Military-Style Youth Event in Russian Church Sparks Debate

Photo: Serhiy Shumylo/Facebook screenshot

MOSCOW REGION — A military-style performance held inside the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Obukhovo on February 15 has sparked debate following reports that minors in uniform staged a choreographed presentation during an Orthodox Youth Day event.

According to parish social-media pages, the program featured participants from a local patriotic education center performing routines with simulated combat elements inside the church. The presentation reportedly took place in the right aisle, in front of the iconostasis, in the presence of clergy and faithful, and involved the use of guns that were sometimes pointed at icons. Images and posts published by the parish confirmed the event after initial online claims suggested the reports were inaccurate.

Observers note that the incident has raised questions about the appropriate use of sacred space within the Russian Orthodox Church. Commentators point to ongoing discussions regarding the intersection of religious life and military symbolism, particularly amid the broader context of the war in Ukraine.

Archpriest Sergiy Reshetnyak, rector of the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, has been suspended by the Russian Orthodox Church following dissemination of the video. A decree by Bishop Nikolay cited violations of directives prohibiting youth events in worship spaces.

Previously, the UOJ reported that overnight shelling damaged the Dormition Monastery in Odessa.

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