President Volodymyr Zelensky once again expressed his dissatisfaction with Kyiv’s authorities and the city’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
This time, Zelensky scolded Klitschko for not facilitating proper communication with followers of the Moscow-led Ukrainian Orthodox Church that gathered 55,000 people on the streets of Kyiv on July 27 to mark the 1,033 anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus.
“I understand that this is a holiday, but I have not seen any communication from the Kyiv authorities, everyone is afraid, they don’t want to tell people – ‘be careful’,” Zelensky said on July 28 during the “Ukraine 30. Decentralization” forum.
“Most of the people were elderly, they all had to wear masks, at least. I did not see masks there. Is it that difficult?” he added.
The president also mentioned that the city’s authorities didn’t provide any support to tourists traveling to Kyiv for the event.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate led a procession through downtown Kyiv. The church, led by Metropolitan Onufriy and officially subjected to the Russian Orthodox Church, has been holding the procession each year on July 27, believed to be the day when Kyiv’s Grand Prince Volodymyr converted his subjects to Christianity in 988 AD.
This event is marked as the beginning of the Christianization of the Kyivan Rus, a medieval state which span across contemporary Ukraine, Belarus and parts of Russia until 1240.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, which has killed over 52,000 people in Ukraine, the Russian-backed church didn’t cancel festivities.
The independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, led by Metropolitan Epiphanius, initially canceled festivities, yet eventually held its procession on July 28.
Klitschko and Zelensky have been embroiled in public spats since mid-May when the National Police, together with Ukraine’s Security Service, conducted searches in Kyiv’s utility services, the Kyiv City Council building and the home of Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko’s top ally, Artur Palatnyi.
Klitschko denies wrongdoing and cited political pressure coming from the president’s office.
“It seems to me that he forgot that he is a mayor and has begun his presidential campaign,” Zelensky responded to the mayor in a June interview with the 1+1 channel.
