Rev. Pyotr Ustinov, the rector of the Holy Martyr Peter of Krutitsy church in Chelyabinsk, Chelyabinsk eparchy.
Ustinov signed an open letter of the priests of the Russian Orthodox Church against the war; his signature is no. 218. He spoke out against the war and defended the persecuted priests on various platforms, primarily on his page on the VK social network. Ustinov refused to read the Prayer for Holy Rus’ pleading for the «victory» of the Russian army over Ukraine.
Rev. Ustinov explained:
I do not understand who «Holy Rus'» is. A person living in accordance with the will of God can be a saint, but not a historical, cultural and now non-existent state formation of the 9th century Eastern Slavs. Secondly, if Holy Russia is understood as a specific country, and victory is understood as the destruction of its political enemies, then the Church, which by definition is non-national (for there is “neither Greek nor Jew” in it), cannot call on some of its children to destroy other children; moreover, to ask for help from the Heavenly Father. The Church’s business is the mother’s business. And the mother’s business is to reconcile and pray for peace between her warring children!
On 2 September 2024, Rev. Ustinov was suspended from ministry by Metropolitan Alexy (Orlov) on the basis of the 25th and 39th Rules of the Holy Apostles. Ustinov reported about it on the VK social network. According to the pries, the disciplinary commission preceding the ban accused him of three violations: the main one (not reading the prayer for the Holy Rus’ victory) and additional ones (using the Russian language in worship; using disposable spoons for the Communion).
