In Mariupol, the occupation authorities turn the former building of the Church of Good Changes into a cinema
In Mariupol, the occupation authorities have decided to convert the building of a church destroyed during Russian shelling in 2022 into the municipal cinema “Komsomolets.”
Source: icerkov
History and Background
The Protestant church in Mariupol, destroyed by Russian shelling in 2022, will be repurposed into the municipal cinema “Komsomolets” by the occupation authorities.
Previously, this church building was actively used by a Protestant community named Good Changes Church, led by pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko. Purchased and renovated by the church community, the building hosted not only religious services but also various social and charitable activities.
For many years, this Protestant community conducted active humanitarian work: providing aid to those in need, supporting orphans, and assisting individuals in difficult situations.
In 2022, the building was severely damaged by Russian shelling. Subsequently, the occupation authorities initiated criminal proceedings against pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko, accusing him of alleged anti-Russian activities.
Later, in 2023, the occupying “DPR General Prosecutor’s Office” opened a criminal case against pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko, accusing him of allegedly engaging in “extremist activities.”
Recently, in 2025, occupation authorities officially announced plans to reconstruct the church building into the city cinema “Komsomolets,” hiring a construction company from Saint Petersburg to undertake the project.
The transformation of the former church into an entertainment facility represents yet another step in the broader campaign by the Russian occupation authorities targeting Protestant communities in
Mariupol. Protestant churches and their leaders have been systematically persecuted, pressured, and subjected to repression since the city’s occupation, with church buildings either destroyed or confiscated.
