A six-hour brawl between pro-Ukraine Christians and Putin-supporting clergymen broke at St Michael's Cathedral in Cherkasy, Ukraine. The two groups fought incessantly with sticks, stones, fire extinguishers, and everything in between. They sought to gain control of the Cathedral in the midst of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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Ukrainians stormed the Cathedral to expel and force the withdrawal of the Russian Orthodox Church. They had supported Putin's invasion of Ukraine and denied any violent acts against the people of Ukraine. They intended to put the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in charge instead. While the congregation already set their minds on belonging to the latter, Putin sympathizers attempted to quash the uprising violently.
"The Russian Orthodox Church occupied the territory of the St. Michael's Cathedral and is hypocritically called the Ukrainian Church," said Father Nazarii according to Mail Online. "But in fact, we heard their services, where they already commemorate Patriarch Kirill [staunchly pro-war Putin-loyal head of the Russian Orthodox Church], and do not pray for the Ukrainian army. It is necessary to free the whole of Ukraine from Russian occupation and spiritual occupation."
A Violent Brawl
What followed was a violent brawl between the two sides who engaged in a back and forth to determine which group took over St Michael's Cathedral. These included members of the clergy, with soldiers intervening to stop the chaos from becoming fatal. Reportedly, some point guns at people but never fired. However, many were injured during the prolonged battle. Eventually, the Ukrainians managed to seize control of the Cathedral after pushing out the Russian sympathizers.
"It was total chaos. The Moscow-aligned church is a tool of the Russian security services and poses a danger to our country," continued Father Nazarii. "It has long tried to demoralise our people here, telling them that Russia is not the enemy, that we are all brothers and sisters and that we shouldn't fight. But it's pure propaganda."
Regional governor Igor Taburets stated that authorities were investigating the issue. That said, he expressed sympathy and backed the efforts of the Ukrainians. "Every religious community has the legal right to change its subordination in canonical and organisational matter," said Taburets. "The course towards the spiritual independence of Ukraine is unchanged."
