On Anniversary of Odessa Fire, OCU Cleric Calls Tragedy 'Barbecue Day'

Yasynets congratulated Ukrainians on May 2 with "Barbecue Day." Photo: Yasynets' Facebook

On the 11th anniversary of the tragedy at the Odessa Trade Union House, when 42 people died in the fire on May 2, 2014, OCU cleric Yaroslav Yasynets published a post on his Facebook page with the text: “Congratulations to all involved on Barbecue Day (some of them have already received eternal life in battle).” Later, Yasynets deleted this post but left another one—where he is posing with barbecue in his hands.

In the comments under his publication, the OCU cleric wrote: “I propose that on Barbecue Day we introduce an exemption from fasting—in memory of the liberation of Odessa from the separitists.”

One of Yasynets’ subscribers, Oleksii Tkachenko, left another comment under the post: “A reenactment of the events in Odessa 11 years ago.”

Earlier, the UOJ's Ukrainian branch (SPZh) reported that Yasynets had called on employees of the Territorial Recruitment Centers to pray to St. John the Warrior for catching draft dodgers, since this saint helps in the capture of runaway slaves and servants.

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