Supporters of Schemamonk Sergius hold a rally near the Yekaterinburg diocese. They demand the resignation of Metropolitan Kirill

More than 100 people gathered at the building of the Yekaterinburg diocese, speaking in support of Schemamonk Sergius, Znak.com reports . Sergius demanded that Russian President Vladimir Putin resign and transfer power to him.

Those gathered tried to enter the diocese building, but security did not let them in, the 66.RU correspondent reports . They want to know about the fate of the monastery and Sergius.

On August 16, Metropolitan Kirill of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye excommunicated the parishioners of the former schemamonk Sergius. On August 19, he decided to transfer the nuns from the Sredneuralsky monastery, which Father Sergius captured, to other monasteries. In response to these decrees, the comrade-in-arms of schemamonk Vsevolod Moguchev released a video message on behalf of Sergius, in which he declared a “combat alert” and asked everyone to defend the monastery and go to the religious procession.

Those gathered are distributing a statement in which they demand that Metropolitan Kirill leave the Yekaterinburg diocese. They also want him to report on his activities over the past nine years, and believe that the decision on the existence of the monastery should be made by “Orthodox Christians at a local council, and not by the false Metropolitan Kirill and his minions.”

According to 66.RU information, Schemamonk Sergius intends to come to the diocese. The gathered supporters said they would attend a procession. The rector of the Great Chrysostom Church, Viktor Yavich, came out to them. The schemamonk's followers demanded to know why it was ordered to remove the nuns from the monastery and what would happen to the children.

“The diocese has a social service. No one will seize the monastery,” the priest answered.

Schema-abbot Sergius (Nikolai Romanov), who became a schema-monk after being defrocked, publicly cursed those who are closing churches during the coronavirus pandemic. After this he was banned from ministry. In response to this, he captured the Sredneuralsky convent and called on the Cossacks for help.

Journalist of “Such Affairs” Dmitry Sidorov, under the guise of a pilgrim, lived for three days in the Sredneuralsky convent. TD published a report from the monastery.