AFTER THE PURGE, THE CLEANUP!

When "custodians" throw church property in the dumpster

December 27, 2025

ČISTKA

Before we talk about the dumpster, let's talk about the word in the title.

Čistka (from Russian "чистка") means a sweeping, systematic purge of people from institutions—military, police, political parties, churches—with the primary goal of aligning the organization with the ruling power's interests and eliminating potential threats.

The methods range from transfers and dismissals to arrests and liquidations.

The methods don't change. Only the faces.

Stalin used it. Tito used it. Now Bishop Irinej uses it. Every totalitarian regime has used it.

The word carries a powerful pejorative meaning because it's most often associated with violent settling of accounts with political opponents, disguised as "organizational necessity."

First comes the čistka: purge the people.

Then comes the čišćenje: clean up the evidence.

THE ČISTKA AT ST. SAVA

It began on October 28th, 2025.

The Purge:

✓ Fr. Dragoslav removed✓ 120+ families filed canonical appeals to Belgrade✓ Every Sunday school teacher resigned (except the one on the board)✓ Entire Kolo board walked out (except VP who holds both positions)✓ Parish Council members forced out✓ Audit board member resigned (said she was "pressured")✓ Donors stopped giving (monthly revenue collapsed)

Anyone who supported canonical procedure, financial transparency, Fr. Dragoslav, or proper church governance was eliminated.

That's the čistka—the purge of people.

Now comes the čišćenje—the cleanup of stuff.

THE SCENE

There's something deeply symbolic about watching someone throw away the past.

And there's something even more symbolic when that someone is standing at a dumpster, tossing boxes of church belongings into the trash.

Right next to a wheelchair.

December 27th, 2025. Behind St. Sava Cathedral. A blue Republic Services dumpster, lid open.

A man stands at the dumpster. Plaid shirt. Blue cap. Looking into the container like he's deciding what stays and what goes. Next he's leaning in, placing boxes inside.

And there—right next to the dumpster—sits a wheelchair. Empty. Unused. Waiting.

THE CAST

According to witnesses, seven men participated in this clean-up operation:

·         Dragan Obrenić – Stanka Nikolić's brother-in-law (episcopal godmother). A member of an illegal board set up in violation of Article 45.

·         Dragan Knezevic

·         Nick Visha

·         Maryan Derekh – Another "trustee" loyalist.

·         Luka Parojčić – Part of Lorain's crew, loyal to the bishop.

·         Momčilo Radujković – He just "comes to liturgies." A great Christian... is now throwing away things that many would be grateful to receive.

·         David Lytkovski – This one deserves a special mention.

Seven men. One container. Church things. And a wheelchair that no one thought to donate.

WAIT—THAT DAVID?

Yes. David Lytkovski.

Let's talk about him for a moment. David resigned from the Parish Board on April, 2025.

Reason given: "Health concerns." Health concerns so serious that he had to step down from board meetings. But apparently not serious enough to prevent him from doing physical labor, throwing boxes into a dumpster eight months later. Funny how health problems disappear once the purge is complete.

Let's review the timeline:

April , 2025: David Lytkovski resigns from Parish Board. Reason: "health concerns."Translation: Things were getting complicated. Better to step away.

December 2-3, 2025: Illegal "Temporary Board" installed.

December 5, 2025: Čistka begins.

December 26, 2025: Illegal "Temporary Board" invites parishioners back—calling us like lambs to the slaughter.

December 27, 2025: David Lytkovski is standing at a dumpster behind the cathedral, doing physical cleanup work.

So let's get this straight:

Too ill to address the financial mess in April (and we'll be writing about those problems in much greater detail – especially since David is an accounting specialist).

But perfectly healthy enough to haul boxes in December.  David's health clearly wasn't an issue back then... and we can all see that now."

THE QUESTION NOBODY'S ASKING

Here's what's striking about this scene:

These five men claim to be Christians. They claim to be "temporary stewards" protecting church property. They claim to be acting in the best interests of the parish.

And yet—

When they're throwing away boxes of church items, when there's a perfectly good wheelchair right there that someone could use—

Did it occur to anyone to donate it?

To a hospital? A nursing home? A family in need?

This is a Serbian Orthodox Cathedral. Charity is supposed to be central to our faith.

Did anyone remember: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction." (James 1:27)

Did anyone consider: "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40)

But no.

The wheelchair sits there next to the dumpster while they are too busy cleaning up after the čistka?

WHAT'S IN THOSE BOXES?

That's the question parishioners are asking. What exactly are they throwing away?

Witnesses report seeing icons, yearly calendars with saints' images, small crosses, praying ropes—sacred items that require proper disposal according to Orthodox tradition.

In the Orthodox Church, when religious items are no longer usable, there is a proper procedure for disposal. Icons, calendars with holy images, crosses, and rosaries cannot simply be thrown in the trash. They should be burned respectfully and the ashes buried in clean ground, or buried directly in consecrated earth.

But these "stewards" just threw them in a dumpster.

Are there also church records they don't want anyone to see? Donations meant for the poor that never made it to the poor? Remnants of the previous administration they're erasing?

We don't know because nobody's allowed to ask.

After a čistka, questions aren't welcome.

THE PATTERN

This isn't an isolated incident. It's a pattern.

What the "Temporary Board" discards:

✓ Canonical procedures✓ Parish elections✓ Beloved priests✓ Teachers (mass resignations)✓ Kolo board (mass walkout)✓ 120 families✓ Security cameras (destroyed November 16)✓ Sacred items (antimins stolen November 18; icons and crosses thrown away December 27)✓ Church property✓ Wheelchairs that could help someone

What they keep:

✓ Police on speed dial✓ Trespass notices✓ Locked doors✓ Bishop's protection✓ Illusion of legitimacy

First, they purge the people who stand for truth. Then they clean up the evidence. That's how a čistka works.

THE IRONY

The "Temporary Board of Trustees" invited everyone back to church on December 26th.

They quoted Psalm 133: "How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

One day later:

Five men at a dumpster, throwing away church property—including sacred items that should be disposed of properly according to Orthodox tradition.

This is what their "unity" looks like. Discarding the past. Erasing evidence. Cleaning up after the purge. And not even having the Christian decency to donate a wheelchair or properly dispose of icons.

TO THE HOLY SYNOD

When Bishop Irinej reports to you that his "Temporary Board" is "responsibly managing" St. Sava Cathedral—

Remember this event.

Members of the illegal board, standing at a dumpster, throwing away church property—including sacred items. Right next to a wheelchair, they didn't think to donate. This is "responsible management" under Bishop Irinej's trusteeship.

First the čistka: Purge anyone who supports canonical procedure, financial transparency, or Fr. Dragoslav.

Then the čišćenje: Throw away the evidence and clean up after the purge—even throwing sacred items in a dumpster instead of disposing of them properly.

This is what totalitarian church governance looks like.

THE REAL STORY

This article isn't really about a dumpster. It's about what happens after you purge people who stand for truth. It's about men who claim to be stewards but act like conquerors. It's about the small choices that reveal true character—like whether you donate a wheelchair, whether you dispose of icons properly, whether you leave sacred items next to the trash.

It's about the čistka and the čišćenje.

First you eliminate the people. Then you erase the evidence.

They purged the people who stood for truth. Now they're cleaning up the evidence.

And they can't even be bothered to donate a wheelchair or dispose of icons properly while they do it.

NEDOSTOJAN.

The photos documenting the cleanup operation behind St. Sava Cathedral on December 27, 2025, are held in a private archive and are not currently available for public viewing. Witnesses confirm the presence of Dragan Obrenić, Marjana Derek, Dragana Knezevic, Nika Viša, Luka Parojčić, Momčilo Radujković, and David Lytkovski. David Lytkovski resigned from the Parish Board in April 2025, citing "health concerns," then was photographed eight months later participating in physical cleanup work.