Kyiv St Sofia Cathedral being used to film ads for incense products – media

Filming of an advertisement for Dukhmian aromatic products at St. Sophia. Photo: video screenshot / dukhmian

Reports have surfaced online that the grounds of St. Sofia Cathedral of Kyiv are being used for commercial advertising shoots. In particular, the shrine is said to be available for rent for commercial purposes, according to the Pershyi Kozatskyi Telegram channel.

As the authors of the post put it, “For 5,000 hryvnias, you can rent one of the oldest churches on Ukrainian soil to film your advertisement.”

A video showing how the shoot was conducted on the grounds of the Orthodox shrine was published on Instagram by the Ukrainian aromatics brand Dukhmian.

In the comments, the business owners say they were even able to buy a censer for their own purposes, while a cleric of the OCU explained to them how to use it.

Pershyi Kozatskyi also drew attention to the content of the brand’s advertising. According to the outlet, the company uses every Orthodox feast day to tell its followers about pagan traditions of fumigating homes with herbs.

“The shrine, which the state has seized and refuses to return to the Church, stands empty. They have placed there a cleric of the state church, the OCU, who serves as a kind of entertainment exhibit and imitates ‘clergy’ for the occasional visitors,” the Orthodox journalists added.

The report also notes that various commercial outlets operate on the reserve’s grounds and that rental services for the premises are openly offered.

The official St. Sophia website lists rates for a range of services. For example, one hour of photo or video shooting on the grounds of the museum-reserve costs 1,500 hryvnias.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the authorities had repurposed the confiscated Transfiguration Cathedral as a venue for film screenings.

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