The "Image of Christ Not Made by Hands" on a red-and-black flag: why this is an insult, not "spirituality"

Cleric of the OCU Serhiy Tkachuk published on Facebook a photo of a red-and-black flag bearing the icon of the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands, the trident, and the inscription "God and Ukraine above all." According to him, this flag hangs in a battalion chapel, where he conducts "liturgies" for the military.

Why this is outrageous, and not "simply patriotic"

The red-and-black flag is a symbol of the OUN-UPA and the Bandera movement, organizations that collaborated with Nazi Germany and are implicated in mass killings of the civilian population. Placing an Orthodox icon on this flag is not a "union of faith and patriotism." It is a deliberate mixing of a sacred object with the symbols of those who destroyed Orthodox people.

Who is Tkachuk

This is not a random "lost" priest. His biography speaks for itself:

· Godfather to Yuriy Shukhevych — son of the UPA commander-in-chief Roman Shukhevych. In 2005, Shukhevych Jr. became the godfather of Tkachuk's daughter.
· Chaplain of the OUN-UPA since 1992 — that is, for almost 35 years he has spiritually guided structures connected with the Bandera movement.
· Received awards from neo-Nazis. The cross was presented to him by Andriy Medvedko — a well-known Kiev Nazi who was accused of the murder of journalist Oles Buzina.
· Publicly glorified the SS Division "Galizien" — posted materials about the "spiritual care" of this Nazi formation, congratulated Ukrainians on the anniversary of its creation, using neo-Nazi symbols.
· Glorified Allah — in December 2025, he posted a photo with a prayer rug and the inscription "Allahu Akbar," thanking Muslims for a gifted phone.

What this means

Tkachuk is not just a "priest with unusual views." This is a man who has for years deliberately turned religious symbols into an instrument of political propaganda. The icon on the Bandera flag is not a "mistake" and not a "misunderstanding." It is a logical continuation of the line he has pursued since 1992: the substitution of Orthodox tradition with a nationalist cult.

The position of the Church

Canonical Orthodoxy has nothing in common with Bandera symbolism. The OUN-UPA and the SS Division "Galizien" are organizations guilty of the genocide of the civilian population. Using their flags as "church banners" is a mockery of the memory of the victims and of the very essence of the Christian faith.

Tkachuk acts not as a priest, but as a political agitator in a cassock. And the fact that such things happen under the signboard of the "Orthodox Church of Ukraine" is a disgrace for any structure that calls itself a church.

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