The Macedonian Orthodox Church is under significant influence from the Russian Orthodox Church. This view was expressed by Macedonian civic activist, journalist and co-founder of the non-governmental organisation CIVIL Today (the Centre for Civil Freedom in Skopje) Dzhabir Derala, Ukrinform reports.

“The Church is an important channel of Russian influence. We have been investigating this issue for many years and have gathered compelling evidence that the Macedonian Orthodox Church is under significant influence from the Russian Orthodox Church,” Derala said.

As an example of this influence, Derala pointed to the fact that the Macedonian Orthodox Church has not recognised the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The journalist also noted the activities of the Russian Embassy in North Macedonia and the daily events organised by the aggressor state’s mission.

“Many media outlets publish its statements without any editorial review or fact-checking. Many politicians also readily attend these events,” the media expert warned.

Earlier, we reported that the Macedonian Orthodox Church may be receiving financial support from the Serbian Patriarchate, funding that often has Russian origins. This may explain the pro-Russian rhetoric in North Macedonia. Prominent church commentator Lera Furman made this point in an exclusive interview with LF when answering why the Macedonian Church began promoting pro-Russian narratives after receiving a tomos from Serbia.