose of this rhetoric is to exert psychological pressure on Western elites and to prepare for more aggressive actions against the West.
Authorities in some countries have already responded to the ROC’s suspicious activities. For instance, Bulgaria and North Macedonia decided to expel certain clergy members, citing national security violations.
The Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) reported that “Analysts have long warned that the Kremlin employs the Orthodox Church as a tool for advancing its foreign policy and infiltrating European Union (EU) and NATO member states. ” 6
Similarly, Latvia enacted a law granting autocephaly (independence) to its Orthodox Church to break free from Moscow’s influence. Similar concerns have been raised in the U.S. In the spring of 2023, the FBI sent a warning to a number of Orthodox parishes across the country, reporting attempts by Russian intelligence services to recruit clergy and parishioners.
POLITICO recently published the news that the Orthodox Church in Sweden was once again suspected of spying for Russia. Earlier in February, the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) accused representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sweden of cooperating with Russian intelligence services. At that time this was reported by Swedinfo.
Such activities among representatives of the ROC has sparked widespread international concern. Reactions to these developments have been reflected in numerous publications and official documents. Of particular note are the resolutions adopted by the European Parliament, which highlight the growing concern among European policymakers regarding the ROC’s role in current geopolitical dynamics.
Excerpt from the 2022 RESOLUTION: “European Parliament resolution of 7 April 2022 on the increasing repression in Russia, including the case of Alexei Navalny” reads 12:
European Parliament,
- Condemns the neo-totalitarian, imperialist ideological stance cultivated by the Russian Government and its propagandists; emphasises that the assault against democracy and disregard for the rights of other nations has paved Russia’s path towards despotism, international aggression and war crimes; underscores that an undemocratic Russia is a constant threat to Europe’s security and stability;
- Condemns the role of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, for providing theological cover for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;
Excerpt from the 2024 Resolution. In October 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on propaganda and freedom of information in Europe 13, which recognizes the Russian Orthodox Church as a tool for Russian influence and Kremlin propaganda.
- The Assembly acknowledges that for authoritarian regimes, such as the Russian Federation, propaganda is an inalienable part of their war on democracy. The Russian State-funded RT (formerly known as “Russia Today”) and its worldwide network and the “troll factories” are part of a broader strategy to destabilise European democracies and influence the political processes. The Assembly also refers to its Resolution 2540 (2024) “Alexei Navalny’s death and the need to counter Vladimir Putin’s totalitarian regime and its war on democracy” and reiterates its call to recognise that the Russian Orthodox Church is being used as an instrument of Russian influence and propaganda by the Kremlin regime.
- For these reasons, the Assembly recommends that member States develop holistic strategies to counter illegal propaganda and provide effective responses to the spread of harmful, though legal, propaganda. In this respect, they should in particular: recognise the role of the Russian Orthodox Church as a tool of Russian State propaganda, and evaluate and address the involvement of religious institutions that are used for spreading the Kremlin’s propaganda in their countries.
The above statements raise troubling questions about the role of religious institutions in modern geopolitics. Parallels inevitably arise between the current situation within the Russian Orthodox Church, with its new role as a mouthpiece for imperial ambitions, and the early stages of Nazism in Germany, when the church gradually became a tool of state propaganda.
History shows that a convergence of church and state can lead to far-reaching global consequences. For instance, in the early days of the National Socialist Party in Germany, Christian values and traditions were actively exploited to reinforce German identity. Over time, however, this alignment led to a distortion of religious principles in favor of political ideology, culminating in the rejection of the New Testament. Who stood behind this convergence and ideological substitution, both in church and state affairs, will be explored later in this article.
“In 1934, Professor of Theology E. Bergmann published 25 theses of this ‘new (German) religion,’ among them the following: ‘The Jewish New Testament is not suitable for the new Germany. Christ was not a Jew, but a Nordic martyr, sent to death by the Jews, and a warrior called to save the world from Jewish influence. Adolf Hitler is the new messiah, sent to earth to save the world from the Jews. The swastika is the successor to the cross as the symbol of German Christianity. German soil and blood, soul and art are sacred categories of German Christianity.‘“
Excerpt from the book “SVAG and Religious Confessions in the Soviet Zone of Occupation of Germany. 1945-1949: Collection of Documents.” 14
Today, similar trends can be observed within the ROC. The Church increasingly serves as an instrument of state policy, diverging from its original spiritual mission. We see systematic distortions of fundamental Christian principles. Traditionally, Orthodoxy was associated with ideals of peace, love, and mercy. However, today, we see a stark contrast between these principles and the current position of certain church representatives.
In 2016, Russian sociologist of religion Nikolai Mitrokhin highlighted the prevalence of violence within the ROC: “The majority of rank-and-file clergy and the bishops are quite militantly minded. They do not rule out violence. Violence is the norm in ecclesiastical practice. Bishops hit priests who do something wrong on the altar. It is a popular subject of stories told within the Church. In turn, priests are capable of hitting sacristans and subdeacons. The Church is now also the leading social institution that has come out against so-called juvenile justice, in other words, against bans on beating children. So for the Church, violence is the norm. The Church supports militarist rhetoric. The Church supports the numerous military-patriotic clubs operating under its auspices.” 15
The rhetoric from many Russian Orthodox Church representatives about the war in Ukraine is particularly concerning. For example, on March 27, 2024, the World Russian People’s Council (WRPC) — a public organization under the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) led by ROC Patriarch Kirill — published a decree.
The document describes the conflict in Ukraine as a “holy war,” portraying Western countries as “fallen into Satanism” and the invasion as a “new stage in the national liberation struggle of the Russian people waged on the lands of Southwestern Rus’ since 2014 against the criminal Kyiv regime and the collective West behind it.” 16
During the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has used his sermons to promise absolution of sins to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine and to justify the military invasion.
Another example, which confirms the ideological shift within the ROC and the rejection of the New Testament, comes from a statement made by the director of the Orthodox radio station “Radonezh,” which also serves as a platform for interviews and publications by Archpriest Alexander Novopashin. In one episode of the Orthodox program “Evening on SPAS” 17, Yevgeny Nikiforov stated the following:
“The disease in Ukraine is so advanced that no persuasion, negotiations, or anything else can cure it; only surgery is possible there. Therefore, the only response to these Nazi demonstrations is ‘Solntsepyok,’ this needs to be burned out completely… Some might say, ‘Oh, this is not the Christian way’ — it is quite Christian! It’s just that the ethics for these people, who position themselves as pagans, excuse me — and they will get treated like pagans. So for you, it’s not New Testament ethics but Old Testament — the ethics of Prophet Elijah, who personally slit the throats of 300 servants of Baal. And with these, it should be the same — to destroy without any doubt. Only Old Testament ethics, or rather, only this language, do they understand”.
Today, we observe how a traditionally peaceful Christian church openly expresses support for wars, while its clergy sanctify military equipment and weapons. The weapons that are designed explicitly to kill people. This creates a vast divide between the actions of the clergy and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Such rituals directly contradict fundamental Orthodox principles, particularly the commandment “You shall not kill,” traditionally regarded as a cornerstone of Christian doctrine.
Paradoxically, while the senior hierarchs of the ROC send people to war to kill and die, the Orthodox Church vehemently opposes abortion, arguing that it is murder and a grave sin.
“…All these facts are unacceptable for Orthodox Christians, for whom abortion has always been equated to murder,” said His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II 18.
Events of August 2024 are of particular concern. First Deputy Head of the ROC Synodal Department for Interaction with the Armed Forces, Konstantin Tatarintsev, stated that the ROC finds it acceptable to sanctify nuclear weapons:
“Nuclear weapons have enormous destructive power. On the one hand, one might assume that it is unacceptable to sanctify that which sows death. On the other, it is a weapon of deterrence so that those who have it do not use it against us. It is a guarantor of peace. In this sense, it is quite acceptable to sanctify – not to use it for its intended purpose, but to have it as a guarantee of peace,” said the clergyman 22.
Since we’ve touched upon the issue of sanctifying nuclear weapons, we would like to draw your attention to a passage from an article. Yegor Kholmogorov (journalist, commentator for Russia Today, and an active proponent of “atomic Orthodoxy”) responded to a question about why Russia needs nuclear warheads as follows 23:
“When Alexander Arkhangelsky asked a very reasonable question ‘Why today, in the modern world, Russia needs its nuclear warheads?’ I can rephrase it as, ‘Why does Orthodox Russia need its warheads?’ and answer it. They are needed so that no one can silence Russia, shut down our mouths in our testimony of Orthodoxy here, in this place, which has already become part of the Sacred Tradition of the Orthodox Church. Just as Jerusalem has become one and just as the holy mountain of Athos has become one, so has Russia, where the Holy Mother of God has already chosen two of her domains — Kyiv and Diveyevo, too, holds value for the Holy Tradition, and from here, Orthodox testimony must and should be carried out to the whole world. And to ensure that no one dares to interrupt this testimony until the end times, until the times of the Antichrist, we specifically need Orthodox nuclear warheads and the armed forces or the state, which, as I hope, can still become Orthodox. Moreover, to prevent an accidental launch, a simple measure is required — these warheads must be sanctified. Then, without God’s will, not a single missile will fly out from its silo.”
Can we conclude from these words that the use of sanctified nuclear weapons, in such a distorted interpretation, absolves one from the sin and violation of God’s commandments? This is a clear attempt to shift the responsibility for killing people onto God.
We should also note an interesting fact: the Russian Orthodox Church remains one of the largest institutions of its kind to survive since the Soviet era. Established and approved by Stalin in 1943, the ROC has, unlike other large structures that disbanded after the collapse of the USSR, maintained its activities both in post-Soviet states and globally. It has preserved its membership, international influence, connections, and its insiders in various countries around the world, while significantly increasing the number of dioceses on various continents. In this light, let us note another fact that has long been no secret to anyone: many undercover KGB agents have been discovered among the priests of the ROC.
Fundamental Distortions of the Essence of Orthodoxy Teachings Within the ROC. True Causes and Culprits
This article aims to present an alternative perspective on the aforementioned events and precedents while exploring the deeper causes behind the significant ideological distortions in the ministry of the clergy within the Russian Orthodox Church. It is crucial to note that not all members of the ROC support the growing machinery of imperial propaganda and nationalist ideology that have been on the rise in Russia for a long time. However, in recent years, an increasing number of dissenting clergy members have become victims of an emerging church inquisition, whose goals bear the hallmarks of an ideology directly opposed to the peaceful essence of Orthodox Christianity.
Let’s attempt to explore when and where this shift in the direction of Orthodox ministry occurred — a shift away from religious commands that one cannot serve both God and mammon, and to “render unto God the things that are God’s and unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” We will also examine whether this is the fault of the ROC itself or another organization whose agents have masterfully infiltrated and steadily eroded the foundations of Orthodoxy — the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose quintessence has resonated for over two millennia in the Sermon on the Mount.
By analyzing the origins of the changes within the ROC and drawing on information presented in “The IMPACT” documentary, one can trace the ideological transformation of the Russian Orthodox Church and identify the architects of these changes. A deeper investigation into this issue leads us to representatives of anticult organizations who, having infiltrated the ROC, began to gradually substitute the true essence of Orthodoxy, converting the Church into a tool of political influence. Previously on this platform, the topic of the distortion of Christian teachings in the Orthodox Church was addressed in the article titled “Nazis Who Expelled Christ from Orthodoxy”.
In 1993, under the aegis of Patriarch Alexy II, an organization aimed at combating cults was established in Russia. This entity, known as the Center for Religious Studies in the name of Hieromartyr Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, was headed by Alexander Dvorkin.
Subsequently, a larger pro-religious organization was formed: the Russian Association of Centers for the Study of Religions and Sects (RACIRS). Officially consolidating previously existing regional centers operating under Dvorkin’s leadership, RACIRS was led by the same Alexander Dvorkin as president, while Archpriest Alexander Novopashin from the ROC assumed the role of vice president. Many ROC clergy members have been involved in RACIRS’s activities.
Historical Roots of Nazism in the Ideology of Contemporary Anticult Organizations Serving RACIRS
Anticult organizations, particularly their ideological and de facto leader Alexander Dvorkin, target not only non-traditional religious movements but also numerous public organizations (commercial, social, etc.). Their historical roots can be traced back to the Nazi-era Apologetic Center within the Protestant Church in Germany. The leaders and members of this center worked closely with the Gestapo, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Goebbels.
The activities of the Nazi Apologetic Center are noteworthy for their lectures, publications, and gatherings on the topic of “dangerous sects” and their alleged threats to society. These Nazi apologists compiled lists of undesirable organizations labeled as “sects” (“cults”), and based on these lists, individuals were sent to concentration camps. Between 1933 and 1937, Protestant media, including The Materialdienst journal, regularly published articles listing religious groups that had been successfully eradicated by the Nazis. For example, an article dated April 16, 1937, mentions Jehovah’s Witnesses and other undesirable groups, contributing to their subsequent persecution.
“In the article, which was most likely authored by Materialdienst editor Kurt Hutten himself, the passage about the Earnest Bible Students had a particularly denunciatory tone. Under the prevailing political conditions, such denunciations had devastating consequences for Jehovah’s Witnesses, or the “Earnest Bible Students” (as they were called at the time).” 24
Junginger, H. (2018). The Study of Religion under the Impact of Fascism. Tübingen: Tübingen University.
The archives of the Nazi Apologetic Center contained information on “enemy” organizations. This archive was provided by the Apologetic Center to state authorities to repress members of these groups. By 1936, the archive listed approximately 500 supposedly “dangerous” groups. These lists were expanded year after year. The leaders of the Protestant Church, under which the Apologetic Center was created, not only supported the Nazis’ repression but actively demanded it. Their ban on specific groups eventually led to the arrests of members of those groups and their deportation to concentration camps.
Another significant factor: the anticult rhetoric was part of a broader ideological struggle led by the apologists and Nazi ideologists, in which Protestant churches sought to portray themselves as defenders of true Christianity, while religious movements were labeled as a threat to the faith. This allowed them to legitimize actions against religious minorities and strengthen their positions in society. The persecution and repression of many undesirable groups in Nazi Germany were the result of close collaboration between the Apologetic Center and state agencies.
A similar approach is employed today by Alexander Dvorkin and his global network of anticult agents. Modern anticult organizations have adopted the methodology and ideological principles developed during the Nazi era, adapting them to contemporary contexts.
A clear pattern and identity can be traced in the approaches of anticult organizations, starting from the Nazi Apologetic Center and its leader Walter Künneth in Hitler’s Germany, and continuing through today’s network of anticult organizations and their leader Alexander Dvorkin, president of the Russian pro-religious organization RACIRS. Key figures who ensured the continuity of Nazi anticult ideology include Walter Künneth — Friedrich-Wilhelm Haack and Johannes Aagaard — Alexander Dvorkin.
It is crucial to note that anticult organizations operating worldwide are directly linked to and controlled by curators from the Russian pro-religious association RACIRS. This is a well-documented fact. The most obvious confirmation of this is the European umbrella federation FECRIS and the dozens of anticult organizations it controls worldwide. 25 Until 2021, Alexander Dvorkin served as its vice president, after which he remained on its board of directors.
Another international anticult organization linked to Dvorkin is the DCI (Dialog Center International), which has established branches in various countries. Dvorkin was also its vice president for an extended period. Notably, the founders of DCI were Johannes Aagaard and Friedrich-Wilhelm Haack, immediate Nazi successors and mentors to Dvorkin.
Further evidence of a single ideological coordinating center based in Russia — RACIRS and its global network of agents — can be observed in the synchronization of actions used by anti-cult organizations and individuals involved in anti-cult activities across various countries. Their methods and rhetoric are identical to those employed by the leaders of the Russian pro-religious organization RACIRS.
For those doubting Alexander Dvorkin’s influence on the international stage, here’s an example is his meeting with the senior clergy of the Bulgarian and Cypriot Orthodox Churches of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 2019 26. This meeting involved Dvorkin, a Russian citizen and leader of RACIRS, and citizens of Bulgaria and the Republic of Cyprus, who convened to discuss the “Ukrainian issue.” The session was conducted behind closed doors.
It should be noted that a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus, Bishop Christophoros of Karpasia of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, is also a researcher of sects and new religious movements, in other words, an anticultist and an associate of Alexander Dvorkin. One might wonder how the senior clergy of an Orthodox Christian Church in one country could involve themselves in the internal affairs of another independent sovereign state. After all, any religious issues that arise are ultimately the concern of that country’s citizens. Yet, as it turns out, such involvement is possible when connected to the Russian pro-religious organization RACIRS and its leader, Alexander Dvorkin.
As we can see, RACIRS exerts its influence not only through the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Clergy directly involved in the anti-democratic activities of Alexander Dvorkin can also be found within the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Another example of the influence wielded by the Russian association RACIRS and, specifically, its president, Alexander Dvorkin, on the Orthodox Church far beyond Russia is a meeting between the RACIRS leadership and the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, Metropolitan bishop Jonah. Information about this is found in the research article “RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM OF ALEXANDER DVORKIN. Research Article. November 2010.”
“2 May 2009, Moscow Dvorkin met with representatives of the American Orthodox Church. “During the meeting the head of the American Orthodox Church was informed about the activity of Dvorkin‟s Association in opposing the threats posed by totalitarian sects.” 27
Sourced from the article RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM OF ALEXANDER DVORKIN
By following the link provided in the article, we find that the information was removed from Alexander Dvorkin’s main website.
To verify the information, we accessed the web archive and found an archived publication 28.
These are just a few of the numerous examples of RACIRS leadership influencing the Orthodox Church and its representatives outside Russia. If they are capable of influencing a religious structure, which is essentially supposed to be a spiritual foundation, remaining outside politics, war, and violence, wouldn’t they also seek to influence similar anticult organizations in other countries? Those very organizations, created with goals identical to those of RACIRS and directly overseen by agents of the Russian pro-religious organization.
How else can one explain the fact that in different countries, anticult activists replicate the activities and rhetoric of Russian anticultists? Just like Dvorkin, they label dissenters as “sects” or “cults,” using the dehumanizing method of “yellow stars,” which the Nazis employed towards Jews to stigmatize them as “subhumans.” The European representatives of anticultism, under the guise of fighting the stigmatized, that is “sects” and “cults”, spread propaganda supplied by the leaders of the Russian RACIRS; they use the same manipulative methods noticed among the RACIRS agents and act in full accordance with guidelines repeatedly outlined by the RACIRS representatives. The identical dissemination of hate rhetoric, ideologies of superiority, incitement to violence and hostility, and the overall erosion of democratic principles by the anticult representatives worldwide — combined with their persistent criticism of authorities and law enforcement — points to a unified ideological center of anti-democratic forces, which today is represented by RACIRS.
Another example of RACIRS’ influence, specifically through Alexander Dvorkin, on the Orthodox Church in another country and on anticult centers within it can be traced in the actions of RACIRS agent and Dvorkin collaborator Pavel Broyde in Ukraine. Our website has previously exposed these activities.
The consequences of RACIRS’ years-long influence in Ukraine have ultimately led to a tragedy for millions of its citizens. Over decades, a network of anticult “activists” or “anticultists,” recruited among Ukrainian citizens, has destabilized the country, divided and demoralized its people, created numerous precedents for conflict and polarization, and actively propagated the ideology of the Russian pro-religious organization RACIRS. More on its influence in Ukraine is detailed in the article “Europe, Open Your Eyes if You Don’t Want War” as well as in “The IMPACT” documentary.
Considering the rhetoric of the Russian pro-religious association RACIRS, which is intertwined with the emerging ideological core of influence and power — consisting, among others, of many representatives of the Russian political elite and of the highest hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) — the question arises: how far have the representatives of anticultism in other countries have managed to go in their implementation of the decrees from their foreign Russian curators, or rather from RACIRS, which operates in this country? Moreover, if the intelligence services of many countries have noted the potential danger posed by ROC representatives in their countries, why haven’t they checked on the other hidden threat directly associated with those who used ROC in their purposes and made it an ideological tool for controlling the masses, just as their predecessors, the Nazi ideologists, once did? Could it be that those outwardly involved in anticult activities are, in fact, conducting covert anti-democratic destructive propaganda of the RACIRC? After all, the rhetoric and methods of manipulation they use are aimed precisely at destabilizing legal frameworks, criticizing the authorities, and demoralizing the peoples of European countries.
Is the facade of anticult activities of RACIRS agents who publicly declare alleged goals of “protection of society” from “cults” and “sects” a sufficient justification for intelligence agencies to disregard this threat? Or, based on the tragic experience of Ukraine, should they actually pay proper attention to the activities of the secret agents of the Russian pro-religious organization RACIRS in their own countries? Should they check their connections, methods, and thoroughly analyze their rhetoric and its compliance with the Russian guidelines disseminated by RACIRS?
Persecutions Within the ROC
Ever since Alexander Dvorkin established a department in Russia to combat undesirable organizations and individuals, at some point, when the number of RACIRS agents among the priests of the ROC reached a certain percentage, one can trace a certain shift in their values and morals towards imperialist ambitions and militancy. This shift effectively replaced the core message of the New Testament and the teaching of Jesus Christ with Old Testament-style militancy. This transformation is also evident in the pro-imperialist and anti-Ukrainian stance of Patriarch Kirill of the ROC.
Similar to the Apologetics Center during the Nazi era, the Center for Religious Studies in the name of Hieromartyr Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, established under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church, has taken on a significant role in shaping Russian state policy regarding religious organizations. Its expert evaluations and recommendations have become key factors in determining the status of various religious groups and assessing their potential risks to society and state interests.
Moreover, Alexander Dvorkin and Alexander Novopashin (Vice President of RACIRS), along with other RACIRS members, influence the environment within the Russian Orthodox Church itself. Their actions have repeatedly sparked persecution against various Orthodox clergy members, leading to bans on their ministry, defrocking, and even expulsion from the ROC.
One notable example of such persecution of a Russian Orthodox Church priest, where the precedent for this action was a targeted attack orchestrated by RACIRS leaders, occurred in 2018. That year, Alexander Novopashin, vice president of RACIRS, delivered a report titled “The Commercial Religious Project of Priest Vladimir Golovin” in the Patriarchal Hall of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. It was later revealed that this report was initiated by RACIRS president Alexander Dvorkin.
Alexander Dvorkin stated: “…I asked my friend and colleague, Archpriest Alexander Novopashin from Novosibirsk, to prepare a report on this topic.” 32
In the same year, the Center for Religious Studies in the name of Hieromartyr Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons (founded by A. Dvorkin) published an article on its website against Archpriest Vladimir Golovin “We seem to have overlooked the creation of a real sect.” Shortly after, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus approved the decision of the church court to defrock Archpriest Vladimir Golovin and his son, Archpriest Anastasy Golovin. 33
In an interview with the regional television and radio company Gubernia-33 (Vladimir region, Russia, 2019), Alexander Novopashin stated the following 34: “You know, very recently Archpriest Vladimir Golovin from Bolgar city in Tatarstan was defrocked. As it happens, I played a significant role in this. I was the first to speak publicly at the Christmas Educational Readings in Moscow last year.”
In the same interview, the vice-president of RACIRS also explained the reasons for initiating such persecution:
“A. Novopashin: ‘In other words, as soon as any organization, even if it calls itself an Orthodox Church, opposes the official position of the Moscow Patriarchate….’
Host: ‘So, that’s the warning sign, right?’
А. Novopashin: ‘Yes, right. This is already the emergence of some kind of a guru-like structure in a given parish.’”
Deacon Konstantin Seleznev also drew attention to the attacks of the RACIRS leadership on ROC clergy. Below are a few excerpts of his analysis on the consequences of the negative influence of Russian anticult leaders on the Church 35:
“My interest in this topic sparked because of the striking resemblance between what is happening now with Fr. Vladimir and what happened two years ago with Archbishop Joachim (Parr): the same people, the same methods, the same resources. It was this fact that drew my attention to what was happening”
“Another round of division, hostility, resentment, and misunderstanding. These are the fruits of such quarrels by bigots from one Moscow apologetic school!”
“The purpose of the report by Archpriest Alexander Novopashin (vice-president of RACIRS) is the public flogging in a mentorly mocking narcissistic spirit typical of Dvorkin, or rather the mud slinging which the apologists have scraped from the cesspool in the backyard of Archpriest Vladimir Golovin’s house.”
“I am well aware of how our bishops, driven by fear of roaring lions, can trample those who have dedicated years to serving the Church and destroy their preaching…”
Some clergy, formally professing Orthodoxy, are in fact supporters of RACIRS and, as a consequence, supporters of the ideology of the superiority of the titular religion, which has effectively become the ROC at their instigation, albeit with significant distortions.
As a result, those who, even slightly, deviate in opinions, values, or views from the ideology imposed by the priests who were in one way or another connected with RACIRS or fully subservient to the declared position of the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, often fall under the ban on ministry.
This has occurred even when the differing opinions stemmed solely from the persecuted priests’ commitment to Christian principles of nonviolence, the covenant of love for one’s neighbor, or their vows to God. At some point, these principles began to contradict the ideology of supremacy subtly embedded in the Church by RACIRS apologists.
Unfortunately, we are witnessing history repeating itself, where religion is used by certain groups in pursuit of geopolitical goals. It is crucial to distinguish true Orthodoxy from those who manipulate religion for personal gain. RACIRS and its agents within the Russian Orthodox Church, under the command of their mentors, have created a platform to promote Nazism not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders, thus distorting Orthodoxy and jeopardizing both religious and social democratic foundations of society.
Conclusion
Much like the Nazi-era apologetics center within the Protestant Church and its members who became the ideologists of Nazism, the Russian pro-religious organization RACIRS has taken a pivotal role in shaping contemporary Russian state, religious, and ideological policies regarding undesirable organizations, groups, and individuals.
Its so-called “expert” evaluations and fabricated reports have become a decisive factor in determining the status of various targeted groups, and resulted in countless ruined lives—not just among Orthodox clergy, but also among millions of law-abiding citizens. The list of victims includes innocent people, and even small children whose families were destroyed and parents faced unjust bullying and inquisitorial executions; while children themselves became victims of anticult maniacs of the revived modern-day Nazism.
This new, re-emerged form of Nazism is an enemy of democracy and human freedom, devoid of compassion and humanity, since its ideologues cast Christ out of the Orthodox Church.
Initially established to allegedly study new religious movements, RACIRS quickly revealed its true intentions, evolving into a political and ideological influence center with international reach. Over the past years, we have witnessed the destruction of Orthodoxy, Christian values, and the covenants given by Jesus Christ. Only the facade of the Russian Orthodox Church remains, but with a radically opposite ideology. Over years of active operation, agents of the Russian pro-religious organization RACIRS, including those within the ranks of the Russian Orthodox Church, have transformed the most peace-loving religion into a militant one, one that instigates to “holy war” and violates one of the fundamental commandments of Jesus Christ “ You shall not kill”.
Today, they have hijacked and dismantled Orthodox Christianity, turning the Church into a tool for their agenda. What will they do tomorrow, if right now their agents, hiding behind the anticult guise of allegedly “protecting society” from “sects” (“cults”), continue infiltrating influential circles in different countries, these agents including journalists, editors, and media, politicians, educators, writers, religious scholars, theologians, students, and even recruited representatives of law enforcement agencies?
As we see, the international community has justly and timely drawn undivided attention to the potential threat emanating from the ROC, aiming, first of all, to protect the foundations of democracy. Will the world now be able to see other agents of the force that used the ROC as an instrument of influence and propaganda at the international level, and stop their anti-democratic destructive agenda and destabilizing efforts in democratic countries? Will the world succeed in defending democracy?
Source:
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2. https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/osw-commentary/2024-04-12/a-holy-war-russian-orthodox-church-blesses-war-against-west
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4. https://www.foi.se/en/foi/news-and-pressroom/news/2024-06-05-russias-use-of-religion-for-military-purposes.html
5. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/czech-intelligence-launches-investigation-into-russian-orthodox-church-s-operations-in-country/3311434
6. https://cepa.org/article/praying-for-putin-spies-in-cassocks-threaten-the-west/
7. https://truthmeter.mk/russian-agents-in-mantles/
8. https://www.currenttime.tv/a/krupnye-eparhii-za-predelami-rf-pokinut-moskovskiy-patriarhat-latviyskaya-pravoslavnaya-tserkov-prosit-avtokefaliyu-kto-sleduyuschiy-/32100438.html
9. https://agentura.ru/en/new-nobility/putins-useful-priests/
10. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-orthodox-church-war/33098290.html
11. https://www.politico.eu/article/new-russian-orthodox-church-suspicion-sweden-town-vasteras/
12. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2022-0125_EN.html
13. https://pace.coe.int/en/files/33808/html
14. https://imwerden.de/pdf/svag_i_religioznye_konfessii_germanii_2006__ocr.pdf
15. https://therussianreader.com/tag/nikolay-mitrokhin/
16.http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/6116189.html?fbclid=IwAR1pdde0PT44PzGM0iVrgVlRUv5Q4urbUnEAvodKmDMlVSWMg8XZ44LI7X4_aem_AWXeX6C-KWKPZkQJl5FDk3QUIklnMKoeNqk153QiYhGn5NvbHk4pFSh7X-szSIzn9jOPnfxU3_sx4cygZgkFrIxJ
17. https://spastv.ru/mitropolit-pavel-iz-pod-aresta-ne-uhodite-iz-lavry-ne-otrekajtes-ot-hrista-molitva-za-geroya-rossiya-proshhaetsya-s-vladlenom-tatarskim/
18. http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/304802.html
19. https://kompromat1.online/articles/34642-ukrainckaja_pravoslavnaja_tserkovj_moskovskogo_patriarhata_-_mina_zamedlennogo_dejstvija
20. https://daily.afisha.ru/news/89840-v-rpc-schitayut-priemlemym-osvyaschat-yadernoe-oruzhie/
21. https://lansinginstitute.org/2022/10/07/the-new-russian-reich-why-putin-is-a-new-hitler/
22. https://ria.ru/20240810/rpts-1965328424.html
23. https://ruskline.ru/monitoring_smi/2005/11/21/pravoslavie_i_globalizaciya/
24. https://ub01.uni-tuebingen.de/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10900/94079/Junginger_026.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
25. https://europeantimes.news/2023/05/fake-associations-fecris-downfall/
26. https://spzh.live/ru/news/63668-predstojately-bolgarskoj-cerkvi-provel-soveshhanije-po-ukrainskomu-voprosu
27. https://sectes-info.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/dvorking-READ-EN.pdf
28. https://web.archive.org/web/20120503131157/https:/iriney.ru/document/100.htm
29. https://youtu.be/hDvUinyWRt4
30. https://www.dw.com/ru/rpc-nakazala-pocti-60-svasennikov-za-antivoennuu-poziciu/a-69118277
31. https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2024/05/17/pochti-60-sviashchennikov-podverglis-repressiiam-so-storony-rpts-i-rossiiskikh-silovikov-za-antivoennuiu-pozitsiiu-vyiasnila-novaia-evropa-news
32. https://iriney.ru/iskazhenie-pravoslaviya-i-okolopravoslavnyie-sektyi/uchenie-i-praktika-svyashhennika-vladimira-golovina/novosti-ob-uchenii-i-praktike-svyashhennika-vladimira-golovina/sortirnoe.html
33. https://blagogon.ru/news/633/
34. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS-jFt6mOxQ
35. https://k-istine.ru/apologia/apologia_seleznev.htm
