Support The Moscow Times!

Rogue Russian Monk Sentenced to 3.5 Years in Prison

Basmanny district court press service / Moskva News Agency

A Covid-denying rogue Russian monk who barricaded himself in a monastery last year with dozens of followers was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison on Tuesday.

A Moscow court found Father Sergiy — whose secular name is Nikolai Romanov — guilty of inciting suicide, offending religious beliefs and vigilantism, Russian news agencies reported.

He was arrested in late December when Russian riot police and secret services stormed the convent he held in the Ural mountains. 

Some of his followers resisted being removed from the convent in the dramatic night-time raids, as the rebel cleric himself was flown to Moscow. 

Sergiy sports a long grey beard and wears a black robe and hat with Orthodox crosses and other symbols on them. 

A former policeman in the Soviet Union, he rose to fame in Russia last year after publicly denying the existence of Covid when it reached the country, calling on Russians to resist virus restrictions. 

Sergiy had reportedly called on some of his followers to "die for Russia," and prosecutors accused him of trying to encourage several nuns to commit suicide.  

The monk had been ex-communicated by the Russian Orthodox Church last year. 

He held the female convent outside the Ural city of Yekaterinburg for several months, despite church authorities ordering him to leave. 

Local state authorities had initially stayed out of the church dispute, but eventually sent in riot police, the National Guard and the FSB security service to the convent — reportedly on Moscow's orders. 

The Russian Orthodox Church believes Sergiy to be divisive and says his sermons are blasphemous. 

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