Before 2022, Sister Vassa Larin was a well-known Orthodox nun who utilized YouTube to educate thousands about saints and holy days. She earned recognition as one of the most prominent female voices in Eastern Orthodoxy, a largely patriarchal tradition where the clergy and bishops are exclusively male. However, her prominence took a significant turn when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Sister Vassa publicly opposed the invasion, which led to personal repercussions, including the revocation of her status as a nun. According to Larin, her bishop attempted to silence her by ordering her to stop her media activities. When she resisted, he removed her from her monastic position. This decision was later confirmed in May by the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), which operates independently within Eastern Orthodoxy yet remains under the oversight of Moscow Patriarch Kirill.
The official rationale provided by the bishops for Larin's ousting was "disobedience," lacking any specific details. Larin firmly believes that the true motive behind the decision was her public criticism of Patriarch Kirill and his support for the war. She claims that this is the first recorded instance of the Moscow church extending punitive actions to an American Orthodox individual opposed to its pro-war stance, amidst a background of dozens of dissenting Orthodox priests facing sanctions in Russia.
In a Zoom interview from Vienna, where she currently resides, Larin expressed the urgency of her message: "I could not not say these things." She accused Patriarch Kirill of manipulating religious concepts for political aims, describing it as "cynical" and "blasphemous," and highlighted the tragic consequences of these actions, especially the loss of life due to the conflict.
Despite her ousting from ROCOR, Larin maintains that the ruling against her is illegal under church law. She continues to don her traditional black veil and cloak, now affiliated with the Kyiv-based Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Larin has been appointed as a visiting professor at the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy, where her new supervising bishop, Metropolitan Yevstratiy Zoria, commended her commitment to promoting peace and condemning Russian propaganda regarding the war.
Eastern Orthodoxy represents the second-largest Christian communion globally, with significant populations in both Russia and Ukraine. However, the war has intensified existing divisions within the faith. The Russian emigre church, which ROCOR aligns with, was established largely by Russian refugees fleeing from communist repression in the early 20th century. While ROCOR operated independently during the Soviet era, it reconciled with the Russian Orthodox Church in 2007, retaining a measure of autonomy while accepting the Moscow patriarch's authority.
A review of ROCOR's public statements about Ukraine reveals numerous calls for general peace without explicitly condemning Russia. Interestingly, ROCOR bishops have been vocal in denouncing Ukraine's attempts to ban connections with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that has purported ties to Moscow.
Among those opposing the war, at least 79 Orthodox Christians in Russia have faced censure, as reported by a recent study from Fordham University. The report suggests that the Moscow church exerts pressure on U.S. Orthodox communities as well, indicating the reach of its influence. Larin articulated that her case exemplifies this overreaching power, stating, "They’re under no obligation... in the free world," marking a significant example of church-sanctioned actions against an American citizen.
The conflict in Ukraine has provoked turbulence not only within ROCOR but also in other branches of Orthodoxy in America. For example, the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) similarly finds itself in the spotlight, illustrated by the controversy surrounding Alaska Archbishop Alexei, who exchanged friendly gestures with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This has been widely criticized by Ukrainian-American bishops as a betrayal of Christian values.
In detailing her background, Larin recounts her upbringing in Nyack, New York, as the daughter of a ROCOR priest. Her childhood involved significant Russian cultural immersion, including correspondence with believers in Russia and a commitment to reviving Orthodoxy. Following a decision to abandon a prestigious educational opportunity to pursue monastic life, she went on to obtain a doctorate in Orthodox theology and gained experience in both academia and church commissions.
Her media platform, "Coffee with Sister Vassa," has garnered an audience of around 24,000 subscribers, featuring educational content on Orthodoxy presented with a dose of humor. Previously, she experienced tensions with the ROCOR bishops, but they did not challenge her nun status until the events of 2022 unfolded. Following a shift in supervision that began in late 2022, Larin was instructed to cease her public engagement, which ultimately led to her removal from the monastic state when she refused to comply. She contends that the bishops do not possess the authority to redefine moral truths, underscoring her resolve in the face of procedural and spiritual injustice.
