Baumeister: Persecution of UOC is one of the government’s greatest crimes

Andriy Baumeister. Photo: theukrainians.org

Doctor of Philosophy Andriy Baumeister, in an interview on journalist Oleksandr Shelest’s channel, stated that the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is one of the greatest crimes committed by the Ukrainian authorities between 2022 and 2024.

In his opinion, it is also one of the most serious offenses committed by Ukrainian activists, who shaped the country’s public discourse.

Baumeister noted that these activists pushed the narrative: "Is this even a Church? It’s an FSB branch. Are these people? They’re separatists. Are these priests? They’re Moscow agents."

"Before our very eyes, we witnessed one of the most repugnant acts of dehumanization of the 21st century. And it happened in our country, with the approval of activists and the direct support of Bankova Street [the Presidential Office]," he added.

The Ukrainian philosopher recalled that he had repeatedly addressed these activists, as well as representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), pointing out the persecution of UOC priests and bishops, some of whom have been imprisoned. He warned that it was unacceptable to "enter their (UOC – Ed.) churches and serve there as if nothing had happened after a raider takeover."

"Americans – by that, I mean the Republican side – kept pointing this out to us, but we ignored it. Eventually, in Munich, [J.D.] Vance hinted at this directly, comparing Zelensky’s policies to those of the Soviet Union. He wasn’t just addressing Europeans; naturally, everyone recognized the image of Ukraine—where you are told what to believe, what to say, and what to think," Baumeister stated.

According to him, the Ukrainian government now faces a dilemma:
"Either admit to its crime or continue pretending that nothing happened and that everything was done correctly."

He believes that once there is a change of power in Ukraine, the situation will shift very quickly.

"This was the largest act of dehumanization," the philosopher reiterated. "Declaring millions of Ukrainians as non-Ukrainian, or as the 'wrong kind' of Ukrainians, is an unprecedented event in 21st-century history. And the fact that this happened in our country places a double burden of responsibility on all of us – to find a way out of this disgrace on a human, cultural, and civilizational level."

At the conclusion of his interview, in which Baumeister analyzed the country’s current political situation, he stressed that the persecution of the Church played "a fateful role in the events unfolding today" and has become "a key factor in the deep crisis the state is currently experiencing."

"The hallmark of a short-sighted, intellectually limited member of the elite is the inability to think in terms of cause-and-effect relationships. It is a clear sign of weak intellect when a person does not understand that they will have to answer for their actions sooner or later," he concluded.

As previously reported by the UOJ, Baumeister earlier stated that the authorities are forcibly making six million citizens ‘spiritually independent.’

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