Ukraine War Day #402: Podolyak Urges Violence Against Monks And Old Ladies

Dear Readers:

This is a continuation of the still-developing story focusing on the Kiev-Peschcherskaya Monastery, known as the Lavra. Recall that there is a stand-off in progress, with members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (under the Moscow Patriarch) gathering to protect the monastery with their own bodies and prayers; whilst armed militias of bully-boys await the order to storm the compound and remove the worshippers and monks.

Metropolitan Pavel

The Ukrainian government had previously decided to seize the compound and hand it over to its own House Church, the other Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is under the Constantinople Patriarch. The Canonical church calls them Schismatics. The Schismatics call the other side “dirty Russians” who need to be wiped out.

Already this morning there was news that the Canonical Abbot, Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed) has been placed under house arrest. Eyewitnesses report that Pavel was surrounded by police, who kept the crowd at bay while the priest was hauled off for interrogation. Hilariously, he was charged with “inciting religious divisions” as well as “justifying Russia’s actions.”

For readers interested in the theological aspects of the Schism, I recommend this series of posts I did back in 2019, which is based on solid research, even though I am far from being an expert in religious matter. There you will learn some fascinating facts including the issue of who gets to prepare and deliver the sacred myrrh. [Hint: if the Ukrainian National church takes over the Lavra, then then will have to pay Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople for the myrrh they need in order to conduct business.] However, in today’s post I am more focused on the street politics of what is going on. Things are obviously much more serious now than they were in 2019, and there is the possibility of real violence against ordinary people, which worries me quite a lot.

Mikhail Podolyak: an abscess that needs to be excised.

For example: Yesterday Zelensky’s advisor and close confidante Mikhail Podolyak called for the “cleansing of everything Russian” from the Lavra. Knowing Podolyak, how he thinks and operates , this is a direct call for violence; which is extremely worrisome. Underneath his good looks and apparent humor and charm, Podolyak is an ideological Nazi of the worst flavor. Over the past year we have watched this handsome and cheerful young man age and harden visibly before our eyes; like a portrait of Dorian Gray whose crimes are finally catching up to him, and whose dark soul emerges onto his exterior physiognomy. One can only the imagine the psychological stresses endured by Zelensky’s camarilla these past few months, as they watch everything they have fought and gambled for, turn into dust in their hands. These people need to repent and abandon their hubristic ways. Instead, they double down and seek solace in violence.

The Role Of The Bully Boys

One is surprised to learn that there are still packs of Nazi goons roaming the streets of Kiev with enough free time on their hands to harass monks and old ladies holding candles. Were these Nazis not wiped out in Mariupol? Or put through the meat grinder of Bakhmut? Well, apparently there still are some of them left, although, thankfully, not nearly as numerous as in their glory days, when they numbered in entire brigades. In the Lavra story, we are talking about maybe a couple dozen or so of these goons.

Reporter Vera Basilaya calls these people the “sportive youth” (спортивная молодежь), which is Russian euphemism for bully boys and hooligans: young men of athletic build who are not afraid to get into fights. These are of the same ilk whom the Americans and Europeans relied upon to “get the job done” in the 2014 Maidan, when they needed President Yanukovych to be overthrown. Now they bring them in again to try to solve their “Russian church” problem.

The spectacular interior of the Cathedral of the Dormition, Kiev Lavra

Basilaya: Eye witnesses report that the defenders of the Lavra are praying behind a Schlagbaum (barrier), while holding up ikons and Ukrainian flags [presumably to soften the hearts of the Nationalists by showing they are patriotic Ukrainians all the same]. They chant and sing praises to Jesus Christ while also reading the akathist [catechism?] about the Dormition of the Mother of God.

The hooligans drown out their songs by chanting Nazi slogans and singing the Ukrainian National Anthem.

Suspiciously, as witnesses have reported, some of the bully boys didn’t even know the way, and had to ask for directions, to the Lavra. Which proves they are not from around those parts, as every resident of Kiev would know the way. [yalensis: The hooligans were probably bussed in from Lvov!]

Meanwhile, the Russian government has called upon the “world community” to demand that Kiev stop persecuting the Canonical Church.

Which brings us back to Podolyak, who is clearly thirsting for blood. On an interview with Ukrainian Channel 24 he stated the following: “We had a unique chance earlier in the war, the first 3-6 months of the war, there was an opportunity to resolve this issue very quickly and painlessly; during that time we had an opportunity to simply physically wipe out (физически зачистить) many pro-Russian elements [yalensis: but painlessly, of course]. But now it’s much more complicated.

“Having said that, complicated is not the same thing as impossible. And today we must act in a way that is legally motivated, we must proceed with all harshness along that path. Once again I stress: There must be only one canonical Orthodox church in the Ukraine.” Podolyak went on to compare the Canonical church [subordinate to Moscow Patriarch] to an “abscess” that needs to be surgically excised.

The possibility of serious violence is clearly present. Let us hope it doesn’t go down that road. Those who believe, should pray; and those who don’t believe, should just hope.