Zelensky: The Bolsheviks closed churches in Ukraine and turned them into offices
According to Zelensky, during the USSR, the authorities destroyed churches, placed offices in church buildings, and imposed the only "religion" – the Communist Party.
Vladimir Zelensky spoke about how during the Soviet era the authorities destroyed and closed churches. He made these statements in an interview with American blogger Laura Loomer.
"They came, occupied the territories, and then destroyed your traditions, destroyed the churches. Churches – everything was closed. Churches were destroyed, demolished. Offices and other things were set up in churches, but these were churches," the president said indignantly.
He emphasized that the Soviet authorities effectively replaced faith with ideology.
"They destroyed religion: no religion remained – only the Communist Party. That was the only religion. And then came the turn of traditions and language," Zelensky added.
He did not clarify whether he sees any parallels with what the authorities are doing to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine today.
Earlier, the Union of Orthodox Journalists reported that, according to MP Poturaev, after the ban on the UOC, its believers could open casinos in the churches, or store vegetables there.
