Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, former head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for relations between church and society, has called for the creation of special death squads to hunt down and destroy emigres perceived as traitors to Russia.
The most interesting aspect of Moscow’s retreat from its efforts to promote a civic Russian nation is that it represents a personal defeat for Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile the level of fighting in the east has dropped somewhat, and the leader of the Lugansk separatists has said he is prepared to send negotiators to talk to Nadiya Savchenko.
Three developments over the last few days – a clash in Dagestan that ISIS has taken responsibility for, Russian interest in an alliance with the Afghan Taliban, and Patriarch Kirill’s statement that Orthodox Christians and Muslims must stand together against the Christian West — raise some disturbing questions
LIVE UPDATES: The Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill designated the war in Syria a “holy war.” Welcome to our column, Russia Update, where we will be closely following day-to-day developments in Russia, including the Russian government’s foreign and domestic policies. The previous issue is here. Recent Analysis and Translations: – Does it Matter if the Russian […]
‘Third Rome to Meet First Rome to Oppose Second Rome,’ Kholmogorov Says 2016-02-13 00:33:56 Staunton, VA, February 6, 2016 — The meeting of Moscow Patriarch Kirill with Pope Francis in Cuba is not only a major boost for the status of the Russian Orthodox Church, suggesting as it does that Moscow somehow represents all Orthodox as […]
Moscow Patriarchate Losing Parishes to Kyiv Church and Its Dominance of Ukraine’s Religious Life 2016-01-28 14:49:04 Staunton, VA, January 28, 2016 — The Moscow Patriachate may have succeeded in intimidating the Universal Patriarch of Constantinople not to grant autocephaly to its rival in Ukraine, the Kyiv Patriarchate; but as a result of the war and the […]
Patriarch of Moscow and All of Rus’ Kirill expressed support for Russia’s military operation in Syria, saying it was “defense of the Fatherland.” Welcome to our column, Russia Update, where we will be closely following day-to-day developments in Russia, including the Russian government’s foreign and domestic policies. The previous issue is here. Recent Translations: –The […]
Staunton, December 25 – The flood of news stories from a country as large, diverse and strange as the Russian Federation often appears to be is far too large for anyone to keep up with. But there needs to be a way to mark those which can’t be discussed in detail but which are too […]
Staunton, June 12 – Not satisfied with the three-year moratorium imposed by St. Petersburg governor Georgy Poltavchenko on changing street and other place names in the northern capital, the city’s legislative assembly is preparing a law that would permanently ban any such changes, including the replacement of Soviet-era names with tsarist-era ones. Boris Vishnevsky, one […]
