Let me begin with some personal remarks, since it would be valid for readers to raise these issues.
Yes, I am an Orthodox believer who has — twice — worshipped with the monks of the Monastery of the Kiev Caves. I have walked its matrix of underground sanctuaries, tombs and monastic cells. It’s hard for me to imagine something more horrifying than soldiers with machine guns inside the Lavra, passing the bodies of numerous saints. I confess that, for a decade, I have prayed that we would not see a military takeover of this sacred site by forces on either side of the divides inside Ukraine.
Yes, I saw the New York Times report with this headline: “Ukraine Raids Holy Site Amid Suspicion of Orthodox Church Tied to Moscow.” I have read a dozen or so other mainstream media accounts of the rising tensions about the current Ukrainian administration considering some kind of Lavra takeover.
All of these reports are based on information from government officials and the leaders of the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which was — depending on the sources cited —created by Western Ukrainian leaders, the U.S. State Department (under the administrations of Donald Trump and Joe Biden), the government of Turkey and/or the first-among-equals Ecumenical Patriarch who leads the tiny Orthodox body that remains based in Istanbul.
These reports continue to ignore or downplay the statements and actions of the historic Ukrainian Orthodox Church, led by Metropolitan Onuphry, which has — since the day of the Russian invasion — stressed its total opposition to this action of the Vladimir Putin government in Moscow. This church, the canonical church of Ukraine for many generations, has taken steps to cut its ties to Orthodox leaders in Moscow, even as its leaders have recognized they do not have the clear authority to do so. They appear to be pleading for the wider world of Orthodoxy (as in patriarches of multiple ancient churches, not just Istanbul) to intervene, somehow, in this crisis.
As a rule, mainstream journalists have expressed little interest in the actual Orthodox traditions and laws linked to this tragedy. In particular, the press has ignored the global voices of the Orthodox who oppose Putin, but support Metropolitan Onuphry and, thus, the monks of the Lavra.
Frankly, my head is spinning as I try to deal with the myriad journalism issues involved in covering this massive story. I am aware that most journalists are limited in what they can cover, due to language issues and the difficulty of on-site work in the midst of this conflict. I want to look at two issues in this Times report because — this is a positive — it includes some remarks from an actual monk from the Kievan Caves. Such as:
Father Hieromonk Ioan, a member of the Kyiv monastery, said that the clergy there were not loyal to Moscow but did not shy away from the close historic ties with Russia. “We have certain relations with Russia and it’s painful for us what is going on now,” he said in an interview outside the monastery. …
Father Hieromonk Ioan said that the clergy there simply wanted to pray in peace. “The most important is that the war is over — we are praying for that,” he said. “For the guilty to be punished and for us to live in peace and not to be afraid of tomorrow.”
With that as a backdrop, here is the overture to the Times report:
KYIV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian security services … raided one of the holiest sites for Orthodox Christians, saying they were scouring a 1,000-year-old monastery in the heart of Kyiv for Russian saboteurs among the clerics and weapons amid the relics, even as pilgrims prayed in the caves below.
The hunt for Russian spies at the sprawling Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, or Monastery of the Caves, was a vivid demonstration of the depth of mistrust in Ukraine toward a branch of the Eastern Orthodox Church that until this year followed leaders in Moscow, and has been suspected by many Ukrainians of being a Kremlin-aligned fifth column. Millions of Ukrainians belong to another branch independent of Moscow.
As of last month, officials have said, 33 priests had been arrested for assisting Russia since it invaded in February, most of them charged with gathering intelligence and feeding it to Moscow’s forces.
It was unclear if any arrests were made or illegal activity discovered on Tuesday, but the security services warned that churches made a perfect hiding place for those looking to tear Ukraine apart from within.
I have contacted journalists who are reading on-the-ground reports and documents. Here is a question worth pursuing: Have priests been arrested or have they simply been served papers by the Ukrainian Security Service saying that they are being investigated?
Obviously, there are hundreds of priests serving in the historic Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It’s totally possible that some are sympathetic to the Russian invasion, even as their leaders have opposed it and have actively worked with Orthodox believers serving in the Ukrainian military, with refugees and with those caught up in the bloodshed caused by the invasion.
My journalism question: At this point, is there any way for journalists to independently verify any of this factual information? Does the historic Ukrainian Orthodox Church still have a functioning press office or has this, in effect, been shut down by the government?
The Times report also includes a reference to an incident linked to a worship service inside the Lavra — but not DURING the service. It helps to know that many citizens are allowed to enter the massive monastery complex and take part in services of the Divine Liturgy, vespers, etc. It would be impossible to screen the hundreds, even thousands, of people who do this during a typical week. Like I said, I took part in services during my two visits to Ukraine, even though I do not speak Ukrainian and I had a limited ability to follow rites in old-church Slavonic (the liturgical language of the church).
I cannot stress how important social-media reports about this incident have been in the firestorm surrounding the Lavra. Here is the bare bones of the Times reference:
The raid came several days after a priest, Mykhailo Omelyan, released a video that he said was taken by a graduate student showing people at a chapel at the monastery cheering for Russia. “Motherland is waking up — Russia,” people can be heard singing in the video.
The Ukrainian authorities said they would launch an investigation to determine its authenticity.
“Those who, in the conditions of a full-scale war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine, are waiting for the ‘awakening of Mother Russia’ should understand that this harms the security and interests of Ukraine and our citizens,” said Vasyl Malyuk, head of the Ukrainian security service. “And we will not tolerate such manifestations.”
First, who is Father Mykhailo Omelyan? A few online searches would suggest that — no surprise — he is a leader in media and academic structures of the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the body that is trying to gain control of the Lavra. This does NOT mean information from this source should be ignored. It does mean that it should be viewed with the same kind of skepticism that mainstream reporters would apply to voices in the church previously tied to Moscow.
Online, there are debates about whether the the video is rather old or from a recent service. Is it new audio mixed with a different video, perhaps placing singing from outside the Lavra at a new location? It’s hard to tell (click here to watch the clip).
But let’s consider whether some worshippers from outside the Lavra are “cheering for Russia.” What is the song at the heart of this controversy (see the YouTube video at the top of this post).
First of all, this is a popular song based on a poem written in 2004 by the modern Russian poet Nina Borodai. It is not an Orthodox liturgical text. It is a prayer glorifying St, Mary, the Mother of God (Theotokos).
The song offers thanksgiving for the fall of the Soviet Union and the rebuilding of Orthodox churches and monasteries in the years thereafter. There are references to specific locations and even specific icons. Here is one translation to English, but I have seen variations. This is a long poem, but here are some important sections:
Mother of God, Mother of God,
Mother of light, love and kindness,
You are my hope, Mother of God,
And it’s time for wonderful insights. …Mother of God, Mother of God,
A picturesque source of miracles,
All Holy Russia prays to you,
And valleys and mountains and forests.Across Muscovy, Ryazan,
On the Saratov side, Across the
Urals, Siberia and Bryansk
Consecrate all the churches to you.Domes, domes in the sky are blue,
I can’t count the bells,
The ringing floats, floats over Russia,
Mother Russia is awakening.
Obviously, it is crucial that the references to “Mother Russia” are not to the modern Russian government or even the current Russian Orthodox Church.
Once again, we are talking about the “Rus,” as in the broader world of Slavic Orthodoxy. Here is a long passage from a 2018 column I wrote about this topic:
The great prince Vladimir had a problem in the year 986, while striving to build unity in the Kievan Rus, his network of Eastern Slavic and Finnic tribes.
The old pagan gods and goddesses were not enough. So the prince dispatched ambassadors to investigate Islam, Judaism, Catholicism and the Orthodox faith of the Christian East.
When they returned to Kiev, their report included this passage about Byzantium: “We went into the Greek lands, and we were led into a place where they serve their God, and we did not know where we were, in heaven or on earth. … All we know is that God lives there with people and their service is better than in any other country. … We cannot remain any more in paganism.”
So Vladimir surrendered his concubines and was baptized in 988, while commanding his people to convert. Orthodoxy came to the lands of the Rus.
This early chronicle was, according to church tradition, written by St. Nestor of the great Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, founded in 1051. Pilgrims continue to flock to the Monastery of the Kiev Caves to see its beautiful churches, soaring bell tower, the labyrinthine underground tunnels and the incorrupt bodies of many saints.
As I put this, in a Facebook post written just after the Russian invasion, noting information from my visits to Ukraine:
Here is what I heard, in terms of concepts that European-Ukrainians and Russian-Eukrainians could agree on.
* Soviets treated Ukraine horribly. Bloody memories that remain vivid.
* Soviets crushed two different cultures into one nation, guaranteeing strife — common Soviet tactic (think Yugoslavia) to focus tensions away from Moscow.
* USA-Europe wanted NATO in Ukraine. Russia opposed this. Period. Always.
* Kiev is ultimate landmine issue. Why? Because of crucial role Kiev plays in Russian mind. St. Petersburg is culture, Moscow is power, Kiev is spiritual roots of Rus/Motherland.
Summary: EU-USA was arrogant enough to think they could – with money, culture and military tech – turn Eastern-Russian Ukrainians into Europeans. Will Putin be arrogant enough to think he can, with blood, turn Western-European Ukrainians into Russians?
Once again: “St. Petersburg is culture, Moscow is power, Kiev is spiritual roots of Rus. …”
The bottom line: Putin did not create the concept of the Rus, which is the image at the heart of “The Song of the Most Holy Theotokos.” Celebrating the rebirth of Slavic Orthodox churches after the fall of the Soviet Union is not the same thing as “cheering” for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Yes, the “Rus” is a concept that Putin has twisted to support his political and military goals. That does not erase the importance of events in 988 and the symbolism of the baptismal font of Kiev.
It is important to note that Metropolitan Onuphry has stressed the importance of this history while also rejecting Putin’s words and deeds in the present. Consider these words immediately after the invasion, quoted in one of my “On Religion” columns:
“Defending the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine, we appeal to the President of Russia and ask him to immediately stop the fratricidal war,” said Metropolitan Onuphry, primate of Kiev and all Ukraine. “The Ukrainian and Russian peoples came out of the Dnieper Baptismal font, and the war between these peoples is a repetition of the sin of Cain, who killed his own brother out of envy. Such a war has no justification either from God or from people.”
Metropolitan Onuphry, a native of Western Ukraine, added: “I call you, above all, to intensified penitential prayer for Ukraine, for our army, and our people, and I entreat you to lay aside mutual strife and misunderstandings and unite in love for God and our motherland.”
The synod of the historic Ukrainian church urged Patriarch Kirill of Moscow to personally seek “cessation of fratricidal bloodshed on Ukrainian land, and to call on the leadership of the Russian Federation to immediately stop the military actions that are already threatening to turn into a world war.”
Perhaps this new statement from the synod would be relevant, and worthy of quoting (translation of the full text here) by mainstream reporters?
For more than 270 days, a full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine has been going on. From the first day of the invasion of Russian troops, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has condemned this war and has consistently advocated the preservation of the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Our believers, with God’s help and the prayers of their fellow believers, courageously defend their Motherland in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations. We rejoice at the victories of our military, watching how life is being restored in the liberated cities and villages. At the same time, with deep pain, we continue to receive news of the deaths of our defenders and civilians. Eternal memory to all the victims of this terrible war! …
We are concerned that in many regions of Ukraine the illegal practice of re-registration of parishes and seizure of churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church continues. In our opinion, it is a great shame that undisguised raiding, often accompanied by abuse and fights, occurs not only with the consent, but even at the initiative of representatives of local authorities. It is unfortunate that some civil servants allow themselves to make provocative statements openly directed against our Church. We have already noted that such actions split society, and this, under martial law, is a particularly serious crime.
The circumstance that searches have recently been carried out in some monasteries and clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church cannot but cause concern. Unfortunately, some people have already faced serious charges. In this regard, we insist on the objectivity of the actions of law enforcement officers. The investigation must be impartial and not be accompanied by unsubstantiated accusations. Once again, we urge not to kindle an internal war, but for everyone to unite in order to survive and defeat the evil facing us. Only our common work without internal strife can stop the bloodshed.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, not only in word but also in deed, supports our defenders, gives shelter to internally displaced persons, helps all those who have been deprived of the most necessary things for life by the war. We are deeply convinced that by doing deeds of kindness and mercy, the clergy, monastics and laity make a significant contribution to ensuring that our Motherland survives in times of severe trials. Almost every day we receive a large number of requests from military personnel who are parishioners of our Church about the possibility of performing various sacred rites at their place of residence, especially Confession and Holy Communion.
That is all for now. I will keep looking for documents from groups inside this conflict.
I will say, once again: Pray for a ceasefire and for peace talks. And pray that Orthodox bishops around the world will, using their combined authority in Orthodox tradition, be allowed to seek healing for the schism inside Ukraine.
FIRST IMAGE: Screenshot from a documentary on the history of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
