“I go to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” - boxer Usik

Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usik, who exchanged awards with Volodymyr Zelensky three times after the Ukrainian Orthodox Church banned him, has said that he is a parishioner of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and receives guidance from His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kyiv and All Ukraine. The boxer said in an interview with «NV» radio.

“I am an Orthodox Christian and that’s it. I go to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. We do not have the Moscow Patriarchate documentarily. Let them show me where the Moscow Patriarchate is documentarily. I believe God. I go, I am saved in this church and will continue to do so,” — said Usik.

The boxer added that in the faith he is instructed by the Primate and hierarchs of the UOC.

“Metropolitan Onuphrius and bishop Spyridon (probably Bishop Vishnevsky Spyridon (Andrey Romanov), who was deprived of Ukrainian citizenship in 2023 — ed.),” — added the athlete.

It is worth noting that recently Alexander Usik is noted for his controversial position in relation to the UOC and what is happening around the Church. A few years ago, the athlete publicly declared his support for the canonical Church in Ukraine and even stated that he would go to defend the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra in case the monastery would be taken away. Nevertheless, this year the boxer has never once expressed his support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and on August 24, 2024, Independence Day and the signing of the law banning the UOC by Volodymyr Zelensky, Usik received an award from the hands of the head of state. Later, on the same day, Usik was again awarded by Zelensky, and some time later presented the president of Ukraine who banned the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with his championship belt.

On August 25, 2024, the boxer showed up at a Sunday church service in one of the churches of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, which for the time being remains accessible to the UOC. After the church service, the boxer congratulated Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich), the UOC’s manager of affairs, on his birthday and took a photo with several UOC hierarchs. The editorial staff of Raskolam.net connects such a sudden burst of activity of the athlete in the “church arena” with his possible participation in the upcoming elections, in which Usik, according to him, is going to participate.