Moscow Woman Released From Jail After Orthodox Church Intervenes in Easter Cake Hookah Case

July 3, 2026 Ksenia Belousova. @mediazzzona / Telegram A Moscow woman jailed for making a hookah out of a traditional Orthodox Easter cake was released from custody on Friday after a high-level judicial body overturned her three-year prison sentence. The immediate release of Ksenia Belousova by the presidium of the Moscow City Court follows an unexpected push for leniency from the Russian Orthodox Church, which had announced plans last month to petition the court on her behalf. In May, a judge sentenced Belousova to three years and 25 days in prison after finding her guilty of offending the feelings of religious believers. The charges stemmed from a video she posted on Instagram showing a hookah with a bowl shaped like a kulich, a traditional Russian Easter pastry. She was initially sentenced to 200 hours of community service, but the judge combined the conviction with a three-year probation sentence that Belousova received in August for drug possession to mandate real prison time. The Moscow City Court’s presidium reversed that decision on Friday, decoupling the two cases. The court reinstated the original 200 hours of community service for the Easter cake incident and ordered that she serve her drug-related probation separately. Vakhtang Kipshidze, a spokesperson for the Russian Orthodox Church, said that the church welcomed the court decision. “We believe that the Russian justice system demonstrated humanism, a traditional value of our society, and took into account Belousova’s... letter of repentance to our Church,” Kipshidze told the news outlet Podyom. Earlier, the exiled news outlet Mediazona reported that Belousova’s father is a distinguished police officer, while her brother is a decorated soldier currently fighting in the war against Ukraine. Belousova had said in court that she “occasionally donates to charities,” including those that support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. Read more about: Court cases , Religion , Orthodox church Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more ‘Jesus of Siberia’ Cult Leader Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison Sergei Torop, a former traffic officer who calls himself “Vissarion,” founded the Church of the Last Testament in 1991 after what he described as a... 2 Min read Feature Ostracized From Kremlin-Aligned Church, Russia's Anti-War Priests Offer 'Alternative Orthodoxy' Religious anti-war organizations have gained traction in recent months. Whether they can form a unified movement remains to be seen. 5 Min read Putin Gifts Historic Treasures to Church Amid Ukraine Campaign Art experts are adamant that Andrei Rublev's "Trinity" should not leave the museum given its delicate condition. 4 Min read Russian Orthodox Church Establishes ‘Head Military Priest’ Post The church official will be responsible for the "spiritual mentoring" of soldiers fighting in Ukraine. 1 Min read