A man from Kazan, who changed his name to Jesus Petrovich Christ, was ordered by the court to revert to his original name, Evgeny Petrovich Chekulaev.

The Novo-Savinovski District Court in Kazan has ruled that a local resident, who changed his name to Jesus Petrovich Christ, must revert to his previous name, Evgeny Petrovich Chekulaev. The court ordered the Civil Registry Office to restore the original birth certificate and issue a new passport with the old name.

The prosecutor argued that changing one's name for religious reasons is prohibited in Russia, citing the position of the Constitutional Court, which considers that associating a person's name with Jesus Christ can mislead citizens and offend the feelings of believers. The man had a criminal record, having been previously convicted of robbery and assault, and in 2015 he was diagnosed with a personality disorder.