Czechia Expel Russian Orthodox Representative Amid Security Fears

Nikolai Lischenyuk, a key ally of Russian Patriarch Kirill and leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in Czechia, has been expelled by Czech authorities due to national security concerns.

As Deník N reports, Czech authorities revoked Lishchenuk’s permanent residence and ordered him to leave the country.

Despite his repeated attempts to overturn this decision over the past year, he was unsuccessful.

According to security services, Lishchenuk had established an influence network with the support of Russian state authorities, posing a potential threat to national security.

Nikolai Lishchenuk, 51, arrived in the Czech Republic around 2000. According to his official biography, he initially worked at the Russian embassy in Prague. Later, he served at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Karlovy Vary.

By 2009, he had risen to a high-ranking position within the Russian Orthodox Church, overseeing its entire Czech branch under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

Last April, the Czech government placed Patriarch Kirill on the national sanctions list. This move did not seem to affect Kirill directly, as he resides in Moscow.

Following the aggression against Ukraine, Lishchenuk also relocated to Moscow, which led to career advancement within the church. As reported by iDnes.cz, Kirill appointed him as head of external relations in the Moscow church.

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