On December 3, 2024, in the Hall of Church Councils of the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, the Russian premiere of the documentary «People of Christ. Our Time», dedicated to the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the state authorities of Ukraine. The film was co-written by director Emir Kusturica, who also attended the premiere in Moscow.
The film was directed by Emir Kusturica, who also attended the premiere in Moscow.
Holy Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia attended the event.
The host of the ceremony was Honored Art Worker of the Russian Federation poet Vladislav Malenko.
The event was attended by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
The audience was welcomed by the creators and heroes of the movie. Serbian director, screenwriter and producer Jovan Markovic spoke at the beginning of the event. He said that a large international team worked on the movie, which included residents of Ukraine.
Further the floor was given to the Ukrainian writer, the hero of the movie Yan Taksyur, who told about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Jan Ilyich was detained by the SBU in Kiev in March 2022 on charges of high treason and sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was released as part of a prisoner-of-war exchange, after which he left for Russia. Release of the writer His Holiness Patriarch Kirill actively promoted.
According to Jan Taksyur, believers in Ukraine are now being forced to abandon Orthodoxy, Christ.
According to Jan Taksyur, believers in Ukraine are now being forced to renounce Orthodoxy, renounce Christ. And many are sacrificing their lives and health. I have seen hundreds, maybe even thousands of people who are doing it today in Ukraine, «— noted the writer.
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The producers of the project, Kiev-born Maxim Korsak and Crimean-born Yevgeniy Golik, also spoke.
Mirko Radenovic, head of the International Production Group of the project, spoke on behalf of the group of organizers and producers of the film.
Mirko Radenovic, head of the International Production Group of the project.
The greeting of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin was announced by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin. Putin was announced by the Minister of Defense of Russia A.R. Belousov.
«Created by our Serbian friends, this film is a documentary evidence of the tragic events taking place in Ukraine, associated with massive violations of the rights and religious freedoms of millions of people, a real abuse of historical memory, persecution of the Orthodox Church by the Kiev regime»— — says in the greeting of V.V. Putin. Putin's greeting.
The hero of the movie Ruslan Kalinchuk spoke next. He read out an appeal from the international team of the project creators to the President of Russia V.V. Putin. Putin.
«In the movie reveals the essence of the conflict taking place today in Ukraine, the war of the Ukrainian authorities against the Orthodox Christians of the country, the tragedy, conflict and confrontation, which today draws all of humanity into its vortex, — says the appeal. — We are talking about cognitive warfare in the spiritual, cultural, mental life of all peoples and each person separately. The uniqueness of this documentary project is that the creators of the movie were its heroes — citizens of different countries — Italy, Serbia, Russia and Ukraine. The world premiere of the movie "People of Christ. Our Time" was held in Serbia, in Belgrade, on September 18 this year. The movie is currently being successfully shown on TV channels of the Balkan countries. Shows in Russia and CIS countries, Europe and Latin America are being prepared.
The initiators of the project appealed to the head of the Russian state with a request to support the initiative to create an international community of cultural figures, scientists and clergy, as well as «to bring the truth about the situation on the destruction of canonical Christianity by the Ukrainian authorities to the world leaders of the states that are members of the United Nations and, above all, to the leaders of the countries that are members of BRICS, which is chaired this year by the Russian Federation. Federation».
Afterwards, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia addressed the participants of the event.
«Now again they are trying by force to tear the united body of Russia, to plunge us into oblivion, to impose on us some new stereotypes of thinking that "you are not one people, you are different peoples, and please forget to talk about the fact that you are one people". We should never forget that we are — one people of the united Holy Russia. And as long as it remains so, we will have the power both spiritual and intellectual, and, I hope, not only spiritual and intellectual, but also any other power capable of restoring the true unity of Holy Russia» — said the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In consideration of his contribution to the preservation of traditional values in society and in connection with his 70th birthday, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill awarded the director, screenwriter and producer of the film Emir Kusturica with the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, First Class.
In honor of his contribution to the preservation of traditional values in society and in connection with his 70th birthday, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presented the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, First Degree.
Afterwards, Mirko Radenovic presented His Holiness with an address from the international cast of the project's creators.
Holy Vladyka blessed all those present to begin watching the movie.
Holy Vladyka blessed all those present to begin watching the movie.
Among the participants of the premiere were the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church. relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Bishop Stephen of Remezia, advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Protopriest Nikolai Balashov, chairman of the Synodal Department of the Church of Society and Media.html">Protopriest Nikolai Balashov, chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations between the Church and Society and the Media, V.R. Legoyda, other representatives of the Church, as well as representatives of the state authorities, the public, and cultural figures.
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The international premiere of the film was held on September 18, 2024, in Belgrade. It was presided over by Holy Patriarch Porphyrios of Serbia.
.The film's director and screenwriter — Jovan Markovic. Hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Bishop Irinej of Bacsk, famous film director and producer Emir Kusturica, Orthodox priest, philosopher and poet Mario Selvini from Genoa (Italy), Cambridge University lecturer (UK) Vukan Markovic, Donbass-born music producer Yuri Bardash share their thoughts in the film. On the pressure on believers in Ukraine in The documentary was also narrated by philosopher Ruslan Kalinchuk from Ivano-Frankivsk and priest Mykola Mogilny from Kiev.
«God bless all those who made efforts to make this movie for the world to see, all those who contributed, participated in the making of this movie and all people of goodwill» — said His Holiness Patriarch Porphyrios of Serbia before the screening.
The film shows the chronicle of persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, unleashed by the Ukrainian authorities, including the facts of forceful seizures of churches and displacement of monks from the premises of the Assumption Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, dispersal of believers and priests who disagree with the oppression of the Church. The picture also refers to the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of a law suggesting a ban on the canonical Church in Ukraine. Temples and monasteries are being searched, bishops and priests are being prosecuted, put under arrest and attacked.
«As it used to happen in Yugoslavia, so now, unfortunately, it is happening in Ukraine, — believe the creators of the picture, quoted by "Komsomolskaya Pravda". — We tell about the ban of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and try to give viewers a little bit more information than can be learned from the media compared to the whole of Europe, and even Serbia. We wanted everyone to watch the picture and start thinking about what is happening in the world, how to be and how to live on». According to director Emir Kusturica, Orthodox Christians need to stick together, because Orthodoxy, the religion of many peoples, including Serbs, is in serious danger now.
According to Bishop Irinej of Bacsk, Vladimir Zelenski in Ukraine «has done something that even the persecutors, torturers, criminals in history, starting with Nero and Diocletian, have not done: no one has ever tried to ban the Church as such, but he did it».
Press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
