Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused the leadership of the European Union of “aggressively forcing the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) out of Armenia.”
In a press release titled “Euro-Antichrists Target the Russian Orthodox Church in Armenia,” the SVR claims that “as a mandatory condition for European integration, the Armenian authorities are being required to completely sever centuries-old religious and spiritual ties with Moscow.”
The intelligence agency alleges that the EU Mission in Armenia is attempting to deprive the Yerevan-Armenian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church of its rights to use church property and to block its dialogue with local religious institutions, primarily the Armenian Apostolic Church. In its official statement, the SVR also refers dismissively to European Union representatives as “EU officials who have forgotten their roots.”
The Foreign Intelligence Service further accuses EU-funded non-governmental organizations of carrying out a “crude attack on Archpriest Timofey Kazaryan of the Russian Orthodox Church, rector of the Archangel Michael chapel-church at the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri,” allegedly on suspicion of interfering in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
According to the SVR, the EU is also “fabricating compromising material against other representatives of the Yerevan-Armenian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in order to encourage the Armenian authorities to launch large-scale persecution against it.”
As is known, parliamentary elections will be held in Armenia on June 7. The Kremlin is seeking to influence the outcome of the vote amid Armenia’s growing rapprochement with the European Union.
Earlier, officials in Brussels stated that Moscow was attempting to harm the Armenian economy and influence the outcome of the parliamentary elections. The European Union pledged its support for Yerevan.
LF Commentary:
The overwhelming majority of Armenians belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), whose center is located in Echmiadzin. It is an independent Oriental Orthodox Church that is subordinate neither to Moscow, Constantinople, nor Rome. It has its own primate, the Catholicos of All Armenians.
Armenia also has a small structure of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Yerevan-Armenian Diocese. It was established as a separate diocese in 2021.
The number of active churches belonging to the Moscow Patriarchate in Armenia is small, approximately eight.
Although the AAC and the ROC maintain officially positive relations and ongoing dialogue, there is no ecclesiastical unity between them. They are separate churches with different historical and theological traditions.
Within the Armenian Apostolic Church, there are differing views and attitudes.
Formally, the AAC is not subordinate to Moscow. However, many Armenian bishops and priests have historically studied in Russia, a significant Armenian diaspora lives in Russia, and close contacts exist between the AAC and the ROC. As a result, some Armenian politicians and analysts believe that part of the church elite is more pro-Russian than Armenia’s current leadership.
Following the defeat in Karabakh and the deterioration of relations between Yerevan and Moscow, tensions emerged between the government of Nikol Pashinyan and the leadership of the AAC. Supporters of Pashinyan sometimes accuse the church hierarchy of ties to Russian circles, while the church rejects these allegations. We will continue to monitor the situation.
