The Cardinal Apostolic Vicar of Ulan Bator shared the experience of his small Church, which “whispers the Gospel” into the hearts of the other peoples of the steppe. The Centre for the Study of Mongolian Culture has opened in the cathedral. “Pope Francis’s visit fostered a sense of goodwill from which we continue to benefit.”
Faced with the president's increasingly radical stance in his confrontation with Europe, the communists hope to regain a central role in Russian politics, breaking free from the absolute dominance of Putin's United Russia party and competing with the liberal-nationalists of the LDPR party, the ‘right-wing populists’ of national politics.
By 31 December, another 135,000 young Russians will be called up for military service under increasingly stringent conditions to prevent loopholes. The aim is not primarily to expand the army, but to redefine the very fabric of society, making the entire population feel at the front, even if it is mainly Caucasians and Asians who are sent to be slaughtered.
The military supply sector is growing and thriving with a continuous flow of resources, raw materials, finance and technology. Small and medium-sized enterprises and the consumer sector are having to contend with restrictions due to sanctions, tax increases and limited access to capital. Moscow's economy has already taken root in a model that will not be easy to change in the future.
Kalmykia, the only region with a Buddhist majority in the European part of Russia, welcomed delegations from 35 countries around the world. Putin himself sent a message praising its ‘precious spiritual traditions’. Lama Kirishov praised the ‘spirit of sacrifice’ of Buddhist soldiers participating in the special military operation in Ukraine.
Moldova, which is seemingly the closest target for Moscow's "hybrid war”, is headed to parliamentary elections tomorrow. Meanwhile, unidentified aircraft circling in the skies of Europe are like menacing totems, evoking the Siberian-rooted shamanism that, in today’s Russia, is one of the most radical expressions of its “defence of traditional values” against Western depravity.
Despite announcements, Beijing continues to delay the construction of the gas pipeline that would represent a lifeline for Gazprom. Political and financial considerations are complicating the agreement on the terms of the contract to be concluded. Meanwhile, China is also looking to other suppliers to meet its needs, which are set to grow after 2030.
The Live Arena in Moscow hosted the latest edition of “Intervidenie”, the singing competition that brought together the countries of the Eastern Bloc during the Soviet era. Revived after Russian singers were excluded from the Western event due to the invasion of Ukraine, it brought together artists from 22 ‘friendly’ nations, with Dyk Fuk, a rapper from Hanoi, ultimately winning.
There is an essential and original link between the Orthodox faith and power, as already shown in the 11th century by Metropolitan Hilarion's “Discourse on Law and Grace”, the “manifesto” of the Russian faith. Apart from Philip II of Moscow, who rebelled against the massacres of the first Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible at the end of the 16th century and was suffocated in his monastic cell as a result, there are no known cases of other ecclesiastical opponents of the monarchs' holy wars.
The latest data from the International Energy Agency confirm the sharp decline in Moscow's revenues from gas and oil sales, due to the effect of heavy discounts imposed by China and India. According to economist Michael Bernstam, ‘the market is proving more effective than sanctions’.
Already 38 clerics linked to the Moscow Patriarchate have been found ‘guilty’ of treason by the courts in Kiev. Many are asking to be transferred to Russia, but there are no signs of a particularly favourable welcome there: in the ‘hybrid war’ of Ukrainian politics, the presence of ‘loyal’ metropolitans, bishops and priests in the country is a factor that cannot be ignored.
Novaya Gazeta documents how, since the 1990s and increasingly during Putin's quarter-century of rule, 213 new monuments have been erected to Stalin, along with hundreds of actions of various kinds to commemorate him. This tribute, instrumental to the cult of Victory, today allows Putin to crack down harshly on any form of dissent.
Moscow is increasingly relying on resources provided by the mining industry in northern Siberia. The province of Mirnyj alone accounts for 14% of the world's diamond reserves. However, these activities come at a heavy environmental cost in terms of air and water pollution. With very little economic benefit for local communities.
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