Processionists heading to Pochaiv "dispersed" by the police and SBU

Cross procession from Brailiv in 2017. Photo: UOJ

A little more than a dozen believers of the UOC, who would go on a traditional pilgrimage from Brailiv to Pochaiv at this time of the year, decided to walk to the shrine in a cross procession on their own. However, the security forces did not allow them to do this, the UOJ correspondent reported.

The pilgrims left on August 17 and were forced to walk bypassing country roads, as police patrols were on duty in the settlements in which this procession usually takes place.

Nevertheless, as the pilgrims told the UOJ, in one of the fields in the Vinnytsia region, they were spotted and stopped by the police. The police called the SBU officers. According to eyewitnesses, a member of the Security Service was very rude to the women, shouting that they were going "to the Moscow priest". He copied the personal data of the people and warned that if they did not return home and were "caught" again, then "big problems" would await them.

The pilgrims were forced to turn back.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Yelensky promised to ensure a “proper” Hasidic pilgrimage to Uman.

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