April 09, 2025

Fined Pacifist Bishop: "Thou Shalt Not Kill"


Fined Pacifist Bishop: "Thou Shalt Not Kill"
Icon of Christ Pantocrator Viktor Vacilevich Zhegalov (1898—1941), Wikimedia Commons.

On April 1, a St. Petersburg court fined a pacifist Russian Orthodox bishop R30,000 ($355) for “discrediting the army.”

The bishop had earlier helped Ukrainian refugees. Letters of gratitude from Ukrainian institutions in Kherson were attached to his case at the request of his lawyer.

Orthodox Apostolic Bishop Gregory Minkhov-Vaytenko and his religious organization have dedicated themselves to helping those affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, particularly Ukrainian refugees. On March 11, 2022, Minkhov-Vaytenko posted a video on Telegram calling for peace between Russia and Ukraine.  

In his message, the bishop cited Jesus' exorcism of demons into a herd of pigs (Matthew 8:28-34). According to Minkhov-Vaytenko's lawyer, Chertkov, an employee of the Ministry of Interior, "pulled a number of phrases from different places in the address ... [and] created a semblance of a statement by incorrectly quoting and taking it out of context." Authorities proceeded to charge the bishop with "discreditation of the army." The attorney also claims that the police inspector "expressed a subjective opinion in the report." Chertkov said the statute of limitations for Minkhov-Vaytenko's case has already expired.

This is not the first encounter Bishop Minkhov-Vaytenko has had an encounter with law enforcement. On February 16, 2024, the day anticorruption activist Alexey Navalny was found dead in his cell, the clergyman was arrested outside his home as he was leaving to hold a memorial service for the dissident.

Shortly after, Minkhov-Vaytenko was rushed to the hospital from jail due to suffering a stroke. The police oppened a case against him for "calls for mass simultaneous presence of citizens in a public space." The bishop was declared a "foreign agent" after his arrest. However, the criminal case against him was closed in July, due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

On April 1, the clergyman denied the "discreditation of the army" charges. The bishop cited Russian Orthdox Church documents and the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13) to defend his statements. Despite his efforts, Minkhov-Vaytenko was forced to pay a fine. The bishop said he will discredit resolving conflicts by force "as long as he lives."

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church has classified pacifism as heresy.

You Might Also Like

Log Your Blog, or Else
  • April 06, 2025

Log Your Blog, or Else

Russian influencers could face consequences if they fail to register with the state.
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.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
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.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
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.

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