A resident of Yekaterinburg will be tried on charges of financing the Ukrainian church “Vozrozhdenie” (“Revival”).

On 30 June, the Ordzhonikidzevsky District Court in Yekaterinburg—a major city in the Urals—received a criminal case against local resident Nadezhda Yesina, concerning the financing of the Ukrainian church “Vozrozhdenie” (“Revival”). This was reported by Kommersant.

Yesina is accused under the article addressing the financing of an “undesirable organisation” (Part 2 of Article 284.1 of the Russian Criminal Code). In 2022, the Ukrainian religious centre “Vozrozhdenie” and its foundation were recognised as such.

According to investigators, Yesina participated in “Vozrozhdenie”’s religious gatherings in 2022 and 2023, and made bank transfers to the organisation’s accounts. She is accused of making donations totalling 61,000 roubles (approximately US$670).

Kommersant notes that Yesina did not admit guilt, stating the transfers were intended to help people in need and to support the church. She is under travel restrictions.

• The “Vozrozhdenie” Spiritual Centre is a religious organisation founded in Ukraine in 1997 by televangelist Volodymyr Muntyan. It also has branches in some other CIS countries. In 2013, the All-Ukrainian Union of Churches issued a statement urging people to beware of Muntyan, and described the centre’s activities as bordering on “occult practice.” The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office believes “Vozrozhdenie”’s activity poses a threat to Russia’s constitutional order and security.