Believer VLADIMIR ANANICH, Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow, Russia)

Vladimir Ananich, an Orthodox believer, pensioner; for many years – a publisher of Christian literature.

On 31 March 2022, he came to Red Square in Moscow with a single picket. He held a homemade placard: «Peave to Ukraine! Sanity, horror, shame, repentance – to Russia! Hell – to Putin!» Was detained.

On 12 May 2022, a hearing of a case under Art. 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (Public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, and maintaining international peace and security) took place; Judge Semina toom part. In his speech, Ananich, in particular, compared the Russian invasion of Ukraine with the fratricidal sin of Cain:

“But now they are running a crash test — at full speed into a concrete wall. After all, we are closely related, many speak the same language, and it would seem that we share the same faith, the same denomination, and in part, even the same ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Unfortunately, Abel had Cain for a brother. Fortunately, Abel was prepared and, unexpectedly for Cain, did not die but gave a fitting response to his brother. The Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian media were forced to urgently redact the Bible. To the Lord’s question, “Where is your brother Abel?”, Cain now replies: “Firstly, I am Abel, and secondly, I will now show you where the attack was being prepared against me. And if I had not launched a preemptive strike, then Mariupol would be in Kursk now, and Bucha in Malakhovka. So my conscience is clear.”

He also explained why he thinks the Russian people need repentance:

“And how could they, on Holy Saturday, the purest and quietest day of the year, when Christ descends into hell and ‘Let all mortal flesh be silent, and stand with fear and trembling, and meditate nothing earthly within itself: For the King of kings and Lord of lords, Christ our God, comes forward to be sacrificed, and to be given for food to the faithful’, conduct a missile strike on Odesa that killed the three-month-old angel Kira Glodan, her mother Valeria, and grandmother Lyudmila, and a few hours later stand in the church with a candle at the Easter Vigil service? And on Victory Day, to bomb that same Hero City of Odesa?”

Ananich was fined 85,000 Russian rubles (about 1,235 Euros). His Facebook friends helped to raise the money to pay the fine.