The documentary “No God But Theirs” (“There Will Be No God But Theirs”), created by journalists from The Kyiv Independent in Kyiv, was screened at the Ukraine House in Washington. The film tells the story of the persecution of Ukrainian Christians in the temporarily occupied Melitopol, located in the south of the Zaporizhzhia region.
This was report by Ukraine House.
“This film reveals the truth about the priests from Melitopol, who survived the systemic Russian terror. It is a powerful testimony to what the occupiers are capable of doing to Christians, and a reminder of how important it is to tell the world the truth about their crimes,” the organizers of the event noted.
Before the full-scale Russian invasion, Melitopol was a center of religious diversity, where different Christian communities coexisted and interacted. After the occupation in 2022, churches in the city quickly became not only places of prayer, but also centers of stability for residents, but the religious life of the city was virtually destroyed
""In response, the Russian authorities resorted to repression: searches, interrogations, banning the activities of churches, confiscation of property. Some priests were deported or forced to leave under pressure and threats. They were portrayed in propaganda plots as "armed criminals." Believers went underground," the film's announcement says.
In the film, the authors reveal the names of officials involved in religious persecution, and also present the testimonies of four clergymen. Namely, Bishop Dmytro Bodyu (Pentecostal Church "Word of Life"), Father Oleksandr Bogomaz (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church), pastors Mykhailo Brytsyn and Ihor Ivashchuk (Baptist Church "Blagodat").
The screening was followed by an open discussion with the head of The Kyiv Independent’s war crimes investigation department, Yevhenia Motorevska, journalist and film author Danylo Mokryk, and pastor of the Blagodat Church in Melitopol, Oleh Stozhko. The meeting was moderated by Danyta Stanciu, strategic advisor to The Kyiv Independent. The event was also attended by journalist Yulia Zabelina, co-organizer of the trip and filming.
The event brought together a wide audience of media representatives, NGOs, clergy, and the Ukrainian community. Those present noted the importance of such documentary evidence for understanding the scale of religious persecution carried out by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
You can watch the film or share it with an American audience link.
Photo: Ukraine House
Author: Inna Mikhno