The Russian World

The ‘strategic’ value of the location chosen for the ‘inconclusive’ meeting between the Russian and American presidents. A territory far from Ukraine and “weak” Europe, confirming the prevalence of the ‘economic’ factor. No breakthrough in the war launched by Moscow against Kiev. It was the Kremlin leader's first visit to American soil since 2007.

Moscow celebrated the Russian variant of the feast of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus', with Patriarch Kirill also commemorating the "believing atheist", Stalin, to extol the "new Baptism" of post-Soviet Russia. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Tikhon of Crimea inaugurated a major exhibition in Sevastopol dedicated to Prince Vladimir, presenting it as a true “universal museum of Christianity.”

The Duma is discussing marriage with war dead, to whom it wishes to attribute civil value even if it was not possible to make it official before they left for the front, raising the question of “moral relativism” based on war as a civil and religious value at the same time. This debate calls into question the Orthodox Church's role in indicating the level of ‘traditionalism’ of the values to be defended, as in a Russian version of medieval scholastic ‘casuistry’.

Kyiv just celebrated the anniversary of Prince Vladimir’s Baptism with a Synod that condemned the ideology of the “Russian world”. Conversely, in a few days, the Julian calendar will allow the Russians to celebrate it alone, boasting about their resistance to Western depravity and heresy, in that isolation that is the aspect that best defines the concept of “Orthodoxy” in Moscow today.

Looking back at Russia's past and present history and reality, Patriarch Kirill condemns those who ‘call for the purity of Islam or Orthodoxy,’ because ‘we may have different cultures and traditions, but we are one people.’ Meanwhile, in the Moscow neighbourhood of Kommunalka, a multi-religious centre is being presented where an Orthodox church, a synagogue, a mosque and a Buddhist temple are to be built in a shared space.

After leaving behind the Ottawa Treaty that banned mines, Ukraine is creating an impassable abyss with Russia, the new explosive "iron curtain" that will mark the destiny of peoples in times to come. In Rome the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church discussed with Pope Leo XIV how to proceed with the "spiritual demining" of the hearts of men.

One of the most popular figures in the Orthodox Church, he died at the age of 65. A writer and poet, he was among those who championed Putin and the war in Ukraine, but was disliked by Patriarch Kirill. Pitirim became bishop of the capital of Komi in 1995, at the age of 34. His style was very popular for its informal communication, especially with young people. His odes were examples of Russia's “obedience to destiny”.

First established in Poland in 1885, the “new convent” eventually found a home in Normandy in 1950 after a long wandering. Its history and profile attract many Russians abroad, who intend to preserve their tradition without involvement in the war-patriotic initiatives of Patriarch Kirill and other Russian Orthodox hierarchs.

Pentecost and ‘Russia Day’ fell just a few days apart. ‘Where are you, my Church?’ asked Father Andrej Misjuk bitterly, calling for a return to a faith that ‘does not tolerate lies, does not bless those who cannot be blessed, and once again sets out on the path that leads from Jerusalem to the Eternal.’ Meanwhile, in his new ‘Fable,’ Vladimir Sorokin recounts a post-apocalyptic world.

Moscow recently marked the 1,700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council when the profession of faith was drafted. Coincidentally, Putin and Pope Leo XIV spoke on the phone, providing an opportunity to renew the dialogue between the Church of Rome and the Russian Orthodox Church. Like in the 4th century AD, after the end of the persecutions, the challenge today for the bishops of the East and West is to show modern emperors a truth greater than any claim to dominion.

In a new essay, Aleksandr Šipkov goes so far as to point the finger at the philologist who, in the 1990s, helped Russia rediscover both Eastern and Western Christian traditions through his lectures. Why does today's Russia reject any convergence with the Christian culture of Eastern and Western Europe, presenting itself as the only true Church entrusted with a universal mission?

Leo XIV, the first American pope, has somewhat overshadowed the popularity of the American emperor in Russia, acting in some ways as an alternative in the image of the "Anglo-Saxon" West so reviled by the Kremlin. After all, today the Russian Church has split from almost all the other Orthodox Churches, starting with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, while dialogue with Rome has never been interrupted.