Tag Archives: Vladimir Putin

Orthodoxy, Nationality, Autocracy (Again)

Cross-posted on Ricochet. Having long lost out in his efforts to woo Russia’s liberals, and increasingly struggling with opposition in Russia’s metropolitan centers, Vladimir Putin has instead being appealing to Russia’s ‘silent majority’. I wrote about this for National Review … Continue reading

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Vladimir & Kirill

There were some here in the US, particularly a few on the Religious Right, who failed to appreciate the extent to which the Pussy Rioters’ decision to stage their brief event in a cathedral was not just some childish blasphemy, … Continue reading

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Mission to Moscow (Theocon Edition)

This is about a piece that comes from the Daily Beast, so a few caveats are in order, even if we ignore a headline (“Why American Social Conservatives Love Anti-Gay Putin”) that may not be the work of James Kirchick, … Continue reading

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Symbiosis

Vladimir Putin’s attempt to blend social conservatism and Russian Orthodoxy into the mix that is (nominally: the reality is rather grubbier) the ideology of his regime continues. The Guardian has the details. First, we have an unpleasant piece of anti-homosexual … Continue reading

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The Return of Alexander III?

Yet another reminder of why the Pussy Rioters went to the Cathedral. The Moscow Times reports: President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the Russian Orthodox Church should be given more say over family life, education and the armed forces in … Continue reading

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The Dukhovnik

Here’s a must-read in the FT that sheds yet more light on Putin’s relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church: …Father Tikhon wields influence in the church far above his modest rank of Archimandrite, or abbot, due primarily to his contacts … Continue reading

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Idiots

Cross-posted on the Corner: As a piece of political theater, the protest in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior has turned out to be an outstanding success, but that’s only thanks to the overreaction by the authorities. It’s safe to … Continue reading

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Two Years

Cross-posted on the Corner: Two years: That was the jail term imposed on those three Russian ladies who performed under a name infinitely less obscene than their sentence: The Guardian reports: The judge said in the verdict that the three … Continue reading

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Turning the Other Cheek

Cross-posted on the Corner: Tomorrow is verdict day for the naughtily-named Russian trio that staged a brief demonstration in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior (and have been jailed since March). The Guardian reports: Guards at the cathedral broke up … Continue reading

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Free The Pussy Rioters (3)

Der Spiegel’s new cover uses the plight of Pussy Riot to suggest where Russia is headed: “on the way to a perfect dictatorship”: And the Russian Orthodox Church is playing along. Appalling.

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