Belarusian authorities intensify fight against "ROC – Tsarist Empire"

A member of the movement "Russian Orthodox Church – Tsarist Empire". Photo: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus

On October 9, 2025, the Belarusian authorities instructed educational institutions to report on the activities of unregistered religious organizations. This was reported by the resource "Belsat" with reference to the organization BELPOL, which obtained a copy of a letter from the Investigative Committee.

According to the publication, the Main Directorate of Education of the Minsk Regional Executive Committee obliged schools and other educational institutions to inform law enforcement about possible activities of the movement «Russian Orthodox Church – Tsarist Empire» (ROC-TsE) and other groups that have not undergone registration. The document also prescribes conducting explanatory activities about "destructive religious formations" and their recruitment methods.

The basis for such measures was a criminal case against members of the ROC-TsE – a religious movement founded by Leonid Ulasov, who calls himself "Tsar-Patriarch Zasima". In 2024, the organization was recognized as an extremist formation, and its supporters were detained.

The mass distribution of instructions is taking place against the backdrop of a campaign for the mandatory re-registration of all religious communities, which is to be completed by the end of 2025. The new law has tightened registration rules, increasing the requirements for the number of founders and limiting opportunities for small denominations.

As noted by the movement "Christian Vision", as a result of this campaign, the number of registered religious organizations in Belarus has decreased by almost 5%. The Belarusian Greek Catholic Church was particularly affected, as it did not manage to register the required number of parishes to maintain its official status.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a Polish monk of the RCC was arrested in Belarus on charges of espionage.

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