As reported, on June 18, 2025, the Estonian Parliament adopted in the third reading amendments to the Law on Churches and Parishes, which effectively restrict the activities of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EOCC). Among the important changes, the deadline for churches and other institutions to amend their charters was extended from two months to six months.
British media accused the Pyhtitsa Convent in Estonia of “participating in Russia's hybrid war against Europe”
The British newspaper The Telegraph published an article accusing the Pühtitsa Convent of the Russian Orthodox Church, located in Estonia, of complicity in Russia’s hybrid war against Europe. According to the publication, the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs denies that the monastery is politically neutral and claims that it is part of a subtle “Russian information war” campaign that portrays the West as intimidating innocent Russian Orthodox nuns. The article is published on The Telegraph website.
«The monastery should be seen not just as a religious institution, but also as a symbol of the ideology of the ‘Russian world’ on Estonian soil — an ideology promoted by the Russian state and the Moscow Patriarchate, which combines religion, nationalism, and imperial nostalgia,» — Martin Tulit, a high-ranking Estonian official, told The Telegraph.
In turn, in an interview with The Telegraph, the abbess of the Pyuhta Convent, Mother Filareta (Kalatshova), categorically denied that the convent had anything to do with “pro-Moscow activities” and insisted that the nuns wanted to lead a spiritual life without interfering in politics. The abbess emphasized that the monastery cannot be held responsible for the position of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
“Our life in the monastery is very simple; it consists of prayer and work. We came to the monastery to leave the secular world behind, to get away from these problems and devote our time to serving the Lord,” — said Abbess Filareta.
Read also
