Kiev, January 15, 2026
Anna Bolgova, director of the persecuted Perspektiva school. Photo: slidstvo.info
Anna Bolgova, director of the Perspektiva parents’ club-school that previously operated at the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Goloseevsky Monastery in Kiev, has sent an open letter to journalist Yana Korniichuk, whose “investigative” report led to widespread persecution of the school’s teachers, parents and students.
The national security service and prosecutor’s office even opened a criminal case based on the report. Nevertheless, Bolgova’s letter shows the deep faith and piety that characterize the people of the UOC.
In early January, Ukrainian outlet Slidstvo.Info published an investigation accusing the Orthodox parents’ club of propagating “Russian world” ideology and “glorifying the Russian God.” The report claimed the school used Soviet-era textbooks, sang the Russian anthem, and received financing from Russia.
In an earlier interview with the Union of Orthodox Journalists, Bolgova categorically denied all accusations, explaining that the school operated openly as a parents’ club where children enrolled in regular schools for distance learning received supplementary Orthodox education.
She called the accusation of “glorifying the Russian God” complete absurdity.
The journalist gained access to the school by posing as a refugee from Lugansk, Bolgova said. After several days of building trust, Korniichuk distorted the director’s words out of context to create a scandal. Following the publication, parents became frightened and the monastery asked them to close the club.
In her letter, Bolgova emphasizes that God transforms slander against Christians into their victory.
She describes the pain of betrayal: “It hurt because I opened my heart to you—I always open it to people. I simply no longer know how to do otherwise. But behind me were children's hearts. And you struck us all. You struck with lies. With treachery.”
Acknowledging the initial fear from hateful comments demanding they be killed or deported, Bolgova says she saw a struggle in the journalist’s eyes. “I know there was a struggle in you. But unfortunately, you didn’t listen to your heart,” she writes.
The director says she and other mothers are praying for Korniichuk: “We will survive all this pain with God and will grow. All this will later be our victory.” She concludes: "All this pain that you brought us was from the Lord and—for you. We need to accept this blow and give birth to prayer instead of hatred and resentment.”
Read Anna Bolgova’s full letter:
Glory to God for all things. I will call you Anna, because most likely that’s the name you were baptized with. I thank you, truly. Maybe you don’t understand now, but this situation is from God. It needs to be lived through with the heart.
When they sent me the video, I couldn’t watch it. I was afraid. Not because I said something criminal, no. I live openly, before God, and everything I say, I confess with my life. It hurt because I opened my heart to you—I always open it to people. I simply no longer know how to do otherwise. But behind me were the children’s hearts. And you struck us all. You struck with lies. With treachery.
Many cried. And yes, you really frightened us at first. The hatred that rose up in the comments, demands to kill us, deport us, deprive parents of their rights, curses...
I became very frightened for the children and parents and for some reason deleted our Telegram groups. I very much regret it. They had a chronicle of our life. There were light and joy. We lived like a family—I told you about this. And I know for certain that our bright impulse touched you. I read this in your eyes, Annushka.
I know there was a struggle in you. But unfortunately, you didn’t listen to your heart. And now you probably have thirty pieces of silver from the foreign company where you work. You have fame, you’re a successful journalist. Your investigation about moms with children thundered throughout the world.
But I also know, Annushka, that this has not brought you joy. And understand—I’m not gloating. Not only I, other moms are also praying for you. We will survive all this pain with God and will grow. All this will later be our victory.
And it’s very important for you to understand that the Lord exists. And He is great and beautiful. And He creates His own, Divine beauty in human hearts. And this beauty is born in pain, because love is like that: it endures all things, believes all things, and never ceases.
And all this pain that you brought us was from the Lord and—for you. We need to accept this blow and give birth to prayer instead of hatred and resentment. And then we’ll participate in the birth of a supernova. A star is always born when a human heart opens to God.
I’m not angry with you, dear sister. Live in peace.
Follow OrthoChristian on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, and MeWe!