Russian war narratives to feature at Orthodox conference in Vilnius

A controversial international Orthodox conference in Vilnius this week will include speakers who have publicly supported Kremlin narratives on the war in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, LRT reports.

The event, organised by the Lithuanian Orthodox Diocese on April 26 at the Church of the Assumption, marks the 680th anniversary of Orthodoxy in Lithuania and is billed as a scholarly-theological discussion. However, the list of invited speakers has raised concerns over potential political messaging.

Among the participants is Serbian publicist Ognen Vojvodić, who has referred to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a “special operation” and framed it as a response to “Euro-Atlantic expansionism.” His writings also question Ukrainian national identity, describing it as a politically constructed anti-Russian project.

Belarusian writer Alexey Khoteyev, another attendee, has called the 2014 Euromaidan protests a “state coup” and referred to occupied Crimea as “Russian land.”

Czech priest and theologian Václav Ježek, known for aligning with Moscow’s official stance, will also speak. He has defended the “canonicity” of Russian Orthodox Church structures, criticised moves toward autocephaly (church independence), and downplayed Russia’s role in conflicts by shifting blame to the West.

Estonia’s Bishop Daniil Lepisk of Tartu, who last year told the UN that attempts to sever his church’s ties with Moscow amount to forced separation from its “canonical centre,” will address challenges facing the Estonian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate.

Lithuanian citizen Ambrosius Fedukovičius, an Orthodox bishop, has previously avoided direct answers on the war in Ukraine and Crimea’s status in interviews.

The most contentious figure may be Philip Vasiltsov, a representative of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Patriarchate of Antioch. His past work in Bulgaria—where he split a parish along ethnic lines, removed local clergy, and founded a Cossack organisation within the church—sparked protests from over 100 parishioners and led to his recall. Bulgarian media investigations later tied him to the pro-Kremlin Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, formerly led by a former FSB director.

While the conference is formally dedicated to religious and historical themes, the inclusion of these speakers has fuelled concerns that the event could become a platform for disseminating politically sensitive narratives—both in public sessions and behind closed doors.