A network linked to the Russian Orthodox Church has quietly established itself in Bulgaria, pushing narratives aligned with Moscow under the guise of religious commentary, BNT reported. The focus of its messaging recently shifted to the public debate around introducing religion as a mandatory school subject - an issue gaining traction within Bulgarian society.

One of the main actors in this influence effort is an organization that goes by the name Union of Orthodox Journalists. It has no public leadership, no listed headquarters, and no bylines on its articles, yet it maintains an active and targeted presence on nearly every major social media platform. What stands out is that much of its content is original and written in fluent Bulgarian, indicating considerable funding and deliberate intent.

Behind the scenes, this Bulgarian-language platform is a branch of a broader media structure affiliated with the pro-Russian Ukrainian Orthodox Church, itself under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. Investigations have identified its operators as individuals previously linked to spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda and violating Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

The Bulgarian edition of the website launched in the months following the death of Patriarch Neophyte - who had condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Its emergence coincided with renewed domestic debate over the role of religious education in schools.

The site devotes substantial coverage to issues such as the introduction of a school subject titled “Virtues and Religion,” opposition to same-sex marriage, criticism of gender ideologies, and support for traditional values. It actively promotes the Moscow-aligned church’s stance against the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and republishes translated content from sanctioned Russian media outlets.

Its media content extends to YouTube, where Bulgarian seminary tutors have participated in interviews produced under the same banner. Despite openly soliciting euro-denominated donations, the organization does not appear in the Bulgarian commercial register under its declared name.

Tracing the donation pathway leads to a company registered in Cyprus: TOJ Ltd - short for Team of the Orthodox Journalists. This entity, incorporated in 2024, is listed at an address in Paphos already associated with companies under U.S. sanctions for alleged involvement in an international arms trafficking network. The building reportedly flies Russian flags and has been reviewed by visitors as a hub for pro-Russian interests.

The registered directors of TOJ Ltd are Anna Pidubna and Alexey Zoschuk - both flagged by Ukrainian NGO “Myrotvorets” as disseminators of Kremlin narratives. Journalistic investigations have further revealed that the Russian parish in Cyprus serves as a haven for former clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church who fled the country, continuing their media activities and promotion of Russian policy abroad.

The original website of the Union of Orthodox Journalists describes the group as a global Orthodox media initiative, born in 2014 amid the church and state crisis in Ukraine. Its self-declared mission: to defend Moscow’s ecclesiastical authority and form Orthodox-aligned public figures capable of influencing opinion.

Its decision to expand into the Bulgarian language space appears far from coincidental. It came shortly after the election of a new Bulgarian patriarch and during a period of intensified discourse about moral and spiritual education in schools.

On May 17, a public march in Sofia advocating for mandatory religious instruction featured numerous flags used by Russian Orthodox military units in Ukraine - held by teenagers. This demonstration received extensive coverage by the Bulgarian branch of the Union of Orthodox Journalists, with several images of these military-themed flags shared across their Facebook presence.

This investigation, done by Bulgarian journalist Maya Dimitrova from the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) in cooperation with the civic group BG Elves, highlights how religious institutions, media narratives, and geopolitical ambitions are intertwining on Bulgarian soil - with potentially far-reaching implications for public opinion and national policy. We highly recommend reading the full article, which includes source links, photos, and video materials for a more in-depth perspective.