Pro-Russian Nuns From Minsk Banned From Raising Money In Switzerland

• 10.02.2026, 10:13

A parishioner of the Holy Trinity Church in Bern was vigilant.

Nuns of the Belarusian Orthodox St. Elizabeth Convent from Minsk continue to travel around Europe and raise money, although they actively support Russia's war against Ukraine. Now they have been spotted in the Swiss Bern, writes the publication Blick.

This time Minsk nuns were collecting money in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Bern. They stood at the entrance selling candles, books, cups, matryoshka dolls and more. Officially, they needed the money to support orphans, but that was questioned by parishioner Daniel Genseler, who is a Russian language teacher and specialist in Eastern European affairs.

Walking to Sunday Mass, Genseler was stunned to see nuns he had read about supporting the Russian war. He wrote a letter to the parish, Bern's parish newspaper and the Basel diocese, demanding "in the strongest possible terms" that the Orthodox kiosk be closed.

Cfr. Marie Gübscher noted that he "received many written assurances that the donations would be used exclusively for their charitable work." He said he was unaware of the nuns' alleged ties to the Kremlin. Now, to "avoid any unpleasant associations in the future," the church will ban the nuns' presence on its territory.

We recall that the nuns from the St. Elizabeth Convent in Minsk raise money in the West through their charity concerts and sold at churches. Some of the money finds its way to the Russian armed forces in eastern Ukraine as medicine and even cars with a Z sign.