E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Inna Sokolovska / EPA
A topless activist of the Ukrainian feminist group Femen attempts to confront Patriarch Kirill, center right, after he landed at the Boryspil Airport in Kiev, Ukraine on July 26, 2012.
Gleb Garanich / Reuters
Patriarch Kirill, right, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, attends a welcoming ceremony as he arrives at the airport in Kiev.
Updated at 1:05 p.m. ET: A topless woman confronted the head of the Russian Orthodox Church as he arrived in Kiev on Thursday in the latest in a string of eye-catching stunts pulled by a Ukrainian feminist group.
An activist from the Femen women's rights group rushed towards Patriarch Kirill with bared breasts, yelling "Get out!", the Russian state news agency reported, before she was bundled away by security guards.
The European Pressphoto Agency reported that the Femen protest aimed to highlight a demand for greater independence for Ukraine's main orthodox church, which still answers to the Moscow Patriarchate.
"Regrettably, people are trying to mar the Patriarch's visit to Ukraine through these stunts," the head of the patriarch's press service, Deacon Alexander Volkov, said, adding that such incidents signal "a deep spiritual crisis in some social circles."
Russian Orthodox Church apologizes for photoshopping patriarch's expensive watch
Gleb Garanich / Reuters
Security guards detain the FEMEN activist.
Femen via AFP - Getty Images
A topless woman protests at the arrival of the Russian Orthodox Church leader in Ukraine. NBCNews.com's Alex Witt reports.
•Sign up for the NBCNews.com Photos Newsletter
Leave a Comment:
I'm sure Patriarch Kirill didn't appreciate her message, but enjoyed to some extent, her tactics. Because this incident made the news, more people are aware now of the issue. Always look at the positive side of a person's actions.
you know that he had a chubby under his robes, either that or it was flaccid because he prefers alter boys.
these church lead think they can do and tell people what and how to do things, they are leaches on the asses of society
I don't think you could fit more sexual references into two sentences if you tri...scratch that - I bet you could.
Perfect example of how it's not religion that makes the perv.
This would be a lot more impressive from a political statement viewpoint if the woman was in Iran and the target was the Ayatollah, or if she was in Egypt and the target was the newly elected 'secular' President of Egypt, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, or if she was in Saudi Arabia .....
Amen, Mississauga. But in those cases, I am sure she would summarily executed within minutes after her protest.
It will be nice if this happens to Pope.
Men or women of the "cloth" (Patriarchs of this manner of worship described in the news article, Pastors, Priests, Imam, Rabbis, etc.) "simply put", try to bring "Good" to the people........... We know there are always those (others) who oppose "Good" for their own personal reasons.... It is very sad when situations such as this happens, being described in this news article.
To emphasize her statement is written in English, which is not used in this area of the world (though some may know how to speak and write English)......... Knowing this the event was premeditated and being carefully planned....... Though it seems of little significance at the time, the world can now see anything could have happened, literally, at this happening.............. Religious Freedom has been restored in this area but with anything being reborn, such as Democracy, there will be growing pains.........
I do not wish any harm to this woman, but hope she can be put somewhere alone, where she can think about what her goals in life should be?
Humbly, I wish the Best to all...
Did you know that the Russian/ Ukrainian Orthodox Church Priests were PERMITTED BY CHURCH DOCTRINE TO MARRY AND HAVE SEX? Consequently that makes them less likely to engage in pedophylia... The Vatican should follow this policy!!
Finally something I can agree with FEMEN! Patriarch Kirill is a Robber Barron., he stole/privatized public assets and became billionaire, and now he is using his position to support all the bandits and oligarchs who impoverished the Russian population, and turned Russia into a 3rd World country. He is a criminal and I completely understand the message on the back. It makes sense to me. And it must be taken seriously too.
And yes the Pope should get his share of protest too since he is one of the biggest parasite of this planet.
They're acting like being attacked by a topless woman is the worst thing in the world. Umm, it's not.
I concur.It is uncanny the way these pictures manage to be uncanny-wink wink
Do you think she might have bumped into a couple of nuns in the past? The boys in the choir had better lube up.
If you are going to protest you do so within the appropriate guidelines--you do not expose yourself and you do not write a death threat on your person. This only serves to make her side look really bad!
I don't pretend to extensive knowledge of the Russian Orthodox Church. I will say, however, that most church garb is traditional. When first adopted, it was probably typical of the time. Times changed, traditional garb did not. Like most institutions, churches get stuck in the past. Anyone noticed what the pope is wearing this year?
Can anyone tell me if Russian Orthodox priests are allowed to marry? I know that some of the eastern European kind of Catholic churches do allow married priests.
Cool. More protesters should be topless.
Unless my memory is failing me (entirely possible) Femen 's unofficial manifesto is disruption of events by baring breasts in public to raise public awareness of the prevalence of the sexual exploitation of women (read forced prostitution) in the Ukraine and the Baltic states. Where the European Photopress Agency came up with their stated reason for the Femen protest is anybody's guess. But you can believe she was not protesting the Moscow church's control of Ukrainian churches.
critical times hard to deal with, will be here.
Always somebody to protest everything and anything in this world.
Ha! The religious men have the same expression Homer Simpson does when he sees donuts!
"Mmmm... donuts..."
What is the significance of bared shoulder blades?