Top Russian Orthodox cleric honors ‘martyr’ Charlie Kirk

Metropolitan Tikhon has said the assassinated US activist inspired many young Christians to stand up for their beliefs

Charlie Kirk’s life inspired Christians to stand up for their beliefs, an influential Russian Orthodox bishop has said.

Kirk, a popular US conservative podcaster and organizer, was assassinated by a sniper on September 10 while speaking at a university in Utah. The murder has prompted tributes from public figures at home and abroad.

Metropolitan Tikhon, who leads the diocese of Simferopol and Crimea and is reportedly close to President Vladimir Putin, said that Kirk’s convictions and his “martyric death” resonate with many Russians despite differences in faith.

In an op-ed published on the Russian Orthodox Church’s website on Saturday, the high-ranking bishop praised the activist for bravely engaging with people who disagreed with him and for continuing to “call things by their proper names,” even when it was dangerous.

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While cautioning that Russians should not blindly “imitate the West” and its preaching traditions, Tikhon argued that “the example and astonishing success of Charlie Kirk” demonstrates “what is truly effective in missionary work.”

“Charlie had the intelligence and tact to respect the intellect of his young interlocutors, to speak with them seriously, as equals, without descending into clownery,” Tikhon wrote, adding “Charlie Kirk spoke, first and foremost, about what he truly believed. His sincere passion, integrity, and conviction were contagious to young people and compelled them to think. That is precisely why he was both loved and hated, but he left no one indifferent.” He asserted that Kirk’s life journey evokes “the deepest respect.”

Kirk co-founded the nonprofit Turning Point USA when he was just 18. He gained prominence by touring college campuses and debating students. Many of his clashes with left-leaning opponents went viral on social media. Kirk was widely credited with popularizing conservatism among young people and playing a role in helping President Donald Trump win a second term in 2024.