Ivan Okhlobystin voiced his support of Donbass

Popular Russian actor, film director, playwright, scriptwriter, writer and journalist, politician and priest who has been temporary suspended from the service on his own request Ivan Okhlobystin voiced his support of Donbass. Okhlobystin repeatedly spoke publicly in support of our anti-fascist battle. As early as on June 11, 2014 he addressed his countrymen with a video appeal to support Novorossiya at the meeting  which was held in Moscow in Suvorovskaya square.

He took the floor at the “Pioneer’ readings” of “Russkiy pioneer” magazine in the Central House of Writers on the 10^th of September in 2014.

The well-known actor expressed his support of the militiamen of Donbass many times earlier, and here are the words he said: “Thank you, Ukraine, for having taught us to become the Russians anew. Thank you for having made us set back our shoulders. For having presented us with new heroes and martyrs. Thank you Ukraine for having re-staged “Romeo and Juliet” to us  in the burnt Trade Unions House in Odessa. We understood what real love means – it is when one has got nothing to lose”.

Ivan Okhlobystin became the first among Russian clergy who spoke openly in support of the Russian population in Ukraine. He called those who organized the punitive operation or just supported it “the traitors of the Slavic world”. He announced that “the dark mantled the flourishing region of kind and beautiful people”.  The actor suggested that people who had got drunk on the spilled blood of their compatriots took power into their hands. Ivan blessed the courageous defenders of Novorossiya and called them “the bastion of Christian virtues and martial prowess who were not afraid to get in the way of the evil”.

Ivan Okhlobystin transferred 100 thousand rubles to the bank account of the humanitarian battalion “Novorossia”, which is headed by Yekaterina Gubareva. He published the photo of bank transfer order for this sum with the notice: “From heart to heart” on one of his pages in social networks.

This money will be spent on reconstruction of the school in the settlement of Petrovskoe of Starobeshevo district. Primarily, they will be spent on the repair of the roof, which was absolutely destroyed as a result of shelling. It has to be done in the first instance, because there is a danger of the ceilings’ collapse. There is no other school in the village, and 130 children have been waiting for our help very much.

On the 20^{th of} October the Security Service of Ukraine announced Ivan Okhlobystin became a persona non grata in this country. He was forbidden entrance to the territory of Ukraine. The actor wrote about this in his personal micro blog: “I heard that they forbade me to visit Ukraine. Well, this is silly. My father was also forbidden the country. He entered Ukraine in 1943 in a tank”.

Novorossiya and its inhabitants will be glad to meet this amazing man on their soil. We are very grateful to Ivan for his aid and warm words in support of Novorossiya and its people.