April 09, 2025

Fined Pacifist Bishop: "Thou Shalt Not Kill"


Fined Pacifist Bishop: "Thou Shalt Not Kill"
Icon of Christ Pantocrator Viktor Vacilevich Zhegalov (1898—1941), Wikimedia Commons.

On April 1, a St. Petersburg court fined a pacifist Russian Orthodox bishop R30,000 ($355) for “discrediting the army.”

The bishop had earlier helped Ukrainian refugees. Letters of gratitude from Ukrainian institutions in Kherson were attached to his case at the request of his lawyer.

Orthodox Apostolic Bishop Gregory Minkhov-Vaytenko and his religious organization have dedicated themselves to helping those affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, particularly Ukrainian refugees. On March 11, 2022, Minkhov-Vaytenko posted a video on Telegram calling for peace between Russia and Ukraine.  

In his message, the bishop cited Jesus' exorcism of demons into a herd of pigs (Matthew 8:28-34). According to Minkhov-Vaytenko's lawyer, Chertkov, an employee of the Ministry of Interior, "pulled a number of phrases from different places in the address ... [and] created a semblance of a statement by incorrectly quoting and taking it out of context." Authorities proceeded to charge the bishop with "discreditation of the army." The attorney also claims that the police inspector "expressed a subjective opinion in the report." Chertkov said the statute of limitations for Minkhov-Vaytenko's case has already expired.

This is not the first encounter Bishop Minkhov-Vaytenko has had an encounter with law enforcement. On February 16, 2024, the day anticorruption activist Alexey Navalny was found dead in his cell, the clergyman was arrested outside his home as he was leaving to hold a memorial service for the dissident.

Shortly after, Minkhov-Vaytenko was rushed to the hospital from jail due to suffering a stroke. The police oppened a case against him for "calls for mass simultaneous presence of citizens in a public space." The bishop was declared a "foreign agent" after his arrest. However, the criminal case against him was closed in July, due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

On April 1, the clergyman denied the "discreditation of the army" charges. The bishop cited Russian Orthdox Church documents and the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13) to defend his statements. Despite his efforts, Minkhov-Vaytenko was forced to pay a fine. The bishop said he will discredit resolving conflicts by force "as long as he lives."

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church has classified pacifism as heresy.

You Might Also Like

Log Your Blog, or Else
  • April 06, 2025

Log Your Blog, or Else

Russian influencers could face consequences if they fail to register with the state.
ROC: Pacifism is Heresy
  • June 15, 2023

ROC: Pacifism is Heresy

A Russian Orthodox priest called for peace. In response, the church said pacifism is "incompatible" with Orthodox teachings.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955