The basis for the protocol was a video the priest published in March 2022, when the war in Ukraine was just beginning and public statements about it were rapidly becoming grounds for investigation. In the clip, Mikhnov-Vaitenko said:
“unprovoked aggressive armed actions against the courageous Ukrainian people.”
These words became the basis for a protocol drawn up almost three years after publication. The court classified the text as creating a negative image of the army, and a fine was imposed for this.
The article under which the decision was made
Part 1 of Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences concerns the discrediting of the use of the Russian Armed Forces. This provision appeared in the code in 2022, when the authorities tightened regulation of public statements about the war in Ukraine. The article covers not only direct calls but also public assessments that, in the opinion of the law enforcer, shape a negative perception of the army among the audience.
Therefore, the central question of the case was not the factual side of the video but its perception by the court. The assessment of a statement as discrediting falls within the competence of the law enforcer, and it was this assessment that determined the final decision. For a priest long known for public statements on war, migration and human rights, this turn was a continuation of an already established conflict with the authorities.
Background: detention and the register
The video case turned out not to be the first episode in Mikhnov-Vaitenko's relations with the state. In February 2024 he was detained by the Solovetsky Stone before a memorial service for Alexei Navalny. The Solovetsky Stone in Moscow was installed as a monument to the victims of political repression, and people traditionally gather there to honour the memory of those they consider victims of the regime.
The detention case was closed on 10 July due to the statute of limitations. However, already in July 2024, as RBC reported, the Ministry of Justice added the priest to the register of foreign agents. The ministry cited the dissemination of inaccurate information about government decisions and statements against military actions.
Who is Mikhnov-Vaitenko
Grigory Mikhnov-Vaitenko is the son of Alexander Galich and the artist Sonya Voitenko, and thus grew up in a family where culture and public speech always held an important place. He is a member of the St Petersburg Human Rights Council, and his activities have long been connected with protecting the rights of people under pressure from the state.
The path to his current status ran through a church schism. In 2014 he left the staff of the Russian Orthodox Church and joined the Apostolic Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church is the largest local church, so leaving its staff meant ending service in its structures and changing church jurisdiction.
Since 2022, Mikhnov-Vaitenko has coordinated medical and legal assistance to Ukrainian refugees in St Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast. It was precisely at this time that the video appeared which became the grounds for the protocol and subsequently for the fine.
The fine of 30,000 roubles imposed by the Nevsky District Court on 1 April 2025 was the outcome of the case concerning a video published in March 2022.
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