Ukrainian athlete, champion of the Tokyo Olympics and People’s Deputy from ‘Servant of the People’ ruling party Zhan Beleniuk to said to GORDON that he is a parishioner of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

“Yes, [I am a believer], Orthodox. I go to the church, which is located near my house, on Mostitskaya Street, literally five steps away. This is the church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The fact is that my grandmother went there. She was very religious – to me it is very far away. I do not go to church that often. And although I already live in another place, I still return to it, go to it. Everyone knows me there, I came here – everyone congratulated me [on winning the Olympics] … They almost stopped the service to congratulate me. When I injured my shoulder, I arrived – I was blessed and sent to the competition. This is my place of power. Accordingly, the last thing I think about is whose patriarchy and everything else. I come to “recharge” in the place where they took me when I just started walking,” Beleniuk said.

According to him, as a rule, he does not stay for the sermons of the priests, therefore he did not hear “Moscow narratives” in this church.