"The Best Death Is a Military Death": Russian Priests Fight in Ukraine and Are Proud of It

Photo: SERGEY PIVOVAROV/REUTERS/Scanpix

9th February 2025, 14:05

The clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church is directly involved in the war in Ukraine—they actively justify aggression and bless the occupiers. Several priests even take up arms and fight in Ukraine. The vast ecclesiastical machinery of the Moscow Patriarchate is working in support of the war of aggression.

In July of last year, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia awarded members of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. Among them, the monastery’s priest-monk Guri (Gussev) received the Dmitry Donskoy Order from Patriarch Kirill.

The order was granted to him for his "manly pastoral service under wartime conditions." It should be understood that Gussev does not merely serve as a "frontline chaplain" spreading the word of God to soldiers—he actively participates in combat. He has even written a book about his experiences, titled "The Day That Never Was: Notes of a Frontline Priest" («День, которого не было. Заметки фронтового священника»).

In July 2024, priest-monk Guri (Gussev) was awarded by the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church for 'manly pastoral service under wartime conditions'. Photo: lavra.ru

Priest Guri initially wrote about his service in a diary, which was published on the website Pravoslavie.ru. Later, he published his book with the support of United Russia, the ruling party of the Russian Federation.

He was deployed to the “special military operation zone” as part of the reconnaissance battalion of the 810th Guards Marine Brigade. In his book, he frequently describes his service at an observation post. Skilled in map reading, during the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive in Robotyne, he reported battlefield changes and the movement of Ukrainian equipment via radio.

A quote from Guri’s book: “I was on duty again at the observation post. I spotted a Valkyrie drone: ‘Jaeger! This is Batya! A black wing passed over our positions from north to south!’ They responded: ‘Batya! Good job! We’re activating electronic defense!’... The Nazis are advancing into neighboring zones with demining teams. Their task is to gradually secure their positions. Most likely, there will be artillery fire and battle again at night.”

Another soldier of the occupation army—Hero of Russia Roman Kulakov—spoke at an event dedicated to the release of Guri’s book: “During combat, I always wore a cross, and after the doctors operated on me following my injury, they put it back around my neck. God truly exists. He protects and guides us, as does our faith. Without faith, there is no victory.”

The media has written extensively about representatives of the church serving in the army, portraying them as heroes. For instance, Russian orthodox priest Svyatoslav Churkanov has stated that since 2014, he has regularly traveled to the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). “Since 2016, we have cooperated and formed a friendship with Alexander Khodakovsky (a Ukrainian collaborator, military officer, and politician of the so-called DPR),” Churkanov said about his role in the occupation of Ukraine’s Donbas region.

Until 2022, Father Svyatoslav visited Donbas multiple times a year. However, since the war began, he has spent most of his time in the so-called "special military operation zone." He described his role on the frontlines as follows: “We talk with the soldiers, and these conversations give them an essential push to understand what is happening right now.”

Priest-monk Konstantin from the Russian Orthodox Optina Monastery participated in the war in Ukraine with a blessing from his monastery's abbot. Photo: Still from a video

According to Svyatoslav, misunderstanding makes people angry and heavy-hearted, which is why it is necessary to explain the situation to the soldiers. “We have many conversations. We bless equipment and the locations where fighters are stationed. During a single deployment, we administer communion to several thousand fighters. We baptize less frequently now because most are already baptized,” he said.

Priest-monk Konstantin (Nikitenko), known by the pseudonym Tver, serves as both a priest and a medic in the Nevsky volunteer sabotage and assault brigade. Propagandist Telegram channels have written extensively about him.

“From the very start of the special military operation, I wholeheartedly wanted to help in the fight against Nazism,” said priest-monk Tver of the Optina Monastery. “But the monastery’s charter does not allow independent action. However, by God’s will, I was invited to join the unit, and the monastery’s abbot gave his blessing as my spiritual superior.”

Archpriest Andrei Tkachov of the Russian orthodox church. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A high-ranking clergyman of the Russian orthodox church, Archpriest Andrei Tkachov, is not just a priest but also a well-known propagandist and television host. He serves at the Church of Saint Basil the Great and has been delivering 'sermons' in support of the so-called special military operation regularly since the war began.

In the winter of 2022, Tkachov stated in a video statement (see the link to the YouTube video in Russian below), that "a military death is the best of all deaths." He has admonished that it is better to die like a man, weapon in hand, than to choke on your own vomit from drinking too much or to fall off a rooftop while taking a selfie.

Last summer, Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that since the beginning of combat operations in Ukraine, military chaplains have traveled to the special operation zone more than 1,500 times: "they have conducted over 245,000 liturgical services, including baptisms, prayer services, spiritual conversations, and the blessing of weapons and military equipment.”

The vast ecclesiastical machinery of the Russian Orthodox Church is working in support of the war of aggression.

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