Russian Orthodox Church Transfers Karlovy Vary Church to Hungary Amid Sanctions
The Czech resort town of Karlovy Vary, long a favorite destination for Russian tourists due to its renowned thermal springs and colonnades, has recently attracted increased attention from the Russian Orthodox Church. This development comes as Czech authorities continue to enforce some of the strictest sanctions against Russia in Europe, according to Church Times.
The Orthodox Church of St. Peter and Paul, established in 1898, has changed ownership, with control now transferred to the Hungarian diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). This move is seen as a precaution to prevent the church’s assets from being frozen under Czech sanctions. The church retains its status as a parish under the Moscow Patriarchate.
Karlovy Vary property records confirm that the transfer includes not just the church itself but also the surrounding land, an adjacent house, and a garage located nearby. These assets were previously registered as part of the “Russian Orthodox Church – the Courtyard of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia,” which represents the ROC in the Czech Republic. Now, they belong to the “Hungarian Diocese of the ROC.”
In December, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), formerly a high-ranking diplomat for Patriarch Kirill, was reassigned to Karlovy Vary after being “retired” for what was described as “a lifestyle incompatible with monasticism.” Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hilarion was appointed Metropolitan of Budapest and Hungary, gaining Hungarian—and thereby EU—citizenship.
Meanwhile, Archpriest Nikolai Lischenyuk, the previous ROC representative in Karlovy Vary, was stripped of his honorary citizenship last month by the local council. A Russian citizen, Lischenyuk had been expelled from the Czech Republic in 2022 due to security concerns.
The Czech government has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, with Patriarch Kirill among those targeted. He was the first individual to be listed under the Czech Republic’s Sanctions Act, passed in 2023.
The decision to transfer ownership of the Karlovy Vary church to the ROC’s Hungarian diocese is seen as an effort by the Moscow Patriarchate to safeguard its assets, leveraging Hungary’s close ties with Russia. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has consistently defended Patriarch Kirill and opposed sanctions against him.
In December, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó dismissed the EU’s latest proposal to sanction Kirill as a “crazy idea,” arguing that targeting religious leaders was counterproductive and should be avoided. Back in 2022, Hungary had pressured EU officials to remove Kirill from the sanctions list, citing the country’s commitment to religious freedom. In recognition of Hungary’s support, the Russian Orthodox Church honored Orbán with the church’s Order of Glory and Honor, first class, in June 2023.
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