New investigation by The Insider: How the FSB promotes the 'Russian world' under the guise of the Church

The United States recently imposed sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil. Revenue from oil sales for these companies accounts for approximately 30% of Russia's budget. This funding supports not only Russia's war against Ukraine but also the global activities of the Russian Church, including in Ukraine. This information was reported by Espreso.

A recent investigation by The Insider, conducted by journalist Sergey Kanev, reveals how the FSB, leaders of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), and criminal organizations are establishing a network of influence through church structures. The centerpiece of this connection is the so-called miraculous icon of the Mother of God, known as "Softener of Evil Hearts."

According to the investigation, the legend of the icon dates back to 1998, when Margarita Vorobyova, a resident of Moscow, reportedly discovered that a typographic icon purchased by her daughter had begun to exude myrrh. As rumors of this supposed miracle spread, people lined up outside her apartment, eager to witness the phenomenon.

Seeking funds to build a church dedicated to the icon, Vorobyova encountered Anatoly Petrov, a figure known in criminal circles as “Petrukha.” Petrov, a former boxer and criminal authority from Balashikha, had ties to Podolsky's organized crime group in the 1990s and was involved in investigations of contract killings. In the 2000s, he attempted to "clean up" his image by becoming a “general” of the Cossack troops, founding a fund to assist boxers, and most importantly, establishing connections with the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church and law enforcement agencies.

Petrov financed the construction of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Softener of Evil Hearts” in the closed village of Bachurino, built for the leadership of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. Additionally, he funded Vorobyova's daughter's education and provided her with a plot of land adjacent to the church.

“For me, this icon is my whole life,” the philanthropist with a criminal past, now a member of the supervisory board of the Russian Boxing Federation alongside Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and the head of the Russian president's security service, often repeated.

However, Petrov did more than just build churches. His family was directly involved in corruption schemes orchestrated by local authorities. The Insider discovered a video in which Petrov's uncle, Alexander Ivanov, and the then head of Balashikha, Yevgeny Zhyrkov, conspired in advance about who would "win" the auction for road construction, with a bag full of cash on the table. After the video was made public, Ivanov was found dead, and Zhyrkov was subsequently sentenced to nine years in prison for bribery.

According to The Insider journalist Sergey Kanev, the icon from Bachurin quickly became a mobile propaganda tool for the "Russian world." It was transported to occupied Crimea and Donbas, as well as to Syria, Europe, and even the United States.

During the occupation of Crimea in 2014, the icon was accompanied by Sergey Fomin, a "bell ringer in uniform" and a former church minister who received a diplomatic passport and works in the Moscow Patriarchate's department for "cooperation with law enforcement agencies." While the icon participated in a prayer service "for peace in Crimea," GRU special forces were actively capturing Ukrainian military units.

Since then, investigators have stated that the icon has become an integral part of church-military propaganda. A copy known as the "Donetsk Icon" is utilized in combat zones, with claims from witnesses close to the Russian Orthodox Church that it "helps soldiers, deflects bullets, and shoots down American missiles."

However, as journalists from The Insider have discovered, the icon is essentially a media project with its own budget, advertising, tours, and even "holy oil," which is available for purchase at the church shop in Bachuryn.

The church regularly holds religious processions for officers of the FSB. Among the parishioners are Generals Vyacheslav Konanykhin and Yevgeny Kolesnikov, both of whom are former employees of the Soviet KGB, as well as families of officials and judges. Andrey Belyaninov, the former head of Russian customs — whose estate was once discovered by the FSB to contain boxes of cash and gold bars — has also prayed alongside them.

Until recently, the rector of the church was Archpriest Dmitry Kuvirtalov, who served as the “confessor” to Russian soldiers on the front lines. In 2023, he was convicted of distributing child pornography.

According to an investigation by The Insider, the church structure surrounding the "Softener of Evil Hearts" icon has become a joint project among criminals, the Russian Orthodox Church, and Russian security forces. Under the guise of "miraculous tours," they promote the "Russian world" abroad, particularly within Orthodox communities in Europe, the United States, and the occupied territories of Ukraine.

“They skillfully play on people's religious feelings,” says a former church minister. “Overseas, these tours are presented as spiritual missions, but in reality, they serve as tools of Russian propaganda and intelligence.”

The Insider found that the cult surrounding the "Softener of Evil Hearts" icon is closely linked to Russian special services and criminal circles. It is utilized as an element of church propaganda both within Russia and abroad. This further illustrates how the Russian Orthodox Church is becoming integrated into the Kremlin's political operations, as emphasized in the investigation.