Zelensky: Bolsheviks closed churches in Ukraine and turned them into offices
According to Zelensky, the Soviet authorities destroyed churches, converted church buildings into offices, and imposed a single “religion” – the Communist Party.
Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about how the authorities destroyed and closed churches during the Soviet era. He made the remarks in an interview with American blogger Laura Loomer.
“They came, occupied the territories, and then destroyed your traditions, destroyed the churches. The churches – everything was closed. Churches were destroyed and demolished. They turned churches into offices and other things, but they were churches,” the president said indignantly.
He stressed that the Soviet authorities effectively replaced faith with ideology.
“They destroyed religion: no religion remained – only the Communist Party. That was the only religion. Then came the turn of traditions and language,” Zelensky added.
He did not say whether he sees any parallels with what the authorities are doing to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine today.
As the UOJ previously reported, MP Mykyta Poturaiev said that after the UOC is banned, its believers would be free to open casinos in their churches or use them to store vegetables.