A $250,000-Sponsorship Gala, an Absent Guest of Honor, Two Prerecorded Messages—and Still No Public Video of What Happened Inside.
By Helleniscope’s Editorial Team
We were overwhelmed over the last two days with constant messages of disgust about the dinner at Cipriani honoring Zelensky. Forty-eight hours after the Gala at Cipriani, we still have not seen a video of the event…Not only is there no video, but we have heard again and again that the (dis-“organizers” have been calling participants personally, asking them NOT TO POST any videos on social media or anywhere else!!! A full-blown “damage control” operation!! But let’s answer the main questions coming out of the catastrophe of the Cipriani Gala…
Why Didn’t Zelenskyy Come to His Own Award Dinner?
That remains the central question after Saturday night’s Beacon of Hope dinner at Casa Cipriani.
Zelensky wasn’t merely an honoree in absentia. He had planned to receive the award personally, according to New Greek TV. Instead, Ukraine’s UN ambassador, Andrii Melnyk, accepted it while Zelenskyy appeared on a giant screen via prerecorded video. (Link here)
The official explanation is that the continuing war required Zelenskyy’s return to Kyiv. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA likewise says the “continuing demands of the war prevented his attendance.” Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
That explanation cannot simply be dismissed. Ukraine is losing the war; they have no ammunition, they have no fuel, the gas stations around Kiev are mostly destroyed, and they have no access to the Black Sea. Russia is outproducing the entire West in War materials by an order of magnitude. It is an unmitigated disaster, and the Patriarchate, Karloutsos, and the “Archons” are deeply involved. This is the main frame of the Cipriani Gala. Even if the war ended with peace, the Russians have already stated in very clear language that “item 1” on their list is religious rights and language rights. Let me translate it in plain terms: the Constantinople Patriarchate will be kicked out of Ukraine once and for all.
But it leaves another question: when did the organizers know he wasn’t coming?
The answer matters because the event was promoted as something far bigger than an ordinary church fundraiser. Advance publicity said Zelenskyy would receive the award at Casa Cipriani and even proclaimed: “History will be in the room.” (Link here – UOJ).
Instead, Zelensky was on the screen.
Is a 501(c)(3) non-profit allowed to promote political events?
Organizers should also address another question: the tax-exempt status of the organizations behind the dinner.
Section 501(c)(3) organizations, including churches and charities, are prohibited from participating or intervening in political campaigns for or against candidates for elective office. The IRS does not, however, prohibit a charity from merely hosting a political figure, discussing controversial public-policy questions, or honoring a government leader. Whether an activity crosses the line depends on its purpose and the surrounding facts and circumstances.
Zelenskyy is not simply a celebrity: he is the sitting president of Ukraine, and this dinner explicitly honored his leadership and Ukraine’s wartime cause. That makes it entirely legitimate to ask how the organizers classified the event for purposes of their charitable mission, what safeguards they employed to maintain its non-campaign character, and whether any funds, introductions, or activities connected with the evening served purposes outside that charitable mission.
But the award’s political controversy does not, by itself, establish a 501(c)(3) violation. Anyone alleging such a violation needs evidence showing that the applicable federal tax-law line was actually crossed.
The fact that Zelensky and his puppet masters will NOT allow elections to take place in Ukraine makes honoring him with a “human rights” award even more ironic… What a disaster!!
PHOTO: An artistic rendition of Bartholomew’s video appearance.
Warnings before the dinner
Organizers cannot plausibly say there was no advance controversy surrounding the choice.
A petition demanding the withdrawal of Zelensky’s award circulated before the event, with organizers saying they were sending signatures to the Shrine, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops, and Archons. Separately, opponents publicly called for a demonstration outside Casa Cipriani beginning at 6:30 p.m. (link here – UOJ).
Now sources with direct contact with Archons and attendees tell Helleniscope that objections were dismissed and that some guests found the atmosphere after Zelensky’s nonappearance uncomfortable. One source claims some attendees began leaving and were sharply critical of Michael Psaros’ remarks.
The official accounts paint a very different picture. The Orthodox Observer reports Psaros praising Zelenskyy’s “tenacious and unconquerable commitment” and describes an evening of solidarity with Ukraine. New Greek TV reports that an officers’ color guard opened the ceremony before speeches by Psaros, Archbishop Elpidophoros and others. (Link to Orthodox Observer).
That discrepancy—between what organizers publicly describe and what several critics and sources claim happened inside—is precisely why documentation matters. Who to believe? Not the organizers, for sure! If they were telling the truth, they would have no problem posting the video!!
And still no video
Where is the video?
We know Zelenskyy’s address exists. Guests watched it. Photographers captured them watching it. We know Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew also supplied a prerecorded message.
The dinner wasn’t small-time, either. Sponsorships ran as high as $250,000, and the top package specifically included “acknowledgment in video.” Individual seats cost $1,500.
Yet continued searches still have not turned up verified publicly accessible video of Zelenskyy’s complete address, the award presentation, or substantial proceedings inside the ballroom.
Was the dinner professionally recorded, and will that recording be released?
Our sources have made additional allegations involving private business dealings, federal authorities, and requests that attendees refrain from posting material. The same applies to the extraordinary assertion that Zelenskyy himself considered Karloutsos or the Archons “toxic.”
They promoted Zelensky. They expected Zelensky. They sold sponsorships reaching $250,000. Protesters publicly organized against honoring him. And when the evening finally arrived, Zelensky wasn’t in the room.
Three questions therefore remain:
When did organizers know he wasn’t coming? Why did the anticipated personal appearance fall apart? And where is the video?
And will we ever hear an account of all the millions gathered for the event and how they were spent?
September 28, 2026, www.helleniscope.com, n.stamatakis@aol.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
