In Slavyansk-on-Kuban, a town in southern Russia, police searched a church and detained the priest’s assistant.

Security forces conducted a search at the Holy Pokrov-Tikhon Church in Slavyansk-on-Kuban, a city in southern Russia. After the search, they detained the assistant to the rector—hieromonk Ilya Sigida (Iona). This was reported by Caucasian Knot.

According to witnesses, around ten armed people in masks burst into the church during the day on 27 November. They took donations from the cash box and seized documents. Sigida was led out with his arms twisted behind his back and taken away to an unknown location.

Later, his mother was informed that he was being charged under a criminal case for “discrediting the army” (Part 1 of Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code) due to posts on the church’s website. He had previously been fined under an administrative article for similar materials.

The church is under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church (RosPC)—a non-canonical association. The parish rector, Viktor Pivovarov, was fined 40,000 rubles (about US$440) in March 2023 for an anti-war sermon. In December 2023, a criminal case was opened against him under the same article, and in April 2024, a court fined him 150,000 rubles (about US$1,650).

In October 2023, security forces had already come to the church: at that time, according to parishioners, force was used against Sigida during the search, and equipment and documents were seized. He was detained for 48 hours on charges of disobeying police orders (Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

In 2024, authorities tried to seek the demolition of the church building, claiming it was built illegally. The court rejected the claim.

Due to Pivovarov’s health—according to parishioners, he suffered a hip fracture and cannot move independently—services in the church are essentially not being held.

9 December Four administrative protocols were drawn up against Hieromonk Iona (Ilya Sigida): three for “insulting authorities or state symbols on the internet” (Part 3 of Article 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences) and one for “discrediting the army” (Part 1 of Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). This was noted by Kuban journalist Andrey Koschik.

The case documents were submitted to the court on 8 December, according to the case file. Currently, Sigida is under house arrest in connection with the criminal case for discrediting the army.