Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at a reception on the occasion of Orthodox Easter, May 20, 2025
Your Holiness,
Friends,
I am delighted to welcome the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, members of the clergy of other traditional confessions, representatives of public organisations and the heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Moscow. Although we have met in the last ten days of the Easter period, this is yet another opportunity to congratulate each other on the great holiday of Easter, the main Orthodox holiday and a symbol of spiritual renewal, hope and faith.
It is deeply symbolic that this year our meeting is being held several days after the people of Russia and all progressive people in the world celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. We remember that following in the path of the Holy Fire, the Eternal Flame burning in the Alexander Garden has been delivered to many cities across our Motherland.
I would like to use this occasion to congratulate everyone on both Easter Sunday and the anniversary of the Great Victory. Our country made a crucial contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany and the liberation of Europe and the rest of the world from the Nazi plague. In the face of the deadly threat, our people rallied to wage an uncompromising struggle against the Nazi invaders.
The unfading heroism of all Soviet peoples would have been unthinkable without the spiritual guidance of the clergy, who bravely endured the hardships of the war together with their flock. The Russian Orthodox Church collected funds for defence, extended moral assistance to our service personnel and civilians, including in the temporarily occupied territories, and strongly condemned traitors and collaborators in prayers and sermons.
Every year on May 9, the Russian Orthodox churches throughout the world conduct services in remembrance of the departed service personnel and for the health of the living, and pray for peace and tranquillity on our planet.
Your Holiness, there have been cases in history when the conflicting sides agreed an Easter ceasefire. However, you know that the Easter ceasefire announced by President of Russia Vladimir Putin and his initiative on a Victory Day ceasefire have been disregarded by Zelensky’s regime, which did not surprise us or objective outside observers.
After using force to seize power in 2014, the Kiev clique has been destroying everything that is associated with Russia one way or another, including the Russian language and culture, Russian traditions and the Russian-language media. The Kiev regime has also been harassing canonical Orthodoxy, as we clearly see.
A tragic but clear example of its man-hating essence is the years-long harassment of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest confession in the country, which those who have seized power in Kiev have pushed towards the brink of legal termination. They continue to seize and vandalise churches and to attack the clergy and believers. Stark evidence of that blasphemous policy and violation of believers’ feelings is the “inventory undertaken to check the historical and scientific value of the relics of the saints” kept in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the main monastery of Ukraine. This task has been assigned to veterinarians.
These blasphemous actions are being conducted with the connivance of and even support from many European countries, where neo-Nazism and satanism have reared their ugly heads.
I would like to assure all those present that Russia will not abandon the Orthodox faithful in Ukraine in their time of need and will ensure that their legitimate rights are respected, while canonical Orthodoxy regains its central place in the spiritual life of the people across Ukraine. The guarantee that these objectives will be achieved lies in the Russian Federation’s position regarding a just resolution of the Ukrainian crisis, which was engineered by the West. This position was unequivocally reaffirmed yesterday by President of Russia Vladimir Putin following his telephone conversation with President of the United States Donald Trump.
The Russian state and our Ministry will continue to align our efforts on the international stage with those of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is heartening to witness the expanding constructive work of the Moscow Patriarchate across many parts of the world. The Patriarchal Exarchates in Africa and Southeast Asia are developing intensively, while the number of overseas parishes continues to grow. This confirms a simple truth: wherever a person may live, if they are of sound mind, they will always gravitate towards those who embody enduring spiritual and moral values common to all major religions, cultures, and civilisations.
We highly value Your Holiness’s selfless efforts to strengthen the unity of Orthodox believers in protecting Christians from the threats of terrorism and religious fanaticism. Of particular concern is the situation in the Middle East, especially in Syria, where radical militant groups are carrying out veritable ethnic cleansing and mass killings based on ethnicity and religion.
It is astonishing how easily the West turns a blind eye to numerous crimes across various parts of the world when these crimes do not hinder its pursuit of a global agenda – clinging to fading dominance while attempting to maintain its existence at others’ expense.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs greatly appreciates the Russian Orthodox Church’s contribution to improving the global situation and preventing the deepening of divisions along ethnic and religious lines.
We stand ready to further enhance our collaboration with the Moscow Patriarchate and representatives of all other faiths in our country to uphold the ideals of goodness and justice while deepening broad international cooperation.
In conclusion, allow me once again to congratulate Your Holiness and all those present, our dear guests, on this most sacred Orthodox celebration, wishing everyone robust health, kindness, peace, and prosperity.
***
Your Holiness,
Friends,
On behalf of all the award recipients, I express our most profound and sincere gratitude. I wish to emphasise – not as a mere formality, but in substance – that we regard these tokens of attention as recognition of the work carried out not only by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our team, but also by the Federal Assembly and all public organisations promoting one sacred cause: the fight for human rights not through slogans, but through practical deeds.
Your Holiness mentioned how the West treats human rights – solely as an instrument to impose its will upon those pursuing independent policies. Your Holiness noted that regarding Ukraine, one needs only to examine Western statements post-2014. The phrase “human rights” never appears, though it is enshrined in the UN Charter – the obligation to respect human rights regardless of gender, race, language, or religion. Yet in Ukraine, language and religion are being eradicated. Moreover, Ukraine’s Constitution (which few scrutinise) explicitly guarantees state protection for the rights of Russian (specifically highlighted) and other ethnic minorities, encompassing education, religious aspects, and virtually all facets of human life.
Thus, we will draw inspiration from Your attention, Your Holiness, to continue our work defending justice, truth, and people’s rights.