1.2 million to patriarchy-governed churches in Sweden

In Stockholm there are two Russian Orthodox congregations;

The Orthodox Church's Declaration on Östermalm and the Holy Sergij parish, which is located in St. Sigfrid's Church in Hägersten.

Of these, only St. Sergei is subject to the Moscow Patriarchate.

The Holy Sergei Russian Orthodox Church was founded in Stockholm in 1992. Four years later, the church was occupied by the Moscow Patriarchate, which today reports to Patriarch Kirill.

Started receiving government grants in 2015

The Russian Orthodox Church is thus divided into an independent part - and the one funded by the Russian Patriarchate.

The first time Moscow's Russian Orthodox Church received a state grant in Sweden was in 2015. An establishment grant of SEK 30,000.

Since then, the annual contributions have increased steadily - from 100,000 to 270,000 kronor over the past two years, a total of 1.2 million.

Oksanen: "It is unreasonable that they get support if they end up behind the war of aggression"

Patrik Oksanen is a debater and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Military Sciences.

He wants to see Archbishop Vitaly Babushin at the Holy Sergij Parish in Stockholm distance himself from Moscow and Patriarch Kirill - if they want to continue raising state subsidies.

SVT has sought representatives of the Holy Sergij congregation who do not want to participate in the interview.