Bp. Theodosius: Ukraine's Authorities Classify Icons as Works of Art and Relics as Mummies
ROCOR hierarch links current policies toward holy sites and clergy to Soviet-era repression, calls for prayer and respect for religious freedom.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — At the House Triangle on Capitol Hill this past Tuesday, Bishop Theodosius of Seattle, vicar of the Western American Diocese of ROCOR and a native of Ukraine, gave a speech during a special press conference held as part of the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco's Day of Action to raise awareness for the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). His Grace's full speech had to be edited for time, but the Union of Orthodox Journalists of America has obtained his full written remarks.
Bishop Theodosius himself was tonsured a monastic at the Kyiv Caves Lavra, which was recently seized and transformed into a "museum" by the Ukrainian government, with the holy relics of saints being exposed to open air as reliquaries are sprayed with cleaning solutions by secular workers.
In what could be described more accurately as a homily, His Grace began by congratulating all those who were preparing to celebrate the Feast of the Holy and Great Martyr Barbara. Bishop Theodosius reflected on his lifelong ties to Kyiv, where he attended a church in which St. Barbara's holy relics reside, and voiced deep concern over what he described as an intensifying assault on the UOC and its holy places.
Recalling his upbringing and early monastic life in Kyiv, the bishop drew historical parallels between Soviet-era persecution and present-day policies affecting monasteries, relics, and clergy. He criticized the treatment of sacred sites as cultural exhibits and warned against state interference in church life.
"It is simply incomprehensible how, having seized and confiscated a monastery that has belonged to monks for centuries - on land granted to them in the eleventh century by Prince Sviatoslav - they have reclassified this universally-recognized sacred place as a mere 'historical monument', classified holy icons simply as 'works of art', and pronounced that sacred relics of saints are 'mummies' and 'artifacts' for exhibition," His Grace said.
Bishop Theodosius also condemned the seizure of churches and monasteries, the imprisonment and mistreatment of hierarchs, and what he called the legitimization of schism. “These individuals, dressed in vestments as if they were bishops and priests, forcibly seize churches from the sole canonical, autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church," he said. "In addition, they assault bishops whilst seizing cathedrals, attack priests as churches are being confiscated, and forcibly evict monks and nuns from appropriated monasteries.” He added that such actions are widely documented.
Bishop Theodosius gives a speech during the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco's Day of Action. Photo: Aaron Hickman/UOJ-USA
"Only a few years ago, we witnessed a schism occur in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, when the Patriarch of Constantinople (modern Istanbul in Turkey) stepped inappropriately into ecclesiastical affairs outside of his canonical jurisdiction and fostered tragic division amongst the Ukrainian faithful," Bishop Theodosius said. "Individuals who possessed no apostolic succession, whom the Canonical Church had long judged to be schismatics, were summarily 'granted the right' to serve and to alter the face of Christianity in the country, and even given the mocking title 'Orthodox Church in Ukraine', setting themselves in opposition to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with a name that sounds intentionally similar to the ancient Church there, in order to confuse and deceive the faithful."
Reflecting on his youth under Soviet rule, he noted that worshippers once faced surveillance and punishment for attending services. “Yes, this sounds like the worst excesses of the Communist period, but it is happening today,” he said, arguing that fear and coercion have again become tools against believers. He concluded by urging prayer for the Church, the faithful, and the nation’s leaders.
"For now, Christians in the beloved land of my childhood are suffering greatly - too greatly, and I pray that all those of good will and influence will exert that influence to change this situation for the better," Bishop Theodosius said. "I cannot help but feel that the many saints of Kyiv, and of all the lands of Ukraine, and indeed of all Slavic lands and peoples, are crying out from heaven for such action. They sorrow now, but surely they remember the words of the Psalm, as do we, that 'those who sow in tears shall reap in joy' (Psalm 125:5). Let us all work together so that these tears may not last long, and that joy might be restored. May God grant to leaders and others currently engaged in such wrongdoing to come to the knowledge of truth and not destroy their souls in eternity! Indeed, this is the time for preaching the Truth in peace, and crying out in unity in the words of King David: 'O Lord, stir up Thy strength and come to save us!' (Psalm 79:3).
The full speech of His Grace Bishop Theodosius of Seattle can be read below.
Address at the 'Defending Faith and Freedom on Capitol Hill' Conference
First and foremost, I would like to congratulate everyone on the forthcoming feast of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara. This is not merely a significant celebration for the Universal Church, it is equally a special day for the city of Kyiv - for so long the heart of Orthodoxy for all Slavic peoples and their spiritual descendants.
I begin my remarks with these words about the Feast of the Holy Great Barbara and the city of Kyiv primarily because I was born in that ancient city and studied there. Indeed, I was received into the Church in the parish in Kyiv where St. Barbara's relics are kept. I continued on to sing in the choir, serve, and participate in reading at the kliros during Divine Services in that very Kyivan church where I began my spiritual life. This means that current activities in that long-suffering land are dear and personal to me, and I wish to reflect before you on tragic changes I see occurring in our day, relating to persecution against Christians and restrictions of the freedom of religion in a classically Orthodox Christian country.
An interesting fact of history merits recollection today, as a starting point for these observations. When St. Michael's Monastery in Kyiv, known as 'The Golden-Domed', was being closed at the time of the Bolshevik revolution, the relics of St. Barbara were to be transferred to a museum, as so often sorrowfully happened with sacred things in those terrible times. The Greeks, however, learned of this and requested that the Bolsheviks and Communists return the relics to Greece. The Bolsheviks agreed. However, the Greeks stipulated that the relics must be transferred precisely as they had been brought to Kyiv in the twelfth century at the behest of Princess Barbara (wife of Prince Mikhail Izyaslavich): carried in procession from city to city and from village to village, accompanied by prayers and hymns. Naturally, the Communists rejected this request, and Orthodox Christians were forced, under persecution, first to transfer the relics of S.t Barbara to the Church of the Apostle Andrew, and subsequently to St. Vladimir's Cathedral.
Tragically, governmental authorities in Ukraine in our present day, appearing to have learned nothing from history, have resolved to go further than did those in the first decades of the last century. In our days, during Great Lent, the government in Ukraine closed the caves in the Lavra Monastery where the relics of dozens of universally revered saints are kept, designing the sacred remains instead as 'museum exhibits' - an exact replication of what was done under the Communists. It is simply incomprehensible how, having seized and confiscated a monastery that has belonged to monks for centuries - on land granted to them in the eleventh century by Prince Sviatoslav - they have reclassified this universally-recognized sacred place as a mere 'historical monument', classified holy icons simply as 'works of art', and pronounced that sacred relics of saints are 'mummies' and 'artifacts' for exhibition.
Please bear in mind, if it is possible, this is happening in our very day! As of today, one may stroll through the confiscated territory of the Lavra Monastery for a fee, as if it were a theme park or museum, rather than a centuries-old center of prayer. The price list for amusements is displayed at the gates of the central entrance of the seized property. One can even, for a slightly higher charge, order bell-ringing - which seems a particular insult, given that for hundreds of years those bells tolled the beginnings of Divine Services and prayers, and now they are rung for amusement and entertainment.
Perhaps most egregious is the treatment of sacred relics, which Orthodox Christians value as visible signs of the Grace of God. Whilst living in Kyiv and residing at the Kyiv Lavra Monastery, I participated in the opening of several other monasteries and the consecration of many churches, often involving the glorification of saints and the revealing of their relics. In so many cases today, the present rulers of Ukraine wish to transfer the relics of renowned saints from the Monastery to the West - not for veneration, but to become museum exhibitions abroad. This is clearly activity against the Church, against the expression of faith, and against the tradition of pious Ukrainian people. And do not forget: this is being done in a country where, according to the constitution, the Church is separate from the activities of the State, not so dissimilarly from the United States. But in Ukraine this constitutional law concerning the freedom of religion exists, but sadly remains unenforced.
Unfortunately, much of this appears to be aggravated by external forces. Only a few years ago, we witnessed a schism occur in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, when the Patriarch of Constantinople (modern Istanbul in Turkey) stepped inappropriately into ecclesiastical affairs outside of his canonical jurisdiction and fostered tragic division amongst the Ukrainian faithful. Individuals who possessed no apostolic succession, whom the Canonical Church had long judged to be schismatics, were summarily 'granted the right' to serve and to alter the face of Christianity in the country, and even given the mocking title 'Orthodox Church in Ukraine', setting themselves in opposition to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with a name that sounds intentionally similar to the ancient Church there, in order to confuse and deceive the faithful. These individuals, dressed in vestments as if they were bishops and priests, forcibly seize churches from the sole canonical, autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In addition, they assault bishops whilst seizing cathedrals, attack priests as churches are being confiscated, and forcibly evict monks and nuns from appropriated monasteries. All of this is well documented and may be viewed both on YouTube broadcasts and in unbiased news reports. Then, in the churches they have confiscated, in some they give a show of being religious, but in many documented cases they arrange concerts, exhibitions, and raucous feasts, hanging video screens on frescoed church walls, displaying news broadcasts and other secular nonsense.
Yes, this sounds like the worst excesses of the Communist period, but it is happening today. And this is far from all. There are more than a few cases of bishops now imprisoned without trial or investigation, some are placed under house arrest, and occasionally they are even poisoned. One receives the impression that the present ruling authorities have an overwhelming desire to turn against their own religious people, rather than attending responsibly to their needs.
Recently, we were made aware that the reach of such behaviors, linked to the cause of Ukraine, have been extended well beyond its borders. Some even in Washington, clearly influenced by falsehoods in the media and elsewhere, now wish to accuse and attack other entities - almost always religious entities - that they can branded as being 'anti-Ukrainian' or 'pro-war', even when such accusations are patently false. For example, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in which I serve as a Bishop and which, despite its historical name, is in fact headquartered in New York City, was recently attacked in a libelous article in a significant media source here in Washington, D.C., characterizing our clergy in the USA as 'foreign agents' working against the cause of peace in Ukraine, despite the fact that our Church is one of the closest in the whole world to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and has openly spoken and worked for the cessation of bloodshed in that land, and the preservation of peace and freedom of religion. Such an accusation was even repeated by a Congressman, though thank God other Members of Congress reacted to his social media posts, denouncing such false characterizations and noting, rightly, how we all work for peace. Perhaps it would be well for those living in the United States of America, who wish to accuse the Orthodox Church in political terms, to recall the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights of our Constitution, which assures all of us the right of 'Freedom of Religion'. Presenting ancient Churches that serve in this country as being 'political' simply because they have a historical connection to some other land, only serves to hinder that freedom. The Orthodox Church seeks not to enter into political causes, much less promote any political ideology. Her principal concern consists in guiding her flock in the struggle against sin, praying for peace, and striving to acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit. Secular politics are a concept entirely external to the ecclesiology of the Church.
These are hard things to hear, and hard to witness; but sadly they are not new. Allow me to draw a personal testimony. Having been born in Kyiv in 1964 and having studied in Kiev, I myself was one of the first to receive monasticism at the Kyiv-Caves Monastery after its re-opening following long Communist closure, in what now seems the distant year of 1988. I should like briefly to recall what Ukraine was like then, when it was still one of the republics of the Soviet Union.
In the entire city of Kyiv, with a population of two million inhabitants, there were merely five functional churches, and it was not always possible to gain entrance to them. On the Great Feast of Pascha (the Orthodox term for Easter), in order for me to enter a church from the age of sixteen to eighteen, it was necessary for me to carry my passport, walk beside my parents (practically holding my mother's hand), and understand the consequences of attending Divine Services: that this might well be reported both to my parents' workplace and to my school, from which expulsion and dismissal were very real possibilities. At that time, the churches were surrounded by a police cordon tasked with checking documents. All this, in regard to Ukrainian citizens' simple desire to pray to God and worship His Glory!
And now, look to today. At the moment, a man or woman seeking to pray in an Orthodox Church in Ukraine may be violently driven out of it during Divine Services with batons and tear gas; there are ample videos of this on-line. One risks being beaten (both inside and outside in the proximity of the church), poisoned (as was recently done to one of the Bishops of the UOC), or prevented from entering because schismatics seized the church during the night and changed the locks. Again, all of this is thoroughly documented, and has been identified even by prestigious organizations such as the United Nations and Amnesty International. The only difference from the persecution in the days of Cold War Communism is that then, atheists possessed no faith and occasionally acted more humanely towards the faithful, whereas now those who currently rule over Ukraine seem to fear nothing and no one, shielding themselves with faith, since they consider themselves above the law.
Even deceased writers, poets, scholars, and statesmen of Ukraine suffer. Thirty-five years ago, we, the monastics of the Kyiv-Caves Lavra, restored the grave of Pyotr Stolypin, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Imperial Russia, which was located on the grounds of the Lavra. We returned the monument and cross from the museum's storage. Everything was arranged by us exactly as it had been after his death in 1911. This was an individual at the heart of reform in many Slavic lands, and of ensuring a more active representation of all people at the level of government. The present rulers, however, now wish not merely to destroy the restored grave, but also to exhume the remains of Stolypin and transfer them to Russia. The same is occurring with monuments and with houses where writers and classical figures of our Ukrainian Golden and Silver Ages of literature once lived. The distortion, and even erasure, of history inflicts tremendous harm upon the country where it occurs.
How can I conclude, given the gravity of so much that I have described? Permit me to say that I have tried to outline persecutions and infringements on the freedom of religion, not out of any desire to speak ill of Ukraine or her people, or to support any external cause or ideology. Far from it. I am, indeed, a devoted child of Ukraine, as I am also a proud citizen of these United States. If the realities I have described present hard truths about the activities of current governmental powers in Ukraine, this is not to condemn a state or people, but to seek the correction of error and a restoration of the right freedoms and respect that are properly Ukrainian, but which we do not see manifested there at present.
For now, Christians in the beloved land of my childhood are suffering greatly - too greatly, and I pray that all those of good will and influence will exert that influence to change this situation for the better. I cannot help but feel that the many saints of Kiev, and of all the lands of Ukraine, and indeed of all Slavic lands and peoples, are crying out from heaven for such action. They sorrow now, but surely they remember the words of the Psalm, as do we, that 'those who sow in tears shall reap in joy' (Psalm 125:5). Let us all work together so that these tears may not last long, and that joy might be restored. May God grant to leaders and others currently engaged in such wrongdoing to come to the knowledge of truth and not destroy their souls in eternity! Indeed, this is the time for preaching the Truth in peace, and crying out in unity in the words of King David: 'O Lord, stir up Thy strength and come to save us!' (Psalm 79:3).
+ Bishop Theodosius of Seattle
December 3/16, 2025
Previously, UOJ reported that a leaked memo from Ukrainian lobbyists in Washington, D.C., said that the issue of religious freedom in Ukraine is their "Achilles heel."
