DISPATCH: KYIV'S WARRIOR MONKS PREPARE FOR BATTLE
By Nolan Peterson | March 21, 2022
Archimandrite Makariy at St. Theodosius Monastery in central Kyiv. Photo by Nolan Peterson/Coffee or Die Magazine.
Excerpt:
Makariy and eight other members of his clergy have taken an oath to take up arms and defend their church, should Russian forces enter Kyiv. With the exception of Makariy, many of the monastery’s monks now wear military uniforms rather than robes. They have helmets on their heads and body armor vests over their chests and rifles in their hands.
St. Theodosius Monastery was badly damaged by combat during the Russian Revolution and World War II. It’s all been repaired, but within the courtyard several photos on display show the monastery with varying degrees of damage from those other wars: a reminder of Ukraine’s violent past, the perennial nature of war and peace, and mankind’s tragic inability to learn from the lessons offered.
Amid the background din of not-too-distant shelling, Makariy stands back and observes the photos and says, “We have no desire to go to another place and fight. But if the Russians come here, we will defend our monastery.”
Inside the monastery is a head-spinning mix of religion and war. Kalashnikovs are propped up against walls upon which paintings of the Virgin Mary and Jesus hang. Grenades sit on shelves beside rosaries. Kneepads and body armor and military patches are spread out on a table beside Orthodox icons. Within Makariy’s office, a stacked pile of military gear on a chair includes an assault rifle, body armor vest, helmet, ammunition pouch, and a gas mask.
Inside the monastery’s main church, Makariy offers a quick prayer and then leads the way up the bell tower. The stairway’s walls are covered by a mural depicting various generations of Ukrainian warriors — Makariy identifies a patch of blank wall where paintings will one day go to immortalize the warriors of this war.
https://coffeeordie.com/kyiv-warrior-monks/
Military gear in the office of Archimandrite Makariy at St. Theodosius Monastery in Kyiv. Photo by Nolan Peterson/Coffee or Die Magazine.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Not that i doubt this story... but this source... how shall i say, not an open minded one? Or maybe not the type of company i'd promote on this board? I don't know, maybe i'm wrong here...
