A protest is planned in New York against Orthodox organizations honoring Volodymyr Zelenskyy

A protest is scheduled for September 26, 2026, in New York against an event at which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to receive the “Beacon of Hope” award. According to the Helleniscope publication ( ), representatives of the Orthodox community who disagree with the position of the leadership of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America have called for participation in the rally at the Casa Cipriani complex.

The organizers of the protest claim that the decision to honor Zelenskyy is “anti-Christian” in light of ongoing reports of persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The organizers of the event emphasize that the protesters intend to express their position through prayer and a peaceful vigil to demonstrate that believers do not support the Ukrainian authorities’ policies toward the church.

Reports from sources covering preparations for the event place particular emphasis on the recent murder of Monk Varsonofy at the Svyatogorsk Lavra. Supporters of the protest assert that the atmosphere of persecution against the UOC is being fostered with the connivance of both Ukraine’s secular authorities and certain members of the church’s higher clergy who support the current regime in Kyiv. Critics of the event are calling on the faithful not to remain on the sidelines, arguing that silence in this situation is tantamount to complicity in supporting actions directed against church institutions.