September 05, 2023

They Took His Cross and Icons


They Took His Cross and Icons
A still image from Kurmoyarov’s video. www.youtube.com/@user-xo6kk7vz7i

A St. Petersburg court has sentenced Ioann Kurmoyarov, a former priest in the Russian Orthodox Church, to three years in prison for disseminating "fakes," or false information, about the Russian army.

Kurmoyarov’s criminal prosecution arose from a video titled "Who Will Be in Hell and Who Will Be in Heaven?" which he posted on his YouTube channel Virtualny Pravoslavniy Prichod (Virtual Orthodox Parish). In the video, he discussed Christian doctrine and asserted that Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine would not ascend to heaven but instead descend to hell. 

"In paradise, the ‘blessed are the peacemakers,’ ‘peacekeepers’ are found. Do you comprehend the problem? Those who initiated aggression will not find a place in paradise," he said.

Throughout his trial, Kurmoyarov maintained his innocence. In his closing statement, he emphasized his unwavering commitment to pacifism and his profound distress regarding the war. "I was particularly affected by the notion that Orthodox individuals were involved and suffering on both sides of the conflict," said the former priest.

Years ago, Kurmoyarov lived in Ukraine and served in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In 2017, he drew the attention of the Security Service of Ukraine for displaying a St. George ribbon, a pro-Russian symbol, on his social media. Subsequently, he relocated to Russia, became a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church, and became chair of the Theology Department at Novosibirsk Seminary. In 2020, he publicly criticized the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces in Kubinka, characterizing it as a "pagan temple." After that, the Novosibirsk Mitropolit temporarily prohibited Kurmoyarov from serving in the church, and the priest decided to leave the ROC.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kurmoyarov began denouncing the war publicly. On his channel, he released videos criticizing Russia’s aggression from a Christian doctrinal perspective. In June 2022, authorities detained him, confiscating his electronic devices, two icons, a wooden cross, and a cassock. The Human Rights Center Memorial subsequently designated Kurmoyarov as a political prisoner.

The case of the former Russian Orthodox Church priest is not an isolated incident. According to OVD.Info, nearly 700 individuals in Russia face penal persecution due to their anti-war stance, with most of them targeted under legislation addressing the "dissemination of fakes."

You Might Also Like

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.
Another Political Prisoner
  • February 20, 2023

Another Political Prisoner

A court in Barnaul sentenced an independent Russian journalist for "fake news" about the Russian army.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Murder and the Muse

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.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

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.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Marooned in Moscow

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.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

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.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

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