Why Russia is sending dead princes and saints into battle
6 hours ago
- Russia sent a fragment of the remains of 14th-century Prince Dmitry Donskoy to front-line troops in occupied Ukraine as religious support.
- The Russian Orthodox Church says Donskoy will stand 'shoulder to shoulder' with soldiers, and the relic is from the hand that held his sword at the Battle of Kulikovo.
- The use of relics is part of Moscow's broader effort to frame its invasion of Ukraine as a 'righteous' and divinely sanctioned cause.
- The Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church have grown very close, with scholars describing the church as having 'merged with the state.'
- Donskoy is presented as a defender of the fatherland, not an aggressor, creating a 'mobilizing myth' for mass consciousness.
- Relics of Prince Alexander Nevsky were also sent to troops earlier in the war, and Donskoy's remains were uncovered in August after unverified reports that Nevsky's relics had been lost.
- Some clergy and critics call the use of relics an exploitation of Christianity for patriotic purposes and a 'cynical calculation.'
- Soldiers on the front say faith offers 'serious moral support,' with makeshift churches and priests visiting units, though not all see relics as meaningful help.
- Surveys show about two-thirds of Russians identify as Orthodox, but regular practice is around 2%, indicating a largely secular society.
- The church benefits from Kremlin money and political backing while the Kremlin gains legitimacy through church support, a 'mutually reinforcing' cycle.
- Questions have been raised about how priests should support soldiers, with some warning against blessing troops to kill one another.
- Ukraine formally split from the Russian Orthodox Church in 2019, seeking independence from Moscow's religious influence.