Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Blogger on Trial for Playing Pokemon Go in a Cathedral

Ruslan Sokolovsky Ruslan Sokolovsky / YouTube

The trial of blogger Ruslan Sokolovsky, accused of extremism and offending religious believers for playing Pokemon Go in a cathedral, began in the Ural city of Yekateinburg on Monday.

Sokolovsky was arrested for a series of videos he uploaded to YouTube in August 2016, which the police deem “extremist” and “offensive to religious believers' feelings.” He faces a maximum sentence of seven and a half years in prison.

The 21 year-old blogger's most infamous video, which turned him into an online celebrity in Russia, shows him entering the Church of All Saints in Yekaterinburg and playing Pokemon Go on his iPhone. Sokolovsky later added narration to the video which police describe as illegal and “obscene.” In a short speech at the beginning of the video, Sokolovsky rejects warnings reported in the Russian press that playing Pokemon Go in churches could result in a prison sentence.

Sokolovsky says that he does not intend to apologize or ask for forgiveness from the Russian Orthodox Church for his videos.

“The Russian Orthodox Church is asking for a public repentance. I don't see why I should repent in front of an organization I do not like,” he told journalists after the court hearing.

Instead, he said he would be “interested” if the church sent him to work for one of their charities as a form of punishment. “I would accept such a form of repentance because I would be helping specific people and not the Church,” he said.

The young blogger also added that he sees how some of his videos could have offended believers. “If I offended anyone, I am ready to apologize to specific people,” he said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more