The cult of Tsar Nicholas II and the resurrection of Russian Orthodox nationalism
Russia
The creation of a new body echoes old hostilities.
At the World Cup, Pussy Riot opened a window on authoritarianism.
Robbed of victory in Russia
Svetlana Alexievich tells the stories behind Russia's wartime psychology.
The fall and rise of Holy Russia
Since the Soviet collapse, Christianity has flourished. This poses its own challenges.
Proclaim the hope but proclaim it slant
Consolation comes to me at unexpected angles.
The unrest in Ukraine has led to calls to establish a national church. But which church should play this uniting role?
The Orthodox Church aligns itself closely with the government. Yet its leaders have also offered some help to movements that challenge the status quo.
The best outcome of the tensions in Ukraine would allow the country to develop its unique role as a bridge between languages and cultures.
Some Orthodox Christians in Russia have taken issue with Apple’s logo recently, seeing an anti-Christian symbol for humanity’s original sin in the image of a bitten fruit. It’s hard to believe that Apple execs conspired with their graphic designers to offend Christians, but these Russian conservatives got me thinking. If we did assign significance to the Apple logo, what might it mean?
Pussy Riot became a cause célèbre for the Russian opposition and its Western supporters. Many Russian Orthodox believers saw things differently.
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the persecuted Orthodox Church began its resurrection. Nothing better illustrates this revival than the restoration of the cathedrals and churches.