Novaya Gazeta Europe published a report on Bishop Pitirim (Tvorogov) of Skopin and Shatsk, describing him as one of the most radical supporters of the war within the Russian Orthodox Church’s episcopate. In early February, he said from the pulpit that Russia would be unable to win because, in his view, the country is undergoing spiritual decay.
He based that conclusion on figures showing increased demand for occult goods in 2025: as reported, sales of aspen stakes rose fourfold, while voodoo dolls became 63% more popular. Pitirim also linked Russia’s setbacks to abortions and obscene language, arguing that these drive away God’s help and lead to the deaths of “hundreds of thousands” of soldiers.
Career rise and fall
Konstantin Tvorogov was born in the summer of 1967 in Zagorsk. After military service, he graduated from a teachers’ institute and worked as a school teacher of Russian language and literature. In the late 1990s he entered church service, later studied at the seminary and academy at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, and took monastic vows and priestly orders.
On July 26, 2012, the synod elected him Bishop of Dushanbe and Tajikistan. He later became rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, but lost that position in August 2020. One reported reason was the major COVID outbreak at the academy during Easter 2020, when roughly half of its students and staff were infected.
War rhetoric and conspiracy claims
After the start of the war against Ukraine, Pitirim justified Russia’s actions, calling Russians an “instrument of God,” while also admitting that from the outside it looked as though Russia had attacked and was destroying Ukraine. At the same time, he spoke of “hundreds of thousands” of casualties, of wounded 19- and 20-year-olds, and said victory was only possible through reconciliation with Ukraine.
“Whether Russians win or Ukrainians win, it will still be a defeat, because the enemy is another one... Victory will come if we reconcile, no matter what,” he was quoted as saying.
The report also highlights his misogynistic statements, apocalyptic imagery, and conspiratorial sermons about aliens and “biomechanoids,” which he claimed could be stopped by the sign of the cross. Theologian Andrei Kuraev said such rhetoric amounted to a cult of revenge disguised as faith.