This message was circulated on social networks and in the propaganda media. The reports say that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine “sows confusion”, kicking out the UOC (MP) from the territory of Ukraine. Allegedly, even “crosses got black” on one of the main temples of Ukraine, because of the blasphemous actions of Ukrainians. As the authors of the messages add, the crosses turned black after Metropolitan Epiphanii conducted the divine liturgy during Christmas. A photograph is also added to the publication with an alleged image of the church “before and after”. It is not true.

The fact-checkers of the “Brekhunets” (Liar) project investigated this case and found that no crosses “blackened” and this is not a sign “from above”, as the propagandists are trying to convince. As they further explain, the photo actually shows the crosses of the Refectory cathedral. At the same time, Metropolitan Epiphanii did not hold divine services either in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra or in the Refectory cathedral on Christmas Day. By that time he served in the Uspenskyi (Assumption) Cathedral.

Regarding the “black crosses” at the Refectory cathedral, this is a consequence of the appropriate shooting angle. Fact-checkers managed to find several photos with the so-called black crosses from at least three angles of the Refectory cathedral. Photos are dated from 2009 to the present. Fact-checkers say that the crosses on the cathedral are dull by themselves, and if they are removed against the light, they will really appear black.

Propagandists systematically expand manipulations on the topic of religion in Ukraine. Especially when the Orthodox Church of Ukraine received the right to autocephaly from the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Russian propaganda began to call Ukrainians schismatics. Like, this church is not real and illegal, all the believers visiting it are not real Orthodox. In particular, propagandists said that paganism is being promoted in Ukraine, and Orthodox shrines are being destroyed. Thus, propagandists incite religious discord and try to nourish the narrative about the existence of the so-called “one and inseparable people”. At the same time, those who do not recognize the Moscow patriarchate are called sinners and schismatics by the Russian propaganda.

We recall that Detector Media previously also refuted the fake, in which they claimed that because of the blasphemy of Kyiv, flocks of crows are circling the city, and also explained the message about the “desantanization” and “deshaitanization” of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.