Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Play Pokemon GO In A Russian Church

Take note: when someone tells you not to play Pokemon GO on their hallowed grounds, it’s probably good advice to follow. That’s especially the case in Russia, where they get very angry if you start throwing Pokeballs around churches.

But one Russian YouTuber filmed himself doing that anyway, and has promptly discovered what the cost of that is.

According to an AFP report published by Yahoo, blogger Ruslan Sokolovski has been placed in detention for two months after he filmed himself playing Niantic’s augmented reality game in Yekaterinburg’s Church of All Saints.

The video, at the time of writing, is still online. And there’s no hiding what’s going on: he’s playing Pokemon GO in a church, all right.

The publication of the video prompted authorities to investigate, and upon searching his home they alleged they found evidence of “incitement to hatred and attacks on the liberty of faith”.

A statement from Russia’s investigative committee said Sokolovski could face up to five years imprisonment if convicted of the charges.

Russia isn’t the first country to take exception with Pokemon GO, or the penchant of its players to wander into places where they shouldn’t. Iran banned the game on national security grounds, and Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission threatened to follow suit unless Niantic removed a range of areas from the game altogether.


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