Is the Russian Orthodox Church Spying in Europe? Molfar Research. Part One

^21.11.2024

What has long been evident to the Ukrainian public about the nature of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is gradually becoming clear to the European establishment as well. The ROC is not merely a tool of soft power but operates as a genuine espionage network.

The OSINT agency Molfar researchers conducted an open-source investigation, analyzing 11 European countries. The first part of the study focuses on 5 of them — Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Germany.

The Church as a Spy Network in Västerås, Sweden

In the Swedish city of Västerås, a Russian church built suspiciously close to numerous strategic sites has raised questions since its construction began in 2013. Father Pavel Makarenko, the parish priest, serves at the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Västerås. Although he was reassigned to Sweden in 2010 and hasn’t traveled back to Russia since, this hasn’t prevented him from "serving" Russia from afar.

The church, located on the outskirts of Västerås, was built between 2013 and 2019 and was consecrated on November 4, 2023. Among those attending the consecration was Vladimir Lyapin, Counselor-Envoy of the Russian Embassy in Sweden. Lyapin is one of 20 diplomats suspected by Danish and Swedish authorities of conducting espionage activities for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) or the Federal Security Service (FSB).

Locals, tourists, and parishioners have left reviews about the church on Google Maps. Some users have questioned the presence of an opaque fence and perimeter surveillance cameras. Perhaps we can offer some answers.

In 2013, the plot of land for the Västerås church was purchased by Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear corporation. Lars Kallseby, the former chairman of the Swedish Building Party, granted the construction permit. The land was acquired just a year after the church project was first proposed — a swift timeline by Swedish standards, as noted by local journalists. Father Pavel Makarenko commented, “The parish bought the land, and the location was chosen for practical reasons” (1,2).

Rosatom also financed the church's construction, as confirmed by Metropolitan Anthony in his acknowledgment of support from the Fund for Supporting Christian Culture and Population. However, Russian sources attempted to obscure Rosatom’s involvement, claiming the funding came from the above foundation and voluntary donations.

It seems the choice of this site for the church was no coincidence. The Westinghouse Electric factory, which produces nuclear fuel assemblies, is just a few kilometers away — only 4.22 kilometers from the church. Additionally, Västerås Airport is located just 500 meters from the site. Within 6 kilometers is the headquarters and combined heat and power plant of Mälarenergi AB, a major energy supplier. Finally, ABB Metallurgy, a metallurgical plant, is less than 5 kilometers away.

This church's proximity to sensitive infrastructure and Rosatom’s involvement raise serious questions about its true purpose.

Returning to the abbot of this church, Father Pavlo Makarenko. In August of this year, Swedish journalists published a report stating that Makarenko received a commendation from the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. At the same time, he vehemently denied allegations of funding for his parish by Rosatom. Previously, Makarenko also served as the general director of the Swedish company “NC Nordic Control AB,” owned by Russian developer Pavel Gerasimov (of the Gerda Group), who has been implicated in a drug trafficking case and has been involved in numerous church projects in Sweden. His import-export company lacks a physical warehouse but reportedly generates revenues of approximately 40 million SEK.

Before his tenure in Västerås, Makarenko oversaw parishes in the Swedish towns of Arboga (8.4 kilometers from a military facility operated by the Swedish Armed Forces’ Telecommunications and Information Systems Division) and Gävle (where a church is situated 1.9 kilometers from a National Guard battalion, 1.1 kilometers from a military training ground, and 140 meters from a railway line).

The VLT newspaper discovered that the land for the Västerås church, serving a congregation of about one hundred people, was purchased by Rosatom in 2013. The primary source of this information was Säpo, the Swedish Security Service.

Analyst Patrik Oksanen writes: “Västerås has one of Sweden’s longest runways. The city is strategically located near key bridges over Lake Mälaren, and Stockholm is not far from the strategic harbor in Gävle. This area is also close to the Swedish Army Headquarters in Enköping and a military communications hub.”

Now, let’s examine cases involving other Swedish towns.

The church in Uppsala is located 750 meters from a government institution and 2.7 kilometers from an airbase with a military academy. The local abbot, Father Vitalii Babushin, was abruptly assigned to Sweden in 2010, having previously served at the Church of Sergius of Radonezh in the village of Novosergiyevo, Noginsk District, Moscow Region. Gerasimov, through “NC Nordic Control AB,” had restored the Pokrovsky Church there (1). Babushin works at the Department of Foreign Institutions of the Moscow Patriarchate in Jönköping, 600 meters from an energy company.

In Stockholm, the church of the Sergiev Parish is located just 4 kilometers from the government organization Försvars departementet and 6 kilometers from the military base Försvarsmakten Högkvarteret. Abbot Nikita (Oleh Stanislavovych Dobronravov), a Department for External Church Relations employee, oversees this parish. He also serves as the abbot of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Stockholm, which will be discussed further.

The Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Nearby, just 770 meters away, is the Embassy of the Czech Republic. Additionally:

The city of Gothenburg (Göteborg). Parish dedicated to the Protection of the Holy Mother of God. Two kilometers away lies a power plant. Slightly farther, at a distance of 12 kilometers, is a military facility. The parish is overseen by Archpriest Sergey Bondarev, who also manages the Resurrection of Christ parish in Helsingborg, located 1.4 kilometers from the port.

Lastly, the city of Boliden. The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, built in 2017. Half a kilometer from the church, a mining company extracts complex ores containing zinc, copper, lead, gold, and silver. This church has been suspected of espionage by Swedish media. Archpriest Maksim Smirnov and Deacon Aleksandr Bednov lead the parish. Bednov graduated from the Balashov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (1988) and Taurida National University (Faculty of Law) (2002). His theological education includes the Belgorod Orthodox Theological Seminary (1, 2).

The ROC in Norway: An Espionage Arm of Russia

In the city of Bryne, there is the Church of the Martyr Irene parish, which was built in 2014. Nearby, at a distance of 650 meters, is Nordic Steel AS, a Norwegian supplier of steel structures and services, including design, metalworking, and installation.

Robotic Innovation AS is located 688 meters from the church. This company specializes in automating in-factory logistics using autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automation systems, and AI technologies. IXYS AS is 586 meters from the church. IXYS Norway AS focuses on developing and manufacturing high-power semiconductors, including diodes, thyristors, and modules for various applications. Jæren Overflatebehandling AS is 637 meters from the parish and provides industrial surface treatment services, including painting, metallization, and anti-corrosion coatings for different industries. Aarbakke AS is 859 meters away from the Russian church. Aarbakke specializes in manufacturing and supplying mechanical components and solutions for various industries, including the energy sector, marine industry, and mechanical engineering.

The rector of the parish is Archpriest Vasily Petrov (1,2,3,4), who also serves as the Vice-Rector of the Distance Learning Department at the Kaluga Theological Seminary (1,2,3). In early March 2022, he was part of a group of Russian Orthodox Church clergy who issued a statement condemning the actions of the Russian army in "eradicating Nazism" in Ukraine (1,2,3).

Let us now move to the capital, Oslo. Since 2003, there has been the parish of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga. Numerous government facilities are located nearby:

• The Norwegian Statistics Bureau (SSB) collects and publishes statistics about Norway, including data on the economy, population, and society — 159 m
• The Storting — Norway's parliament, responsible for drafting and passing laws, overseeing government operations, and shaping state policy — 953 m
• Embassy of Georgia, Oslo — 601 m
• Embassy of Kazakhstan — 533 m
• Embassy of Vietnam — 534 m
• Embassy of Canada in Norway — 859 m
• Consulate of Finland — 979 m
• Embassy of Saudi Arabia — 858 m
• Embassy of Costa Rica — 933 m
• Union of Military Personnel — 996 m
• Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development — 593 m
• Ministry of Children and Families — 593 m
• Ministry of Transport and Communications — 593 m
• Ministry of Energy — 593 m
• Ministry of Health and Social Services — 549 m
• Consulate of the Republic of Slovenia — 842 m

The rector of the parish temple is Archimandrite Fr. Kliment Khukhtamyaki (1,2) (Juha Kalevi Khukhtamyaki). A native of Finland, he was tonsured as a monk in December 1996 by Metropolitan Kirill (Gundyaev). His monastic name is Kliment. Later, in April 1997, Kirill sent him to Norway to organize Orthodox parishes under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in January 2023, he refused to comment on the war or to leave the ROC, following the example of some European churches. Instead, in November of that year, he officiated the consecration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God Church in Västerås.

Another notable location is the Norwegian town of Kirkenes. Since 2015, it has housed the Russian Orthodox parish of St. Tryphon of Pechenga. Five kilometers from the church lies a military facility—Sør-Varanger Garrison. At 85 meters, there is the Sør-Varanger Municipality; the Swedish consulate is 121 meters away; the Russian Federation Embassy in Norway is 120 meters, and the Kirkenes port is 937 meters.

In the early 2000s, there was a plan to build a maritime church in the Russian Orthodox tradition in Kirkenes for Russian sailors. The project received positive feedback from the Norwegian government, led by theologian Kjell Magne Bondevik. Even Vladimir Putin, during his visit to Oslo in 2002, showed interest in the project. However, it never progressed beyond the announcement stage (1,2).

The ROC also owns property in Kirkenes, just a few kilometers from the Russian border. According to journalists, the Church purchased the St. Tryphon of Pechenga parish in 2015. This area is known for its close ties to Russia, with many Russians living on the Norwegian side of the border (1,2).

In Vardø, a chapel of the ROC has been under construction since 2017. Specific details about the funding sources for the chapel's construction are unavailable. However, during the project's coordination in an online conference in July 2020, the Norwegian Barents Secretariat (1,2) financed the meeting and earlier priests' trips to Norway. The Secretariat allocated state grants worth millions of kroner to foster friendly relations between local municipalities and two Russian cities (Arkhangelsk and Murmansk) (1,2). During these relations, the veteran organization "Shield" Fund (FSB) from Murmansk initiated several so-called memorial tours with local residents of Vardø (1,2). The article citing this information was removed as of September 27, 2024.

GLOBUS is a radar system located in Vardø, Norway. It is operated by the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) and officially monitors space and Arctic airspace for Norway's national interests. However, the proximity of this facility to known Russian naval bases, along with U.S. involvement in its construction and funding, raises suspicions that it might also function as part of the American missile defense system (1, 2). This means that the Russian Orthodox Church intended to build a prayer house near one of Norway's most sensitive sites in Vardø and received municipal support for it. The construction plans have since been canceled.

The Parish of St. Anna of Novgorod was built in 2008in Trondheim and is served by priest Alexander Volokhan (1,2) .

The city of Trondheim. The parish of Reverend Anna of Novgorod was built in 2008. The priest serving there is Alexander Volokhan (1,2). There is no data on the origin of the donations. 

Proximity of governmental and military facilities to the ROC parish:

• Submarine bunker – 925 m
• Air Force Academy – 1,291 m
• Military base – 1,292 m
• Hurtigruten Port, Trondheim – 1,193 m
• Consulate of Finland – 1,411 m
• General Consulate of the Republic of Poland – 515 m
• Honorary Consulate of the People's Republic of Bangladesh in Trondheim – 810 m
• Swedish Consulate under Jan Kaare Tapper – 655 m
• Royal Consulate of Denmark – 863 m
• Consulate of the Netherlands – 577 m
• Honorary Consul of Estonia in Trondheim – 752 m
• Honorary Vice Consulate of Spain in Trondheim – 753 m
• Event Office, Culture Department, Municipality of Trondheim – 402 m
• Trøndelag County Council, Trondheim – 894 m

Finland closes Russian churches?

The City of Turku. Since 2002 and until recently, the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God Church operated there, with Igumen Nikita (Oleg Stanislavovich Dobronravov), a specialist in church law and a close associate of Gundyaev, serving as its rector (1,2). In 1997, he worked in the Department for External Church Relations, and in 2000, he took monastic vows under Metropolitan Kirill. Following the closure of this church, Dobronravov is now the rector of the St. Sergius Parish in Stockholm (1,2).

This church was closed by the Turku city authorities on August 1, 2022, due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The church was located near strategic sites such as the Coastal Fleet, the base and command in Pansio, the Port of Turku, the city hall, the Regional State Administrative Agency of Southwest Finland, and the Russian Federation's consulate general in Turku (2).

However, such closures of suspicious churches following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remain isolated cases.

For instance, in the capital, Helsinki, there is the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God Church. Although it was built in 1953, it continues to operate near strategic facilities:

In Helsinki, the Parish of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is also operational. The church has been active since 1938. Nearby, the following facilities are located:

In 2000, the Chapel of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg was built. Nearby are the Vuosaari Port, the Honorary Consulate of Jordan, and the Nordsjö Power Plant.

Netherlands

The city of Amersfoort. The Church of Saint Cornelius the Centurion, Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, was built in 1981. The rector is Archpriest Stefan Bakker.

Nearby facilities include:

The Hague's Monastery of the Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was established in 1972 and is closed as of December 2022. Nearby are 29 (!) government facilities, including the Federation of European Defence Technology Associations (407 m), a military facility (2,041 m), the outer harbor (3,529 m), and the Uniper City power plant (1,883 m).

The city of Rotterdam. The Church of Alexander Nevsky was constructed in 2004. The current rector is Priest Anatoly Babyuk. He declined to comment on the “Ukrainian” topic following the start of the Russian invasion. The Baltic Construction Company built the church. The project was completed on June 20, 2004, with the consecration of the church in honor of Saint Alexander Nevsky, led by Metropolitan Kirill (Gundyaev) of Smolensk and Kaliningrad. Since 1990, the church rector in Rotterdam was Father Grigory Krasnotsvetov. After his passing in 2017, Priest Anatoly Babyuk assumed the position.

Adjacent to the church are nine government facilities, including the Rotterdam Prosecutor's Office (1,142 meters away), as well as:

Adjacent to the church are nine government facilities, including, for example, the Rotterdam Prosecutor's Office (1,142 meters away), as well as:

Also in Rotterdam is the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God, Quick to Hearken, established in 1959. Nearby structures include:

Czechia

And finally Czechia.

In Prague, the state-owned Russian company Gazprom Neft partially financed the frescoes of the Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius, belonging to the Michalovce-Košice Diocese of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. Archbishop Christopher of Prague awarded Dmitry Malyshev, an advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Gazprom Neft, for his assistance to the Church.

The Cathedral of Saint Gorazd of Ohrid (Olomouc), established in 1939, is operational in the city of Olomouc.

The nearest military or other strategic facility is located 70 kilometers away. It is an ammunition depot where, in 2014, a sabotage operation by a group of Russian GRU agents led to two explosions on October 16 and December 3. These explosions resulted in the deaths of two individuals, the evacuation of nearby settlements, and cleanup operations that concluded only on October 13, 2020. The depot, rented by the company Imex, stored:

• Warehouse No. 16: 50 tons of ammunition.
• Warehouse No. 12: 100 tons of ammunition (rifles and artillery supplies).

The two warehouses were 1.2 kilometers apart, and their access points were outside the village. As of 2024, Czechia has issued a warrant and leveled accusations against six GRU officers, led by General Andrei Averyanov, head of military unit 29155. In addition to Averyanov, Alexander Mishkin, and Anatoly Chepiga, the accused include Nikolai Yezhov, Denis Sergeev (alias Sergei Fedotov), and Yegor Gordiyenko (alias Georgy Gorshkov).

72 kilometers from this military facility lies the Chapel of the Holy Trinity (Čeledovice na Hané) in Vrbětice.

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), known for its close ties to Russian intelligence services, continues to construct churches near strategic facilities, government institutions, and military bases across various European countries. This appears to be a systematic and deliberate effort. Once again, Russians are using a religious front to gather intelligence, posing a serious threat to European security that is being largely ignored.

Given Russia's aggressive policies, these sites could serve as potential intelligence-gathering channels. Russia could use the information obtained and share it with allied countries such as Iran, China, and North Korea.

This is not merely an espionage issue; it demonstrates how Russian state structures, using the ROC as a tool, aim to approach critical sites in Western countries. This situation demands a serious response, heightened monitoring of such "religious sites," and international coordination. Europe must recognize that under the guise of religion, Russia may be concealing hostile intelligence operations.