Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Priest Investigated After Flaunting 'Gucci' Lifestyle on Instagram

Russia's Orthodox Church is investigating one of its priests over a series of Instagram photographs in which he is seen flaunting luxury clothing brands, a church spokesman has said. 

Vyacheslav Baskakov, a priest in the Tver region near Moscow, sparked controversy late last week with a series of photographs featuring expensive clothes including a Louis Vuitton signature handbag and Gucci shoes. The Instagram account that hosted the pictures has since been taken down, but not before social media users widely distributed the images.


										 					Instagram
Instagram

Russian priests have in the past sparked controversy over luxurious lifestyles. Most notably, in 2012, the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill came under fire for wearing an expensive Breguet wristwatch.

Alexander Volkov, a spokesman for Patriarch Kirill, said on Sunday that a church disciplinary committee would investigate Baskakov’s posts and attempt “to return him to his senses.” 

“Such an immodest and unrestrained lifestyle should not be characteristic of priests in the church,” Volkov was cited as saying by the Govorit Moskva radio station.


										 					Instagram
Instagram

“A clergyman cannot be a priest in the church in the morning and then be whoever he wants after lunchtime,” he added.

The priest apologized for the photographs in a letter published on Sunday and said he had been following doctor's orders and "fighting for freedom."

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis 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