by Metropolitan Pavlo (Petro Lebed) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been repeatedly seen in expensive premium cars. As a rule, these are premium and not cheap Mercedes-Benz. This is reported by Focus.
Metropolitan Pavlo has sometimes reacted quite vigorously to questions about the origin of his cars, and in 2012 even attacked a journalist. He even earned the nickname “Pasha Mercedes”.
Pavlo Lebed explained the use of a Mercedes not as a craving for luxury, but out of necessity, arguing that he is over 50 years old, has diabetes, and suffers from joint problems.
“Do we drive? Yes, we drive cars. I have a Mercedes. It’s not a luxury but a means of transportation. If a good domestic car was produced, I would drive it. I don’t see anything wrong with this,” stated Metropolitan Pavlo.
He previously used a Mercedes S-Class in body style W221 — such sedans were produced from 2005 to 2013. Pasha Mercedes received his Mercedes as a gift for his 50th birthday in 2021.
In addition, the Metropolitan of the UOC MP admitted that he also owns an old 1998 Mercedes (the model was not specified). Most often, this car is used by students of spiritual schools as a wedding car.
What Cars Does Metropolitan Pavlo of the UOC MP Use
Mercedes-Benz S500 4Matic
The Metropolitan is most often seen in a Mercedes S-Class W222. This is the previous generation S500 4Matic model — such a car cost about 150,000 euros new. The driver of this specific car was attempted to be fined by the police for traffic violations.
The interior of the Mercedes S500 is upholstered in leather and wood by default, and the equipment includes separate climate control, a set of electric drives, and an air suspension. Under the hood, there is a 4.7-liter V8 twin-turbo producing 455 hp, allowing acceleration to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and reaching a top speed of 250 km/h.
Mercedes-Benz GL350 Bluetec
The premium Mercedes GL crossover was caught on camera when Metropolitan Pavlo was detained at the border with Moldova. He was allegedly attempting to smuggle church valuables. Pasha Mercedes claimed that the icons have no historical or cultural value.
The seven-seater Mercedes GL second-generation crossover was produced from 2013 to 2019. Its seven-seater interior is upholstered in leather, and air suspension is offered for an additional fee. The car is equipped with a 3.0-liter 258-hp turbodiesel, reaches 222 km/h, but consumes only 8.2 l/100 km in urban cycle.
Mercedes-Benz V220 CDI
Mercedes-Benz V-Class is a family of premium minivans. The current generation of the model has been produced since 2014 and is available in several modifications and length options.
The Mercedes V-Class configuration can be quite rich. The interior can be equipped with wide leather seats with electric drive and footrests, a TV with a diagonal of up to 40 inches, removable tablets, and a refrigerator. The minivan is equipped with a 2.1-liter turbodiesel with 163 hp and is available with a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automatic transmission.
