Patriarch Kiril Suspends Russian Archbishop over Poker Playing, Opposition to Status Quo

Archbishop Nestor of Korsun has been dealt this final hand from the Russian Church, after Patriarch Kiril, Primate of Moscow and all Rus, decided to dismiss the cleric from his duties after he found out that Nestor had been participating in French poker tournaments.

Kiril Doesn’t Forget

While the Russian Church did not officially tie Nestor’s dismissal to his soft spot for poker, an independent investigation by Novaya Gazeta, a local media outlet, has tied the case to Patriarch Kiril’s disapproval of gambling, even though the Primate is often seen flaunting expensive items of personal attire, such as watches, necklaces, and rings.

Yet, Evgeny Sirotenko, Nestor’s real name, has been pretty busy around Paris over the past several years, winning $47,182 in live tournament earnings as per Hendon Mob Database, a global database of all poker players.

A longtime free thinker, Nestor’s latest run-in with the patriarchy has cost him an important position within the church, as he has until this moment served as the head of the Russian Church in France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom.

He is also due to face an ecclesiastical trial, which will examine whether Nestor should also be defrocked, effectively prohibiting him from practicing in the clergy. There are clerical grounds for his dismissal, as Apostolic Canon 50 of the Council of Laodicea prohibits clerics from attending places where gambling is taking place, much less actively participating in it.

Not Stooping Low Enough

However, there is more to Nestor than meets the eye. Patriarch Kiril has been a long-time supporter of Russia’s ruling caste, but Nestor has not necessarily approved of his government’s actions in every instance. The war in Ukraine has particularly exacerbated the rift between state policy and his personal views, which condemned Russia’s invasion of its neighbor in 2022.

Patriarch Kiril’s own twisted interpretation of events has been to suggest that Ukraine was attacked by Russia because of “gay parades” and equated Putin to a “godsend.”

Nestor’s opposition to the patriarchy has been evident in his defense of his own priests and their right to free and liberal views. Kowtowing, argues Novaya Gazeta’s investigation, is not in Nestor’s character, hence the most likely rift between him and Patriarch Kiril, a well-known Kremlin stooge.