Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeyev), Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, attended the official reception held on the occasion of the ordination of the new Archbishop Symeon of Sinai, Pharan, and Raitho.
Archimandrite Vassian previously served as head of the Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia, along with two Belarusian priests who were expelled by Bulgarian authorities on September 21, 2023.
The Bulgarian State Agency for National Security stated that the three clergymen “were implementing Russia’s hybrid strategy aimed at influencing Bulgaria’s socio-political processes in favor of the Kremlin’s interests.” They were also banned from entering the country for five years.
The decision triggered a strong reaction from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which summoned Bulgarian Ambassador to Moscow Atanas Krastin to deliver an official protest. The Russian Embassy in Sofia condemned the Bulgarian authorities’ action as “satanic.”
It is also noteworthy that North Macedonia has banned Archimandrite Vassian Zmeyev from entering the country.
According to media reports in the Balkan country, the Russian cleric had, over the past year, been coordinating all policies of the Orthodox Church of the neighboring country regarding its ecclesiastical diplomacy, which led to a complete stagnation in relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate concerning the full recognition of its autocephaly.
President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski, in an interview, revealed that according to information from allied nations, certain Metropolitans of the Archdiocese of Ohrid have been cooperating with Russian security services.
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
