2004
Volume 34, Issue 2
  • ISSN: 0960-2720
  • E-ISSN: 2666-9730

Abstract

Summary

The war of aggression started by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the entire civilised world. What is even more shocking for many, was the realisation that this war is being explained, supported and endorsed by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill. In this article the author attempts to analyse the thinking of Patriarch Kirill as it was expressed just after the beginning of the war. The author builds on his previous research into the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and explores historical and meta-historical concepts. The article touches upon subjects such as the relationship between Church and state, the biblicalapocalyptic idea of the and the historical understanding of land and nation as they were transformed by Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill. It demonstrates that it is impossible to understand Kirill on many issues without looking into the historical origins and continuity of these ideas. To ignore the historical dimension of Kirill’s thinking would mean to misunderstand the causes of this horrific war.

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2025-08-01
2025-12-05
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