Going Rogue with Lara Logan - FAITH UNDER FIRE: The Persecution of Orthodox Christians in a Divided World with Filmmakers Igor Lopotonok & Sergei Debishev

My name is Laura Logan and I'd like to welcome you to this program today to discuss a very

important topic for Christians and Orthodox Christians worldwide.

Recently, the U.S. several elected representatives who include Congressman Joe Wilson from South

Carolina, Representative Dom Bacon out of Nebraska, and then Austin Scott out of Georgia, wrote

a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondy asking her to investigate the Russian Orthodox

Church outside of Russia, accusing them of being spies for the Kremlin.

Does that sound familiar, a little bit like Russian collusion, anyone else got PTSD?

I certainly do.

So when you throw out these allegations that people are spies, these are things not to

be said or taken lightly.

And considering that the church everywhere is under attack, whether it's Christians

being persecuted and murdered in Nigeria for more than the past 20 years in a genocide

that the world wants to deny, whether it's churches being burned down in the United States

in Canada, whether it's churches being shut down in Europe.

The rise of Islam in traditional Christian communities, this is the subject that is close

to the hearts of many people.

And when it comes to the Russian Orthodox Church, well, this is quite controversial in a way,

because of Russia's history, right?

If you say Russian Orthodox Church, the first thing you hear most of the time is but Russia

and a Marxism persecuted Christians and tortured members of the Orthodox Church.

So how can it be that we're in this very interesting and quite unique situation today where Christianity

is on the rise in Russia, no one wants us to talk about that.

And the Russian Orthodox Church has, in many ways, never been stronger and never been

more popular.

And then you have an attack out of the United States on the foundation of that church.

Just interestingly, I was just in Kosovo and I went to several Orthodox churches over

there, many of which are endangered and also ancient.

Some of them more than 700 years old, some surrounded by Islamic communities and guarded

by NATO.

That's one they want the church at Deccany, where there's also a monastery, one of the

most beautiful buildings I've ever seen in my entire life.

And this is just a subject that is typically ignored by most of the media.

And yet one that came to the attention of two filmmakers quite some time ago, and one

of them is Sergei Debezhyev and forgive me Sergei because my Russian is not great.

And of course Igor Lepatinek, who is another filmmaker, Igor, I know well.

He has produced many great films, including Ukraine on fire and the two sequels that came

after that, has worked very closely with Oliver Stone.

And his amazing son, Shonstone, did these series, all the presidents' men.

I mean, Igor's bio is extensive, Sergei's bio is just as extensive.

He has incredibly talented Russian filmmaker, not as well-known in the United States, but

certainly abroad.

Sergei is very well respected and highly regarded.

So Sergei did a film about the Russian Orthodox Church, it's called The Cross.

It's not just about that.

So it's also about existential issues, spiritual issues.

And what the Orthodox Church really represents in all of its different forms, it's a conversation

about that.

And one of the people that has been following this very closely is my good friend Olga Orovatsi,

who is not only a great journalist and a brave woman, who is stood up to the global

elite, and much of what has been going on in the United States and who has been attacked

for her troubles, of course, because any journalist in this country who tells the truth has

been punished over the last decade and those who lie have been rewarded.

But that hasn't stopped Olga, which is one of the reasons I love her.

And she is also the executive director of the Christian Orthodox Coalition in America.

So Olga knows a lot about this, a lot about the history, about the context, about the

attacks.

And we're here to have a conversation because this is an issue that affects Christians

worldwide.

And because Christianity itself is under attack in all of its forms.

And of course, something that will resonate with many people today.

We are in the midst of a spiritual battle of good and evil.

You could look at everything as being framed as an attack on Christ in the church.

And so we wanted to have a conversation.

The cross is not out yet, but Igor, I know that once you get going, it's going to be

hard to keep you quiet.

Yes.

So I'm going to start with you at my peril.

You are very upset about this attack, what you perceive as an attack on the Orthodox

church.

And so can you just lay out for us somewhat briefly exactly what has happened?

So it's very simple set up as usual, light, deceive, divide, conquer.

And this is evil forces' methods.

We see that before.

We confront in them on many different battlefields.

But now that evil forces come to our church, what is kind of sacred for us because we

pray to the God in these places.

And they claim in that evil forces what, on the payroll of globalists, on the payroll

of USAID, on the payroll of Soros, and of course through Ukrainians because Ukrainians

is a tool.

It's just a simple brainwashed tool.

And they also attest that people who manipulate United States representatives in the

attack on the holy institution, what is a church, and accusing them to be Russian

intelligence.

Okay, you know, Laura, it's interesting that in the United States now this is a very

popular occupation, to be a Russian intelligence.

The accused President Trump, they probably will run the third time accusation.

They accused me in numerous times.

I know if you wills accused Olga for sure, but she probably serbians by or, but this is

very simple, very, very much mainstream way of silencing people who disagreed.

Just accused them of being a spy and no one trusts what they say.

Yeah, just shut up, you Russian spy.

Don't ask you questions, Russian spy.

Don't make you films, Russian spy.

Your films is a Russian propaganda.

No, sorry.

I agree.

Igor, with that accent, you must be a Russian spy, right?

No, Laura, when I start fixing my American accent to the standard American accent, I find

now that I start sounding boring.

So I keep intentionally my Ukrainian accent, because now you hear not Russian, but Ukrainian

accent in English, and I love it, and people love it, and I sound like, you know, different

for them, and Americans love it.

Well, you're not even Russian, you're born in Ukraine.

Ukrainian, I was not even Russian.

Of course, I was given the citizenship in Russia by President Putin, but I very much

honoring this fact, because Russia is not just a country, this is a civilization, and

if you share a new vision with this civilization, you're welcomed.

So if you're concerned, you're welcome.

Okay, but when are your royalties like, because you're also an American citizen?

Yes.

My first citizenship was Soviet Union, second Ukraine, without my will.

I just wake up, I'm Ukrainian.

Okay, welcome.

I am a great United States 2008, naturalized in 2016, got my citizenship, and I proudly

were an American flag, and I love my homeland.

My home is here, my kids is here, my cats is here, my wife, parents of my wife, my grandkids,

this is my homeland country, my motherland in Russia, but my homeland country is United

States.

I'm fighting for United States, not for Russia, and I'm not fighting with Russia because

I believe our both country naturally designed to work together for humanity, for our entire

community.

Okay, so let me just care up something, and Olga, you can jump in here if you want to.

You know, there has been a lot of news accusing the Russians forces of targeting Ukrainian

Orthodox churches and leaders in the war in Ukraine.

So some people will hear you talking about, well, you know, the Russian Orthodox churches

under attack by these American congressmen, but you have no room to talk because of what

Russia has been doing to the Ukrainian Orthodox church during the war.

And I just wonder, how do you respond to that?

So I think what people don't quite understand is that Russian Orthodox church outside of

Russia, that is this here in the United States, has really no connection to the Russian

Orthodox church in Moscow, to Patriarch Kirill in that sense.

And there is also Ukrainian Orthodox church that in Ukraine, that is under the attack by Zelensky

Brigin, interestingly enough, Orthodox church of Ukraine is a newly formed entity that

is kind of positioning itself as counter to the traditional Ukrainian Orthodox church.

These are actually two different things.

So that is why it's very difficult for Americans to understand what in fact is happening, because

the traditional Ukrainian Orthodox church, just like Serbian Orthodox church, Bulgarian

Orthodox church, Romanian Orthodox church, every country that is Orthodox, Greek Orthodox

church, has their own church.

So does Ukraine?

As is Russian Orthodox church outside of Russia, which is here in the United States, these

are completely separate things.

But Zelensky regime accused Ukrainian Orthodox church of being is an offshoot of the

Kremlin of Russia, which is why such an attack on their Patriarch, on their bishops.

He is imprisoning them.

He is forcing them to go to the front lines and fight in this brotherly war that is unnecessarily

spilling the blood of both Russians and Ukrainians.

And as they say here in the United States, politically, you heard some of our dear leaders

like Lindsey Graham saying, this is the best money we could spend.

Well, it's the best money we've ever spent.

Now you're free.

Yes.

And we will be.

And the Russians are dying.

We don't have to send the American troops to die.

However, we will use the Ukrainians as cannon fodder.

And we will fight this proxy war till the last Ukrainian.

This is what all of this is about.

And of course, in that sense, it's easy to accuse everybody of being spies.

And as you said, you know, labeling people right and left because they completely ruins

their credibility.

You yourself just noticed you were in Kosovo and Metokia.

So I mean, the Christian Orthodox churches all around the world are under attack.

And if you actually point to every conflicting region in the world, you see Orthodox Christians

actually being in the midst of it, whether it's in the Balkans, whether it's now this

brotherly war between Russians and Ukrainians, whether it's the Middle East, Armenia and

Azerbaijan, it is actually Orthodox Christians and the midst of this.

And for us, it is important to call on all Christians, all Christians of all denominations

to stand together and defend our faith.

Olga, I know you're from Serbia, right?

Originally, yes, I was born in Belgrade, Serbia.

And how long have you been living in the U.S., now I know I've known you here for years.

Well, since the wars in Yugoslavia, since 1994, I came here illegally and I am a proud

American.

And stand.

So what's interesting to me is that just recently, I saw a documentary film on Newsmax, which

is from the very beginning, has been 150% pro-Ukrain anti-Russian, not in my view, according

to what I know and understand about this war, they have been pushing a false narrative that

is decidedly anti-Putin by design.

And so it was interesting to me that I saw this film that they did all about the attacks

on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and blaming the Russians for that.

So are you saying that the Ukrainians are really responsible for all of it?

Or for most of it, would you acknowledge that there are some instances where Russian

forces have gone after or targeted Ukrainian Orthodox Church, or is that completely false

in your view?

In my view, that has completely fallen simply because the Russian people in Russia see

the, particularly the eastern part of Ukraine, which is where most of the fighting is happening,

as their brothers.

A lot of those people are actually ethnic Russians as well, they're Russian speaking and when

you go back to the beginning of this conflict, Russian language was forbidden in Ukraine.

So this is where you start with this narrative of all of a sudden Russians are unprovokingly

attacking Ukrainians, when in fact these are their people, they see them as brothers.

So what Americans tend to forget is that this war stems from 2014.

This is not new, so the so-called special operations was launched recently, however

the war or the premises for this war have been stemming from.

And you and I talked about this before, the colored revolution and the regime change that

was fomented in Ukraine by our leaders in 2014, if you remember.

Yes.

I didn't know that.

That's right.

Exactly.

When she was out there handing out croissants and muffins while that, my Donbary is happening.

You know, how would Americans feel if the Russians showed up here during any of our protests,

you know, the BLM or no King's protests and started handing out baked goods and supporting

these people?

I mean, that is exactly what we have done.

I would not go over well, but I do want to say that, you know, obviously in any war,

there are always things that happen on both sides, absolutely.

And I'm not equating them, but also as with any war, not everybody in eastern Ukraine

feels that way.

I mean, certainly the vast majority appear to feel that way and historically have felt

that way.

And also, if you look at Crimea and the referendum there, they voted that way, you know, but

you always have to acknowledge that it's not, you know, it's not a monolith, right?

Not everybody is the same.

And there are people in the east that are supportive of the government and Kiev as well.

Let me ask Sergei, it's very interesting to me that out of this part of the world as

in Russia, where, you know, Christianity was not welcome under Marxism and Christians

were targeted and church leaders were targeted, tell me what is happening with Christianity

in Russia today?

What has happened since the fall of the Soviet Union?

Well, at the time of the Soviet Union, of course, it started to grow from the beginning.

On the moment of the fall of the Soviet Union, it started to be in reverse of Christianity

in Russia.

It received a new energy, and then when there are similar kinds of geopolitical

questions, such a geopolitical challenges exist, the religious values that begin to

have serious values for people.

The religious part became much more serious for the people, much bigger part in their life,

because religion was always a safe guard for people.

For a simple person,

in such a goal, events in history, the religion became very, very important for people.

After the revolution of 1917, our country went through a very tough period when Christianity

was persecuted.

And it was the most tragic event for the Orthodox Church and for people,

because it's like you're taking away the soul from the human and put a simulacre instead

of the soul, and at the end of the 80s, when the religious

life started being rejuvenated.

People started running into the church as a safe guard as a lifesaver.

We saw the paradox situations when thousands of people were baptized at the same time.

They were trying to end in their soul, the ideology of Communism,

and lean to something that they feel on a cultural level.

But when the Soviet Union fell apart,

from one side it was a tragedy.

The church was the only thing that made people stay together, that you could not separate.

That's why it happened in Ukraine, it was very difficult for us to understand that this is not a common thing.

When they began to do simulacres from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine,

we were, of course, especially among the walls of the believers.

It was of course very difficult, it was very difficult to enter the church.

We were very worried when people were thrown out of the church,

and when all these processes started, it was very difficult.

The true believers, it was a tragedy for us as a four-true believers

when the tragic events in Ukraine happened.

When they started visiting Ukrainian Orthodox Church,

when they started visiting priests, when they started shutting down churches,

and putting people away from the churches and do not let them pray in their churches.

Our hearts were bleeding, it was very, very, very hard for us for true believers in Russia.

But when did that start? Just help me understand.

As soon as it began to appear, this simulacre called the Orthodox Church of Ukraine

and the Russian Orthodox Church could not do anything because it is not a political instrument.

And Russian Orthodox Church could not influence on that,

because they are not a political instrument, they have any influence on Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

They can only suffer for them, but could not get involved.

Imolitsa is a slave, right?

They can only pray for their brothers.

And Sergei, how did you personally come to your own faith?

I mean, because you grew up, you lived through Marxism,

where you would believe it before Marxism, or only after it.

Despite the fact that I was born not in a religious family,

I felt, especially, in the history of art,

I had a deep, artistic education.

I understood that this world can not just explain it to materialistic people.

Despite the fact that I was born not in a religious family through all my life,

I felt that you could not explain the world just through materialistic things,

because I have education in the history of art,

and I was thinking about the world works,

and I understood that it could not be simply materialistic.

And I was not satisfied with the theory that the world in an artistic way was created by the house by Big Bomb.

But I still teach in the tennis school.

What we all knew from the monkeys, I'm sorry, I'm not.

Maybe Darwin, but I believe I was created by his image, by his will.

And this is very simple, this is in writing, this is in scriptures.

So, Igor, what is behind, in your view,

what is behind this move by members of the U.S. government,

I mean, elected representatives to make these accusations,

especially at a time when Ukraine is losing its grip on the wars slipping away from them,

both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.

And you know what happens when that occurs, it opens the door, right?

And now people can start to see and to look at what has been hidden during the years of conflict.

And maybe they don't like what is going to be found.

What do you think?

First, I will say something harsh, but believe me or not, that's exactly this way,

because the heavenly kingdom is closer and the satan is desperate,

and devil is trying to attack and to harm believers in Jesus Christ,

because he knows he's going to lose.

That's why, that's battle in Ukraine coming to the end.

And it's coming to Russia victorious, because they achieve main goals,

and in one hundred days after peace deal will be election.

And this election is no one saying Ukrainian,

even no one brainwashed Ukrainian,

gonna vote for this little demon who is, yeah, he's possessed by demon.

That's who he is.

And what's happening with America?

There might be people who vote for me because you can't say there won't be.

You don't know how everyone's going to vote.

Most important, I know, I feel it.

I feel the evil when I see, because I am trained to confront evil with force.

People believe in Christianity, because they believe that Jesus Christ only teaches to forgive,

but it's not.

Jesus Christ come and say, I will bring you fire.

Your brother will stand against your brother.

You will stand against your father.

I will bring you to divide you, because you need to start believing.

And I will bring you a sword.

That's mean, Jesus Christ was not a such a peaceful approach.

Just slap me in one, I will give you another one.

That was Leo Tolstoy, but not Jesus Christ.

But you are the question is, what is behind this move by, by, you know, Collins, uh, by, uh,

Joe Collins, Joe Wilson, sorry, and Dom Bacon and Austin Scott.

That's really my question is, what is behind this letter, this call for the, uh, for the investigation?

Why are they bringing this up right now?

And, and what's motivating them?

Yeah, in my view, desperation of regime, what is falling apart, second attempt, another attempt

of evil force to manipulate minds of Christian believers, because they talking to Americans

who believe in Jesus Christ, different way than Orthodox, even 12 million of, 10 million

Orthodox in America, Americans, they thinking they can manipulate us to believe that Russian

Orthodox church outside of Russia, this is intelligence, that's what they saying before.

So the desperation and attempt to manipulate Americans, and after that, you know what's going

to be kept next, they will try to prosecute someone and they will try to beg for money, money.

More money, give me money because I need money, I have no money, sorry.

Money, money, money, yeah, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, they pay this

money, money, money to representative Wilson and to Bacon, I believe everybody got paid.

And I, what is said for me, but Igor, you believe that or you have evidence of that, because

those are two very different things.

Lara, I am an investigative filmmaker, so all my films, a very good one, I know.

Thank you, this is even worse for them, because I'm not limited to the media, I can do my

investigation for years.

And when I call and I believe that means I have a practically paper trial of money coming

into the pockets from the USA to Ukraine, from Ukraine, in between entities, and after that

into these pockets of these people, who is, I think this is American tax dollars being

cycled through USAID, going to Ukraine, and then being given to what NGOs, and then

being given back, being paid back to people like, you know, like, to their personal benefits.

To their personal benefits.

Correct.

For their personal benefits, it's a serious accusation, but you know, it will never work

for free, for idea, it will work for money, money is involved, and we have a solid proof

that my accusation is backed by paper trail of money.

Okay, is there anything you can share with us?

We will share it later, because it's a serious accusation, this is a corruption, and of

course they use every possible tricks to hide it.

Olga, you know how hard to trace the money when people trade in arms or drugs or kids?

They hide in, they inventive.

But you know, we know who, we know who was in between, and we know how, and we see the

difference in the income, this is doable.

With a good investigation, well, are we a good investigation?

My teacher was a Robert Perry, amazing investigator guy, who proved that United States in CIA selling

the cocaine from the Columbia to United States people, and using proceeds to finance

Nicaragua appraisal, and also in between of trading arms with a contrast, with a run,

and taking the run.

Well, you know what, Nicar, just ask the journalist, Gary Webb, all about that.

He wrote about it in a series called Dark Alliance, oh yeah, that's right.

You kind of ask Gary, you know why, because he killed himself by shooting himself

twice in the head.

And by the way, it's very good, very good film about that with my friend Jeremy Reiner,

who believed the best, they killed the messenger, the best work, underperformed white washet

by CIA and throwing under the bus.

Yeah, but Igor, he has a serious question.

If you have not finished your investigations, and you can't share the evidence yet, what

gives you the confidence, as you said to yourself, it's a serious allegation, so what gives

you the confidence then to come out and make these allegations now, if you haven't finished

investigating?

I am Ukrainian, I still have a friend in Ukraine, who given me, I'm using insights, and

I know how the people operate in Ukraine, I know they mindset, I know how they use it,

I know how this fake Orthodox church of Ukraine was established, the USA paid Vyonya

million to the Bartolomew, and people whom I know, they still 5 million from these proceedings,

and they give to Bartolomew only 15.

He was complaining to you, say it in President Poroshenko, where is my 20?

I was promised 20, why 15?

They said sorry, that's happens, it's Ukraine, you know?

You need to understand, you're dealing with Ukraine, so 25, 30%, this is our regular business,

this is our profit, sorry, I know how they operate, I know whom they use, what financial institutions,

what kind of crypto, what kind of NGO, this is all set up, I know how Zelensky paying

kickbacks to American people on the left, I know what entity he uses in Ukraine, but to

prove it, we're waiting for the time, believe me, it is not just blah, blah, blah, this

is a paper trial exist, this is a lot of evidence, it's what gathers it, and everything

that will be delivered to the government agency, to DOG, this is first when we will send

our findings, and we will address it after that, we will send it also to Russia, because

they also violate Russian law, they kill Russian people, Russia will prosecute them as

well, but first, America first, because this is American money installing, this is American

money.

Because I'm finding someone at DOJ who's actually working for President Trump, I know there

is some there, but how do they appear to be outnumbered still, Olga, can you shed any light

on this, what do you think is driving this?

Yes, and I think just for the backdrop, so our audience actually understands what sparked

this latest attack.

First of all, Orthodox Christianity, as we discussed earlier, is not some foreign entity

to the United States, it's actually part of the founding fabric of this country.

First Orthodox Christians having been here in the 1800s and forming their first parishes

in California, there's a church that still exists today, formed by Russians and Serbs

and the Greeks, so it's not something that is foreign to this land, but in fact Orthodox

Christians have built this country as well, and Orthodox Christianity is, in fact, one

of the fastest growing, if not the fastest growing, Christian denomination in the country,

and at this point, we are between 10 and 12 million of Americans who are flocking to

Orthodoxy, finding it very spiritual and finding a very authentic access to God and to spirituality

and to Christianity.

So there was a delegation of just regular Americans, one of them, Catherine Whiteford, who

is a daughter of Christian Orthodox priest, was part of this delegation, she's also part

of our Christian Orthodox coalition, she was part of this delegation, which was heart

laity and part clergy of different Orthodox churches, Serbian, Russian Orthodox Church

outside of Russia, and Piochian and several others, who actually went to the hill to speak

to their own elected officials as Americans, as all of us are, to actually raise awareness

of this prosecution that is happening to Ukrainian Orthodox Church. So they met with the White

House Faith Office, they met with several people from the State Department, they met

with Representative Anna Polina Luna, who is one of our representatives here in Florida.

So you have a lot of our officials, our representatives, who actually understand what is happening

in Ukraine and how this revolving door of kickbacks of money that is floating from the

U.S. taxpayers and being funneled through Ukraine and then coming back to fund these officials

who are pro-war and who are pro-Ukrainian war, who are pro Zelensky regime, you have many

lobbyists who are actually working to perpetuate this war, to stop the war is now being labeled

as espionage and is being labeled in the most horrific way by Representative Joe Wilson,

who, in fact, in South Carolina, in his own congressional district has three Orthodox

Christian parishes and I truly want to advise him to go visit those Orthodox Christians,

who are his voters and who are his constituents and tell them to their face that they are spies.

When, in fact, they are loyal Americans who happen to be Orthodox Christians and who

are now being targeted against our First Amendment, which is freedom of speech and freedom

to petition our government and freedom of religion.

Very easy to accuse people of being spies, I just want to remind the audience that we

are having a conversation with journalist Olga Aravasi, who is also the executive director

of the Christian Orthodox Coalition in America.

We also have Igor Lapatonek, who is a very, very successful filmmaker, Ukrainian-born

American, worked with Oliver Stone, all the presidents men, Ukraine on fire, you can

see many of his films.

And with very esteemed Russian filmmaker Sergei Deberrov, who has a fabulous new film coming

out, it is called The Cross and it captures the heart and spirit in soul of Orthodox Christianity.

It is inspired by the rise of Orthodox Christianity in Russia, the return, really.

And this conversation also is prompted by what is perceived by the Orthodox Church in

the United States outside of Russia as an attack because there was a meeting between

a delegation of the Orthodox Church that went from Ukraine to Russia to meet with President

Putin and they have now been accused of being spies.

And of course, some more than, some 10 to 12 million Orthodox Christians living in

the United States of America are very upset about what they perceive as a strong attack.

On their church, this letter from Congressman Joe Wilson from South Carolina, representative

Don Bacon from Nebraska, and Austin Scott of Georgia asking the Attorney General Pan

Bondy to investigate.

I want to close, if I can, with you Sergei, to ask you if you can explain why should people

watch this film when it comes out very soon?

What is it about The Cross that you think will resonate in the hearts of your audience?

And what really inspired you to do this film in this moment?

Well, first of all, I have to say that true believers doesn't need proof in many subjects.

And as one visionary said, you can really recognize truth.

Why the shining that surround them?

Wow, that's beautiful.

We try not only to tell the truth, but to show the shining of the truth through the art

and through the art images, not just through talking and through explaining, but trying

to get it to the people's heart with our art.

And for sure, Cross is the heart of our film and what can guide us all, and the Cross is where we can find all the meaning.

And all that shining through we can find in God.

What Cross means for you, it's eager to ask.

Cross for every Christian is the beginning and end of his life.

The person carrying on his shoulders, all his life, his own cross.

When he is born, he is getting baptized, he goes all his life with a cross.

And I want to add, just one thing, my personal cross.

It's also be ready to be sacrificed and crucified on this cross.

And this is the spiritual achievement of Jesus Christ, giving us understanding that even crucified our body,

our soul is winning over the evil and reaching to Him.

So to Christian, to every Christian, this is the biggest gift to give up his body, but to save his soul.

And this is also what is Romei doing for Christians to crucify them, to be ready to cross, carrying your cross,

and be ready to be crucified any minute.

This is the highest joy and highest beauty of Christianity.

For me personally, sorry.

If the human feel his mission to carry the cross through his life, everything starts being very simple and very clear.

God gives everybody his own cross, but he gives us cross not to make us weak, but to make us stronger,

because he would never give you a cross that you could not carry.

And we supposed to understand what is our cross, and despite this, we should carry it until the very end.

That is very beautiful, Sergei, it's very moving.

I think everybody, you know, we know life is hard for so many people, everybody is carrying their own cross.

And our salvation, of course, is on the cross with Christ.

So for Christians, for people of faith, for people of no faith, I hope I haven't had a chance to see the film yet,

because you're keeping it a secret still.

But people will be able to see it on my channels and platform.

You can follow Laura Logan on X, and I know Olga Orovasi, I know you're on X, I know that you're on X.

I don't know about Sergei, I'm sure, but we'll put your accounts up at the end of this, so people know where to find you,

and where to follow, and where to see this beautiful film.

And personally, just very moved, Sergei, that you chose to take on this subject, especially having been inside so many Orthodox churches just recently,

and it was really quite breathtaking to see the beauty, and I was, I wondered,

why, how have we been kept so far apart as Christians?

How have we, how have the different churches and how have we been kept so far apart from each other?

Because when you feel the presence of God, you know that he doesn't care.

He doesn't care about these man-made structures of division.

And so I thank you very much, very sincerely, with all my heart for doing this.

I hope to see the film.

These attacks, I know you're passionate about it.

I'm sure Olga, it's very personal for you, but the reality is that I think in this moment,

too many people recognize that these are attacks on Christ and on God,

and they are, they come with darkness and deception, and people see through them today to the light.

So thank you very much to all of you for taking the time to have this conversation.

Look forward to seeing the film come out, and we would love to hear from the audience.

Make sure that you watch it and send us your thoughts and keep this conversation going.

Okay, God bless all of you.

Thank you so much, and thank you for watching.