A priest has been sent to a pre-trial detention centre for calling the founder of the RVC “a handsome guy.”

Hieromonk Yevgeny Pinchuk (Nikandr) from Sverdlovsk region has been sent to a pre-trial detention centre for calling the founder of the RVC “a handsome guy” and expressing “respect” for him. This was reported by Kommersant.

He made these comments in one of the Telegram channels. The priest’s home was searched and he has been charged under the article relating to incitement to terrorism.

• In October 2022, Pinchuk was fined 100,000 roubles (about US$1,100) in a criminal case for repeat “discreditation” of the Russian army. The authorities took notice of him after a post on VKontakte in which he called the actions of Russian soldiers “aggressive” or “invasive.”
• Pinchuk serves in the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad under the omophorion of Metropolitan Agafangel. This branch split from the canonical ROCOR in 2007 after a schism.