A major scandal has erupted in Russia, shaking both the public and the clergy. A gay porn video was filmed inside an Orthodox church in Nizhny Novgorod, and the footage had been circulating on the internet for several months. According to information from the Telegram channel ASTRA, seminary students might have been involved in the production, which further fueled the controversy. The first mentions of the video appeared on social media, and soon the church’s interior visible in the footage was identified. This incident gained significant public attention and forced authorities to react swiftly, reports Baltimore Chronicle, with reference to ASTRA.
The first media outlet to report the video was “Church News,” which regularly publishes materials on internal conflicts within the clergy. Activist Vladislav Pozdnyakov later posted screenshots from the video on his Telegram channel. “Among the participants, there may be seminarians,” he stated.
Journalists from ASTRA discovered that the full video had been published a year ago on a gay porn site. The interior shown in the footage closely matches the appearance of the Church of Saints Timothy and Tatiana. Part of this building also houses the Orthodox gymnasium named after Saints Cyril and Methodius.
Russian law enforcement is working to identify all individuals involved in the video. The full video has been transferred to the FSB for verification.
Father Alexey Glotov, the church’s priest, confirmed the scandalous filming: “Yes, the video was indeed filmed in the church, but it happened a long time ago,” he said. He also added, “Today, access to the upper choir, where the filming presumably took place, is restricted. Cameras have been installed there.”
This issue also ties into the international context. The European Commission recently initiated proceedings against the largest pornographic platforms – Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos – for their failure to prevent minors from accessing adult content.
The case of the gay porn video filmed inside the Nizhny Novgorod church has become one of the most high-profile moral scandals in Russia in recent months. The possibility that seminarians were involved in the filming raises questions about the image of religious institutions and their oversight. Authorities are trying to minimize reputational damage, but the fact that the video was accessible online for over a year indicates a lack of effective control. The ongoing FSB investigation may reveal new details and the individuals responsible for the scandal. This incident also fits into the broader international discussions about the safety of pornographic content online and may lead to stricter regulations and increased oversight of the adult industry in Europe.
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