This excellent short video is from Elena Kozenkova, a well-known Russian documentary filmmaker who specializes in Christian Orthodox content. She has a very good YouTube channel which regularly features new videos.

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Nazis from the Azov battalion ruined an Orthodox church in Mariupol. They seized the Holy Dormition church and set up a firing position there. But not only that. They gunned down the icons, shot at the holy images, turned the Altar into a toilet and desecrated sacred objects used for the Divine service. 

 “That’s all that’s left of our church after the fighting, Father Valery, the rector of the Holy Dormition church, says. “Nationalist units were stationed here. These so-called men, what they did here, is beyond all imagination”.

The priest says Azov militants were obviously drugged and were shooting at icons for fun. “They opened fire inside the church. They were taking drugs right here. Here they defecated, they were drinking. Of course, they drank up all wine, there were syringes scattered around – this is what I saw with my own eyes”. 

Father Valery shows icons with bullet holes. “Some of our icons were shot… There, the eyes were scratched out with a knife. Here was the Altar. They turned it into a toilet”…

“Those were plain Satanists, I cannot call them otherwise, the priest says. “Many nationalist units worship satan. They even have those tattoos. Unfortunately, eight years of propaganda affected hearts and minds”.

Father Valery hopes the church would be restored  “We at the Church are now faced with enormous task: taking care of these people, of their spiritual recovery. Just as Phoenix rose from ashes, we need to raise our church from ruin. We must revive it – for the spiritual renaissance of our generation”