Authorities deny claims that icon gifted to Pope depicts Zelensky
Fragment of the icon gifted to the pope and a photo of Zelensky. Collage: UOJ
The Center for Strategic Studies under the Ministry of Culture has denied the claims made by blogger and journalist Anatoliy Shariy, who alleged that the face of the Christ Child on the icon gifted by Zelensky to Pope Leo resembles childhood photos of Zelensky himself.
According to the Center’s staff, “This icon is about Ukrainian children – those who have suffered because of the war, who were deliberately abducted and deported by Russia, and who are desperately awaited at home.”
“The idea that the icon depicts young Volodymyr Zelensky was deliberately fabricated by Shariy to discredit the Ukrainian authorities,” the Center for Strategic Studies stated, calling Shariy “pro-Russian.”
Earlier, the UOJ reported that during his meeting with Pope Leo, Zelensky presented him with an icon painted on wooden boards from an ammunition crate.
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