OCU explains why alms seekers are expelled from St. Michael's Monastery in Kyiv

Ruslan Usmedynsky, a representative of the OCU, commented on the practice of expelling alms beggars who traditionally gather near the walls of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv. According to him, the key reasons are the high incomes of the “beggars” themselves and the desire to maintain a positive image of the monastery in the eyes of foreign tourists.

ruslan Usmedinsky, a 26-year-old cleric of the OCU, in an interview with stand-up comedian Dmytro Tiutiun ‘s show “Frivolous Conversation ” explained why beggars are “chased away” from the area around the main shrine. He emphasized that St. Michael’s Monastery is a significant tourist center that attracts many visitors from abroad with foreign currency.

Usmedinsky ironically noted that these “poor, unfortunate people” often earn in one day an amount exceeding the monthly income of some Ukrainians. The representative of the OCU emphasized that their presence in such iconic places is considered undesirable, as it can negatively affect the perception of the monastery by tourists.

Earlier, a notorious cleric-blogger of the Ternopil Diocese of the OCU, Oleksiy Filyuk , allowed his subscribers to eat sausage during Lent. He gave this “recommendation” in response to a question, calling the observance of Lent “fanaticism.”