How I saw the "Mother of God" with my own eyes. A story about faith that led me into a debt trap.

"The New Ukrainian Maria Devi Christ"

The story of a woman who calls herself the Mother of God has come to public attention thanks to colleagues and acquaintances of editor Anna Lutsyuk. They suspected that Anna had fallen into the hands of fraudsters. Lutsyuk was allegedly asking them for money to treat her beloved, who has supposedly been in a coma since December 2023. According to her, he is still alive thanks to the efforts of Fesun, but for this, the "Mother of God" must be thanked with money. The doctors, it was said, could do nothing, while Fesun supported him from Kyiv with prayer and energy.

About her beloved, Lutsyuk mentioned that he is a fighter of the International Legion, Dirk Altyokhan. He fought in Krynkah. His positions were attacked with chemical weapons, and the man was injured and transported back to Germany. There, he was supposedly in a hospital.

Anna Lutsyuk's sister, Yulia, wrote on social media that contact with Anna has now been reduced to messages about money for saving her beloved.

"My sister got into loans and debts. Letters and calls from banks have become something regular because she owes tens of thousands of hryvnias for the spiritual work of the 'Mother of God.' My father, who was at war at that time, tried to pay off these loans because he didn’t know and saw no other way out of the situation, just like our family," her message stated.

One of Lutsyuk's acquaintances revealed that Anna had asked her for money in 2023 even before the incident with Dirk. The first time it was 16 thousand hryvnias, the second time 10 thousand. The acquaintance believes that the money went to pay for Fesun's services.

"As far as I understand, Fesun helped her get out of some stress or depression. But I don't know the details," our interlocutor shared. She added that later she tried to convince Anna of the possible fraud, but to no avail, and they stopped communicating.

Moreover, under the publications, people shared their experiences regarding Fesun's services. For example, user Roman Sviderky attended a session with Anna and found the payment for it to be "loan-like."

"I was hesitant about whether I received the promised help or not. And now, to be honest, I don't know. The session itself didn't go very well; I argued with Anna. But she seemed to sincerely believe in what she said and did," he wrote.

Debts for the Cafe

It is worth noting that the cafe in Podil, Call me Cacao, co-owned by Anna Fesun, was very popular. This was where the first gathering of people began. They sang songs—Anna was passionate about folk singing and filmed documentary films.

However, the cafe soon closed. In the summer of 2023, LLC "Medikas" filed a lawsuit against Anna Fesun to recover debts for rent and unpaid utility bills. This concerns the premises located at 35 Nyzhnii Val. That was where the Call me Cacao cafe was situated.

The case materials indicate that the lease was terminated in July 2020. At that time, the cafe she had created with her brother and husband was already closing. By January of this year, the court ordered Fesun to pay more than 130 thousand hryvnias within three years. This amount includes inflation costs and court fees. Additionally, she was charged 14 thousand for legal assistance.

But that's not all. In February 2021, "PrivatBank" also sought to recover debts through the court—Fesun took out loans that she did not repay, amounting to approximately 105 thousand hryvnias.

"Sort Out What Triggers You"

On the afternoon of October 8, Anna Fesun went live on Facebook. She initially shared that she "brought into this world a person who is the successor of Jesus Christ." This was about her 9-year-old daughter Vera. Fesun is divorced from Vera's father, and the daughter lives solely with her. She then began to talk about her meeting with Jesus Christ.

"Our meeting was brief. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, blessed and honored me with the words - 'People crucified me; they will hear you.' These are very short words, and they are enough. These words are a great support for me. I have no task to explain anything; I am already the Mother of God. The fact that I have the courage to speak about this out loud is a lot. I am already a saint. My work is to provide healing, knowledge, and express my love."

She then began to answer people's questions. In particular, she mentioned that Anna Lutsyuk had approached her "with a request to save a life." And she "went to meet her," considering the situation, and "gave her time for calculations." When asked why she charges money for divine work and salvation, Fesun responded: "If it bothers you that another person earns from their gift and talent, sort out what triggers you. The results of my work are visible—children are born, families are healed, lives are saved."

Additionally, the woman notes that all her calculations are approved by higher powers.

My Dialogue with the "Mother of God"

Fesun was broadcasting near St. Sophia Cathedral, so I quickly took a taxi and headed there. I waited for her to finish the broadcast and approached her. The woman refused to talk, and when asked about her clients having to borrow money to pay for her services, she replied:

"Everyone is concerned about money right now. But I don’t want to talk; it makes me uncomfortable. The flowing dirt affects my health. I will answer all questions not through you.", she stated.

Regarding the debts for the cafe rent, she stated: "I know my responsibility. I work." Anna then reiterated that she refused to give comments and was against their dissemination. She promised to answer the questions of interest to people herself in her broadcasts.

Why Do People Fall for This?

The psychologist from the platform Rozmova, Alina Maiboga, explained that throughout history, especially in difficult times, people need hope and faith. And when there is little left of this, some individuals are capable of believing in miracles, as they perceive them.

"This 'miracle' is usually promised by quite 'earthly' individuals who call themselves witches, saints, prophets, and the like. And there are two sides to this coin. Either these people genuinely believe in their abilities, or they are simply profiting from someone else's grief. Indeed, when hope is scarce, people are willing to part with nearly all their money to receive at least a glimmer of faith," Maiboga explains.

Once a person becomes dependent on sorcerers and healers, stops taking responsibility for their life and making constructive decisions, and accumulates debts, qualified psychological and friendly support or support groups where people share similar experiences become necessary.

"Try to be nearby and support the person morally because lonely individuals often seek support and fall into sects, to magicians, etc.," the psychologist noted.

Lawyer Vitaliy Savko explained in a comment to hromadske that to hold someone criminally responsible for fraud, there must be harm and a victim who complains to law enforcement. Relatives can do this as well. If there is no complaint, there will be no investigation. The situation resembles "psychological help": people give money to those whom they believe offer them hope.

"But as external observers who are not held hostage by a difficult situation, we can influence, at the very least, by asking those same fortune-tellers if they pay taxes and whether their activities are registered," Savko said.

Was There a Person in a Coma?

When the story of the "Mother of God" exploded on social media, editor Irina Nikolaychuk spread the page of Dirk—a man who was allegedly in a coma and for whom Lutsyuk asked all acquaintances for money. The photo and name matched, but the last activity was several days ago. Thus, doubts arose about whether he was indeed in a coma. The situation was exacerbated by information that a man with that name and surname had never served in the International Legion.

Lutsyuk herself claims that there is a person with access to Dirk's social networks, and at his request, he makes posts. It should be noted that at this moment, this page is unavailable. Previously, people noticed how the name changed after the publicity, and photos were deleted.

So the question arises: does a person truly exist whom "Mother of