Russian Russian Orthodox Church helps to preserve the unity of Russians and Ukrainians as one people, in a spiritual sense, Russia and Ukraine are one country. This was stated by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at the Russian premiere of the film "People of Christ. Our time" in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
"We must never forget that we are one people, in a sense - at least now in a spiritual sense - one country. <...> As Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, I am deeply convinced that the Russian Orthodox Church with centers in Moscow, Kiev and other historical centers of Holy Russia is a very important factor preserving our unity," the patriarch said.
According to him, now external forces, as it has already been in history, are trying with renewed vigor to "tear apart the unified body of Russia" and "plunge its peoples into unconsciousness." At the same time, the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed the opinion that "the patience of the Ukrainian people is not unlimited."
"God grant that this reliance on our common foundation, which is really closely connected with Orthodoxy, withstands the onslaught of all these elements, and we would remain who we are. <...> We should never forget that we are one people of one Holy Russia," the patriarch said, speaking about the persecution of Orthodox believers in Ukraine by the authorities and radicals.
The world premiere of the film "People of Christ. Our Time" took place on September 18, 2024 in Belgrade. In particular, the film tells about the war that the authorities are waging against the faithful of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Currently, the film is being shown on TV channels of the Balkan countries. Screenings are also being prepared in the CIS, Europe, and Latin America.
The premiere of the film in the Hall of the Church Cathedrals of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was attended, in addition to Patriarch Kirill, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, cinematographer and one of the creators of the film Emir Kusturica, screenwriter of the film Jovan Markovich and one of his heroes, philosopher Ruslan Kalinchuk, a native of Ivano-Frankivsk, poet and writer Jan Taksiur, who spent more than a year in Kiev He arrived in prison after the prisoner exchange in Russia.