Reader DENIS POPOVICH and reader NIKITA IVANKOVICH, Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow)

Denis Popovich, born in Chernivtsi 9 August 1997, a citizen of Ukraine. He is a graduate of the Sretensk Theological Seminary and a teacher at the Pskov-Pechersk Theological Seminary (until 2023). Was secretary and treasurer of Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov).

Nikita Ivankovich, Orthodox theologian and churchman (reader), Master of Theology. Born on 4 May 1996 in Moscow, he is Ukrainian by nationality. Graduate of the Sretenskaya Theological Seminary, the St. Cyril and Methodius All-Church Postgraduate School and Doctoral School (2023). Choirman, altar server of the Sokolniki Church in Moscow, subdeacon of several vicar bishops of Moscow. Acquaintances characterize him as a kind and open person.

Both young men openly expressed their anti-war and pro-Ukrainian views, for which they were persecuted. Thus, the anonymous channel “Bishop Lucifer” posted denunciations against the young men for their pro-Ukrainian position, the denunciations also contained calls for reprisals against them.

In particular, the posts about Denis appeared on 11 September and 4 October 2022. The first post was titled “Sleeping Banderites in the ROC”, and the second post published an audio recording from a closed chat room where he explained to his friends what was happening in Ukraine as a result of the war .

On 12 October 2022, the same channel also published a post about Nikita Ivankovic with photos, in which Nikita was called “the closest friend of the Banderovite Popovic”.

On 13 January 2025, Denis Popovich was detained on the street on his way to the Sretensky Monastery. He was accused of committing petty hooliganism (article 20.1 part 2 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation)—allegedly shouting, waving his hands, using foul language. The young man was taken to the police station, where a report was drawn up on him and he was kept in a temporary detention center. On 15 January 2025, the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow (Judge M.V. Smirnova) brought him to administrative responsibility in the form of a fine for 15 days. In connection with Popovich’s detention on 22 January 2025, information appeared that Denis Popovich was “detained for his connection with terrorist organizations of Ukraine”, later this post was deleted.

After the expiration of the term of administrative arrest, on 28 January 2025, Popovich was not released, but re-detained allegedly for disobedience to the lawful order of a police officer (article 19.3 part 1 of the CAO RF) and again the same judge brought him to an additional 15 days of arrest. The term of arrest expired on 12 February 2025 and the young man had to leave the isolation center.

However, on that day Nikita Ivankovich, Popovich’s seminary classmate and friend who had been giving him packages of food, clothing, and personal hygiene items to the detention center, was detained. Ivanković himself was detained after a search of his home, which resulted in the seizure of his cell phone and laptop. Denis Popovich was not released either; he was transferred to the pre-trial detention center and detained. They were charged with committing crimes under Article 222.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, forwarding or carrying of explosives or explosive devices) and 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (attempted terrorist act).

On 28 February 2025, the Federal Security Service of Russia published materials in which it was claimed that the young men had allegedly been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence to make an attempt on the life of Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) with the help of an improvised explosive device. The information contained in the materials is largely contradictory and does not correspond to the documented facts, which indicates the fabricated nature of the case. It is also known that during the first two weeks Denis Popovich and Nikita Ivankovich did not have access to good lawyers.