The rector of a Orthodox university reminded Ukrainians who created the Moscow Patriarchate and for what purpose.

The Moscow Patriarchate - a tool of control and influence created by the order of Joseph Stalin

The Moscow Patriarchate is a tool of control and influence, created at the order of dictator Joseph Stalin with the direct involvement of Soviet special services. This was shared by the rector of the Open Orthodox University Georgiy Kovalenko in the project of the public initiative 'Bridges of Ukraine', whose information partner is 'Glavcom'.

'The Moscow Patriarchate is a structure created at Stalin's order with the direct participation of the NKVD, then the KGB, and later the FSB. What is the purpose of this structure? Control over believers inside the country and external intelligence, which was handled by the department of external relations. A similar department exists in the UOC (MP). Moreover, this external activity must be coordinated with Moscow,' noted the rector.

Georgiy Kovalenko noted that churches of the Moscow Patriarchate abroad are often located next to embassies or are under their patronage. According to him, priests of this church often receive additional funding from Russian diplomatic representations, and this system has been functioning for several decades.

'In May 2022, a council of the UOC MP took place, which tried to imitate its break from the Moscow Patriarchate. It adopted a far-sighted decision to start creating parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in European countries. In other words, by the third month of the war, they understood that many people who had left for abroad would not return, and therefore it was necessary to create parishes all over the world,' emphasized the rector of the Open Orthodox University.

Let us remind you that Georgiy Kovalenko is a former head of the Synodal Information and Educational Department of the Moscow Church in Ukraine (operating under the brand UOC (MP)), a former press secretary of the primate of UOC MP Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan), a former founder and editor-in-chief of the official websites of UOC MP. Since January 7, 2019, he has been a priest of the Local Orthodox Church of Ukraine (UOC/PCU). He currently serves as the rector of the Open Orthodox University.

It should be noted that the Moscow Patriarchate pursues an aggressive church policy abroad, particularly in the USA. It is known that the London law firm Amsterdam & Partners LLP, funded by the sanctioned oligarch, former deputy from the banned party OPZZH Vadim Novinsky, has begun an active lobbying campaign in the West. In particular, the firm signed a contract to lobby the interests of UOC MP with American lobbyist William Whitney Berk-White.