Christian Vision. About us

19.11.2023

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Organisation"Christian Vision"

Belarusian inter-Christian association, created during peaceful protests of 2020.

Information about the «Christian Vision». Founding statement of the «Christian Vision» Working Group. The mission of the «Christian Vision».

Christian Vision for Belarus, short name: Christian Vision.

Aims and Goals

Civic organisation uniting clergy, theologians and activists of the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic and Evangelical churches in Belarus and abroad. It was established in September 2020 to coordinate informational, analytical, human rights, social, cultural, diplomatic, scholarly and pastoral work in the context of the deepening political crisis in Belarus, and – from February 2022 – Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The Christian Vision’s aims are: the preservation of dignity and human rights in Belarus; democratic development of the country; national revival; interfaith dialogue and cooperation; stopping repressions against civil society; observing the principles of the rule of law; justice and non-discrimination; establishing a just and stable peace in the region; encouraging national dialogue and international reconciliation.

Areas of Christian Vision’s work:

Developing Christian social teaching and political theology, and formulating a Christian outlook – relevant to the contemporary Belarusian social context – on humanity, society and politics.
Information activities: publicising news from the life of religious communities, their interaction with political entities and society, both in Belarus and in the diaspora; providing comments and analytics.
Strengthening the potential of churches and other religious organisations as subjects of civil society; promoting theological and civic education of laity and clergy, their networking; expanding the participation of the laity, including women, in formulating the churches’ public discourse and activities in the public sphere; supporting the work of religious activists and communities under the repressive regime.
Supporting Belarusian Christian activists, leaders, communities, projects and media in Belarus.
Monitoring and documenting the persecution of Belarusian Christian activists; researching their needs, providing informational support; legal, visa, financial, as well as relocation assistance.
Supporting Christian political prisoners and their families, and solidarity campaigns with political prisoners; rehabilitation of political prisoners; informing civil society of the problems of Belarusian political prisoners; cooperation with human rights organisations and the democratic movement for encouraging diplomatic efforts for the release and rehabilitation of political prisoners.
Supporting Belarusian Christian figures, communities and projects in the diaspora: developing pastoral, social and cultural activities, cooperating with other Belarusian organisations in the diaspora, with local churches, media and society.
Maintaining the Belarusian agenda within the international Christian community: interaction with Christian media, churches, leaders and ecumenical organisations; informing them about the situation in Belarus, persecution of Christian activists and communities, and activities of Christians and churches for encouraging civic development and democratic transformations.
Interacting and cooperating with other organisations of the democratic movement, as well as independent media; increasing the visibility of Christians within the democratic movement; providing the democratic movement, media, and research organisations with materials and expertise in the field of Christian social teaching, freedom of religion, and religious organisations’ work.
Project Christians Against War: cooperation with Ukrainian Christians and churches, as well as with Russian anti-war Christian activists for promoting a just peace, stopping Russian aggression against Ukraine, formulating a common Christian position about war and anti-war activities, documenting the reactions of churches and church leaders to the war, monitoring persecutions for anti-war and pro-Ukrainian views, assisting the Christians who suffered from a such persecution.
Countering the propaganda of violence, hatred, and extremism; providing theological criticism and deconstruction of pseudo-Christian political narratives and mythologies.

Persecution: Extremist Status in Belarus

On 16 August 2023, the Miory district court recognised the Christian Vision’s Telegram channel as extremist. And again, on 7 September 2023, the Lida district court recognised the Christian Vision’s Telegram channel as containing extremist materials. Also, the channel’s old logo of “a cross wrapped in two cornflowers” was recognized as extremist. On the same day, the Christian Vision’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and VK accounts were recognized as extremist materials by the Kastryčnicki district court of Viciebsk. On 7 March 2024, the Miory district court of Viciebsk region recognised the Christian Vision’s account in Odnoklassniki as extremist material.

On 1 April 2025, the KGB added “Christian Vision” to the List of organizations, formations, individual entrepreneurs, involved in extremist activity as an “extremist formation” (KGB Decision of 01.04.2025 No. 4/41-26 “On declaring a group of citizens an extremist formation and prohibiting its activities”).

The following electronic resources were indicated in connection with the activities of this formation: Internet site “Church and the political crisis in Belarus” (belarus2020.churchby.info); Telegram channel “Christian Vision: NO TO WAR!” (https://t.me/christianvision); “Instagram” “Christian_vision_by” www.instragram.com/christian_vision_by; “Facebook” “Христианская Визия” https://www.facebook.com/christian.vision.by; “Twitter” “Christian Vision for Belarus” https://www.twitter.com/ch_vision_by; “VKontakte” “Христианская Визия – Хрысціянская Візія” https://www.vk.com/publicxbkc; “Odnoklassniki” “Христианское видение” https://ok.ru/group/63340401197307. The institution registered in Lithuania “Christian Vision for Belarus” (Kalvariu g. 12508221) was indicated as an organiaation related to the formation, and the participants were indicated as Orthodox theologians Vasilevich Natallia Stepanovna (15.03.1982) and Harkovich Natallia Viktarovna (01.10.1984); and Orthodox activist Karniayenka Dzmitry Viktaravich (05.11.1983).

The following was indicated as the logo of the extremist formation: “A logo depicting a red cross with various schematic drawings of flowers.”