Sweden seeks expropriation of Russian Orthodox Church temple in Westeros 'due to threat to national security'

In the Swedish city of Westeros, a serious conflict has erupted over an Orthodox church belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church. The cult building was recognized by the city authorities as a «potential threat to national security». According to Dagens Nyheter, the municipality of Westeros has already submitted a petition to the Swedish government for the forced alienation (expropriation) of the object.

At issue is the Russian Orthodox Church temple, which was opened in 2023 just 300 meters from the runway of the local airport. After Sweden joined NATO, the airfield was given reserve status and is actively used in military exercises, which, according to politicians, greatly increases security risks.

Elisabeth Unell, a member of the municipal council from the opposition Moderate party, emphasized that the concern is not the religious community itself, but its close ties with Russia and the strategic location of the temple.

In 2024, the Swedish Security Service Säkerhetspolisen (Säpo) explicitly stated in its conclusion that «Russia actively uses the structures of the Moscow Patriarchate as a platform for intelligence and influence operations. As a result, Moscow Patriarchate congregations in Sweden have already lost state funding.» The mayor of Westeros, Social Democrat Staffan Jansson, admitted that the 2017 building permit was issued «under conditions of insufficient information» and emphasized that the current security situation has changed dramatically since Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine and Sweden’s entry into NATO.

According to the congregation itself, between 2021 and 2023, funds for the construction of the parish house came from a foundation affiliated with the Russian state corporation Rosatom.

Additional resonance was caused by the information that the rector of the temple Pavel Makarenko allegedly received a medal from the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. A photo of the award appeared on a website associated with the Moscow Patriarchate, but was later removed. The priest himself categorically denies both the fact of receiving the medal and any involvement in spy activities, claiming that the photo could have been the result of a hacker attack.

Representatives of the parish claim that their activities are exclusively religious and have nothing to do with politics or intelligence services. According to them, among about 300 active members of the community are citizens of various countries, including Ukraine.

The expropriation case is currently being considered by the Swedish government. If approved, the owners will be paid compensation equal to the market value of the property plus 25%. The situation in Westeros has become a vivid example of a broader dilemma for European countries: how to combine the protection of national security with guarantees of religious freedom in the context of hybrid warfare on the part of Russia.

Recall that the European Parliament held hearings on the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, during which there were accusations against the Russian Orthodox Church of hybrid warfare and espionage, as well as calls for the expulsion of its clergy from the EU. At the meeting of the commission «European Shield for Democracy» a heated discussion broke out between supporters of tough measures and deputies who spoke in defense of Orthodoxy.