Metropolitan Vissarion, who was involved in pro-Kremlin propaganda, has died
It has been reported that on September 18, at the age of 73, after a long illness, Metropolitan Vissarion (Stretovich), who in 2023 was suspected of inciting religious hatred. Together with his brother, he was exposed for engaging in pro-Kremlin propaganda.
Vasyl Stretovich was born on December 4, 1953, in the village of Polyana, Korosten District, Zhytomyr Oblast. He studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary and received his diploma from the Theological Academy in 1983. That same year, he took monastic vows and was given the name Vissarion. In September 1983, he was ordained first as a deacon and later as a priest.
In 1992, Vissarion was elected Bishop of Korosten, vicar of the Zhytomyr Diocese. In June 1993, the separate Ovruch Diocese was established, which he led with the title “of Ovruch and Korosten.” Vissarion remained in this see until his death.
This was reported by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
In 2023, the Security Service of Ukraine notified Metropolitan Vissarion and the secretary of the Ovruch-Korosten Diocese of the UOC-MP that they were under investigation. Law enforcement officials alleged that they had incited religious hostility.
According to the investigation, over the course of several years, Vissarion personally drafted the texts for pro-Kremlin leaflets and brochures. In these materials, he insulted the religious feelings of Ukrainians, disparaged the views of believers of other denominations, and attempted to foster hostile attitudes toward them. The total print run of such materials amounted to nearly 50,000 copies. They were distributed among priests and believers by the diocesan secretary, who is the metropolitan’s brother.
SBU officers seized the propaganda materials during security operations in the Zhytomyr region in the spring of 2022. Expert analyses commissioned by the SBU confirmed the presence in the seized texts of statements aimed at inciting religious hatred.
On August 31, 2023, Vissarion was served with an indictment. The metropolitan stated that he did not acknowledge the charges brought against him and would defend his position in court. There is no information in open sources regarding the sentencing in this case.
