Tag Archives: Russia

A “new post-ideological strategic world order”?

Pepe Escobar sees Eurasian integration and associated trade developments as possibly marking the emergence of a new, post-ideological strategic world order. China, with its infrastructure-focused Belt and Road Initiative, is driving this process. By contrast, the US appears to be locked … Continue reading

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Bolsheviks and other Millenarians

If I had to choose one book to read about the Bolsheviks this year it would be The House of Government: A Saga of the Russian Revolution by Yuri Slezkine. Writing in the New York Review of Books Benjamin Nathans … Continue reading

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Two “Brothers”: Pope Francis and the Chekist

Cross-posted on the Corner. The Pope’s decision to meet his “brother”, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in, delightfully, Havana (you can find some details here of the way that the persecution of Christians has spiked since last year’s Francis-brokered deal between … Continue reading

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Russia’s “Military-Ecclesiastical Complex”

Writing in the American Conservative, Philip Jenkins: After the Bolshevik Revolution, the Communist government savagely persecuted the Orthodox Church, killings many thousands of clergy and monastics, and closing the vast majority of churches and monasteries. When Communism fell, the church … Continue reading

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A Coming Clash of Civilizations?

Cross-posted on the Corner. Over at the XX Committee, John Schindler takes a look at what he calls “Putin’s Orthodox Jihad.” Trying to make sense of Putin’s ideology, much of which appears to have been adopted on the hoof as … Continue reading

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Against Sauron, Mini-Skirts and Alien/Devil Confusion

Take some superstition, throw in a hint of xenophobia and add a savvy PR touch… USA Today: MOSCOW — Russian fans of the writer J.R.R. Tolkien were disappointed Wednesday after a local art group abandoned plans to install a flaming … Continue reading

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Once Planned an ‘Orthodox al-Qaeda’, Moved On…

Cross-posted on the Corner: Russia’s fusion of nationalism, Russian Orthodox Christianity and reverence for (heavily sanitized) aspects of the Soviet past continues to evolve in less than reassuring ways BBC: As voters in most of Ukraine prepare to go to … Continue reading

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Lenin and “the Vibrations of Christ”

Radio Free Europe: “Leninland,” which was two years in the making, focuses on the massive, tomb-like Lenin Museum at the estate outside of Moscow where the Soviet founder spent his final days and died. The museum complex was built there … Continue reading

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‘Novorossiya’: A suburb of the Third Rome?

BBC: A senior adviser to rebels in eastern Ukraine has confirmed that extrajudicial killings have been carried out “to prevent chaos”. Igor Druz told the BBC such “executions” sent an important signal to the rest of the rebel forces. He … Continue reading

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Orthodoxy, Autocracy, Nationality (Yet Again)

Cross-posted on the Corner: Here’s Radio Free Europe with a reminder of how “traditional” values are playing out in today’s Russia: The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has awarded Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov with an order for “glory … Continue reading

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