russia-insider--2020-12-20--Head of Russian Church’s Hard-Hitting Interview All Christians Need to Hear

`` Today we are experiencing , from a worldview point of view , a special period in history .
Never before has mankind put good and evil on the same plane . ''
This article from our archives was first published on RI in January 2018 We found this Christmas day ( January 7th ) interview highly interesting - the Patriarch says some truly remarkable things here .
He argues that Russia is , and was for most of its history , a deeply selfless nation , helping others out of a sense of Christian duty .
He rejects liberalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless people turn away from these false prophets .
He talks about the Ukraine and Syrian conflicts and much else .
Highly recommended .
The full transcript follows below .
Our contributor Gil Doctorow has written about this very insightfully here and here .
The interviewer was Dmitry Kiselyov , Russia 's # 1 news anchor , who asks excellent questions .
We ca n't help but be struck by the difference in programming between Russia and the West - the interest and attention given to Christian issues by the establishment in contemporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the rampant Christophobia of the Western media .
Here is a 5 minute excerpt where he talks about how Russia has acted selflessly to help others over the centuries : Here is a 4 minute one where he talks about how the world is headed for disaster unless the West makes some big changes : And here is the full interview , only in Russian , unfortunately Explanation : This translation was done by running the official Russian text of the interview through Google Translate , which we then corrected for style @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not vouch that this translation is entirely accurate , however it seems to us that it came out surprisingly well , and is very understandable to us in English .
One possible reason why this might be so is that Kirill has the unusual ability of speaking in grammatically perfect sentences , and paragraphs , without the usual idiomatic expressions , not to mention 'ands ' and 'ums ' .
It is really quite extraordinary when you see him doing it in Russian - he is somehow able to speak the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also been attributed to Henry Kissinger .
Your Holiness , on the planet is not something that is not calm , but the impression that the world is going crazy .
In these conditions , your word has always been inspiring , so I want to share with you one of my own reasons : Russia will be alive as long as it retains its identity .
To what extent is it so ?
If so , what is Russia 's specificity today Of course , each person has his own identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and each country also has some kind of identity .
Probably , this factor is formed under the influence of various circumstances - if we talk about Russia , then this is the size of the country , climate , history , and so on .
But there is something that underlies the motivation of the absolute majority of our people if they listen to the inner voice , which we call the conscience .
I think that the uniqueness is largely determined by the fact that Russia is conscientious , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here are some very vivid , well-known examples of how conscientiousness prevailed over pragmatism .
Crimean War , the defense of Orthodoxy in the Holy Land , Nicholas I .
One of our listeners will say : `` Yes , but it was a geopolitical program . ''
But it was not geopolitical ideas that inspired people to protect holy things and protect the Orthodox in the Holy Land , but their conscience .
And the Balkan wars under Alexander II ?
Thousands and thousands of ordinary Russian people went to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with them the generals and members of the royal family - is that only pragmatism ?
Why , for the sake of pragmatism , is a person capable of dying ?
Never in my life !
This movement to meet the danger , in order to protect - also from the voice of conscience .
And Nicholas II and the beginning of the First World War , when we interceded for the Serb brothers ?
Someone can also say `` pragmatism '' .
But would people go to war if it was only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Russia this conscientiousness is seen very clearly .
And the Balkan wars under Alexander II ?
Thousands and thousands of ordinary Russian people went to fight for the Slav brothers , and together with them the generals and members of the royal family - is that only pragmatism ?
Why , for the sake of pragmatism , is a person capable of dying ?
Never in my life !
This movement to meet the danger , in order to protect - also from the voice of conscience .
And Nicholas II and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when we interceded for the Serb brothers ?
Someone can also say `` pragmatism '' .
But would people go to war if it was only pragmatism ?
So , in the history of Russia this conscientiousness is seen very clearly .
And the Balkan wars under Alexander II ?
Thousands and thousands of ordinary Russian people went to fight for the Slav brothers , and together with them the generals and members of the royal family - is that only pragmatism ?
Why , for the sake of pragmatism , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my life !
This movement to meet the danger , in order to protect - also from the voice of conscience .
And Nicholas II and the beginning of the First World War , when we interceded for the Serb brothers ?
Someone can also say `` pragmatism '' .
But would people go to war if it was only pragmatism ?
So , in the history of Russia this conscientiousness is seen very clearly .
- also from the voice of conscience .
And Nicholas II and the beginning of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Serb brothers ?
Someone can also say `` pragmatism '' .
But would people go to war if it was only pragmatism ?
So , in the history of Russia this conscientiousness is seen very clearly .
- also from the voice of conscience .
And Nicholas II and the beginning of the First World War , when we interceded for the Serb brothers ?
Someone can also say `` pragmatism '' .
But would people go to war if it was only pragmatism ?
So , in the history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many believe that Russia is trying to play a disproportionate role in the world , and there are even some risks for our country .
So is the cross able ?
`` The cross is not supposed to be abandoned , '' the Orthodox Church teaches .
If Russia takes on this cross , then God will give and the forces to carry it .
Most importantly , that what we have just said about , namely , the moral dimension in politics , is never absorbed by purely pragmatic goals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in politics , in life , in our social order , we will strive for justice to triumph so that the moral feeling of the people is calm , then we will certainly have to bear a certain cross .
I will not go into details , but , of course , there are people in the world who do not agree with our position .
But once again I want to say : if God places the cross , he gives and the forces to bear it .
The mere fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ importance for the whole world , for the entire human community .
And yet you spoke recently about the apocalypse .
Responses were very different , we are able to interpret , you know .
But still , to what and how to prepare ?
Apocalypse is the end of history , and it was not invented by Patriarch Kirill .
If you open the Bible , it is clearly stated there that the end of the story will come , and , in general , this is very logical , because every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many of us are concerned about the end of the world , but we do not realize that our own demise separates us from the end of the world not by some extended period , but by a very specific period of time - as the Bible says , the days of our seventy years , and if in the forces - eighty years ( see Ps 89:10 ) .
By the way , there is an incomprehensible , but , apparently , nonrandom regularity .
People do not like liberal views when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the Church speaks of the devil and when the Church speaks of the end of the world .
Therefore , I expected such a reaction .
But the question arises why such a reaction arises .
And it arises for the same reason that modern culture tries to push aside the theme of death .
The theme of death as an entertaining is present in every film , but we do not like to seriously consider the end of human life and do not like to talk about death .
And this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the West even more .
There , and the coffin is not opened during the farewell ceremony , whether in the temple or elsewhere ; The less we talk about it , the more relaxed for everyone .
And why ?
But because this topic requires philosophical reflection , Well , now in essence .
When will the end of the world come ?
When human society ceases to be viable , when it exhausts the resource to exist .
In what case can this happen ?
In the event that the total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not viable .
A system in which evil prevails can not exist .
And if evil increases , if evil pushes out good from human life , then an end will come .
And why this need to talk today ?
Today we are experiencing , from a worldview point of view , a special period in history .
Never before has mankind put good and evil on the same plane .
There have been attempts to justify evil , but there has never been an attempt to say that good and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people 's minds , both good and evil were absolute truths , and today they have become relative .
When can evil grow uncontrollably in human society ?
It is when such a point of view , putting good and evil on the same board , triumphs on a global scale .
And since today we are not even at the beginning of this process , and a certain stage has already been passed , how can the Church not talk about it , how not to strike the bells , how not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terribly dangerous path of self-destruction ?
But we have had periods in history when good and evil turned out to be indistinguishable , for example , the murder of the royal family , the 100th anniversary of which we will soon celebrate .
What does this date mean ?
And when will all the examinations end ?
I 'll start with the last part of your question .
Examinations will end when they are completed by specialists and say : here are the results of all the studies .
Nobody deliberately drags out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forcing scientists who are eager to answer exhaustively the questions that constantly arise .
You know that there was a conference in the Sretensky Monastery where I attended , and for me it was extremely important to hear both the reports of scientists about the work done and the questions that they were asked .
And the experts said : `` We do not have a ready answer .
We are not sure , we need to explore something else , which will open the possibility of reaching final conclusions.
`` That 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make decisions at the Bishops ' Council , taking into account , of course , the opinion of those who still have questions to answer .
Well , now about the tragedy of regicide .
I have a question that I would like to formulate , and maybe there will be someone who will help me answer it .
In 1905 , the emperor issued a manifesto , which opens the possibility of realizing the widest freedoms .
A multi-party system is being created , the State Duma is being established .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revolution , tsar !
After all , there were those who said : `` It is not necessary to do this ; on the contrary , it is necessary to break all opposition.
`` But the king goes to meet those who wanted to change the political system .
It provides ample opportunities .
The Duma is turning not so much into an arena for solving political issues as it is in the arena of the struggle around the tsar , around the autocracy .
What just was not said then to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the king was weak .
But let 's think : he was internally weak or internally strong person ?
After all , he had the power to kill the State Duma with one clap , disperse all parties , reintroduce censorship , - he had real political power .
But he did not use it .
Our liberal historians still water Emperor Nicholas II with mud and extol the Emperor Alexander II .
But who did more to open the possibilities for a democratic discussion of problems , the participation of society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexander II or Nicholas II ?
Of course , Nicholas II .
But see what happens !
He is overthrown , as he himself said , `` all around betrayal , '' then brutally destroying the whole family , the name is mixed with dirt , and even those who approach him without a particularly negative feeling say : `` We were weak '' .
But if he were a weak man , he would not have accepted death as he had accepted it .
Why is the royal family canonized ?
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good ruler , a wise diplomat or military strategist .
He is glorified precisely because he took a Christian death .
And not only death , but all this part - the terrible part - of your life .
He was under arrest , suffering insults and oppression .
Yesterday 's tsar , who had lost everything , and such calm diary entries , a calm Christian view of what was happening to him .
And this was inherent not only to him , but to all family members .
Hence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities , people should have respect for the life path of the emperor .
Especially in liberal people , but nothing like this happens !
Even in the year of the century of revolutionary events , nothing appeared on the screens , except for the film , which throws another lump of dirt into the face of the martyr .
That 's why people were indignant over the appearance of this picture !
Really nothing else was found ?
Again , the liberal circles gave birth to this film , - and where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the emperor ?
In response , I do not propose an analysis of his political activities , I do not sum up any results of his rule .
I 'm just talking about a very important part of his life , connected with the rights and freedoms of subjects of the Russian Empire , and about how his life ended .
Of course , all that happened to the emperor of the emperor , what happened to our country , should make us think about many things .
Not all , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now in Ukraine , kill every day .
The Russian Orthodox Church prays for Ukraine , for healing the split , but what else can be done ?
By itself , prayer is a very powerful moment .
I understand that non-religious people can not understand this , but those who passed through the experience of prayer know that the heavens answer .
I have said many times that if the boss deceived us once , we can forgive him .
If , after coming into the office and asking for something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second time , then we are already very skeptical about the prospects for further contacts .
But if the third time we were deceived , then this ends up .
Throughout life , people constantly turn to God with prayer and remain faithful to the end of the days .
This means that he receives an answer that the sky is not closed to him .
And in this sense , when we say that we are praying for peace , for reconciliation of people in Ukraine , for overcoming the fratricidal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the words that the Lord will at some moment put mercy on the Ukrainian people and internecine warfare will cease .
In addition , our Ukrainian Orthodox Church plays a very important role .
Today it is the only peacekeeping force in Ukraine , as she has flocks in the east , in the west , and in the center of the country .
It can not serve the political interests of certain groups , parties or geographical regions of Ukraine .
It is called upon to carry to all the message that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearts of people and , in particular , to promote reconciliation .
As for the whole of our Church , we , to the best of our ability , tried to facilitate the return of the prisoners .
By the grace of God , on the eve of the New Year and the birth of Christ , there was a massive exchange of prisoners of war , although not as we would like .
Therefore , we believe that this is the first stage of the exchange of prisoners of war program , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been actively participating from the very beginning to the present day .
Another hot spot is Syria .
In the course of the war , many people , including Christians , died there .
Did you manage to help something , and what 's next ?
It 's not only Syria , it 's the entire Middle East ...
Already in 2014 , it was clear that conflicts on the territory of Syria were being incited by radical forces which , if they came to power , would begin by liquidating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is precisely why the Christians actively supported Assad and his government , - because in the country a certain balance of forces was secured and that is very important .
People felt they were being protected .
In 2014 , notwithstanding warnings about the danger , I nonetheless decided to travel to Syria .
I was in Damascus and led a church service there , and I saw what enthusiasm there was among the people .
In conversations both with Muslims and with Christians , meeting with politicians , I understood that if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria , the first ones who would suffer would be the Christians .
As already happened in Iraq , where 85 % of the Christians were either killed or driven out of the country .
I visited Iraq still under the regime of Hussein , including in the northern regions , in Mosul .
I visited the ancient Christian monasteries .
I saw the piety of the people and was overjoyed that in Muslim surroundings the Christian churches existed in peace .
Now practically nothing of this remains – the monasteries have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The same could happen in Syria .
Therefore the participation of Russia was connected not only with solving questions about which I do not have full competence and about which I do not consider it possible to speak , relating to the stabilization of the situation , and not to allow…..military threats , not to allow power to be seized by the terrorists .
There was a very important idea – to defend the Christian minority .
Back in 2013 , when Moscow was celebrating the 1025th anniversary of the Christian baptism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Orthodox Churches arrived .
When they met with Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin , one of the strongest messages concerned precisely the request that Russia take part in the defense of Christians in the Near East .
And I am happy that this happened .
Thanks to the participation of Russia a genocide of Christians was averted .
“ Now there arises the question of restoring peace in this country , justice , security , solving a huge number of economic issues .
And , what is especially close to us , - the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Muslim and ancient monuments .
Our Church is participating in rendering humanitarian assistance .
We are working both in our own name , and in addition we have a bilateral agreement with the Catholic Church to jointly provide humanitarian assistance .
In other words , we are acting in various areas , - I hope they will make their contribution to real assistance to those who are still suffering in Syria.
” In this regard , the following question is logical .
Now the volunteer movement is becoming popular .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he prays , he also deals with a lot of other things .
In addition , we are helping Christians in Syria - what is happening here in our territory ?
Maxim the Confessor connects two concepts , love and will , strong-willed qualities of the person .
If love impregnates the will , we speak of such people : a man of good will .
That 's all that volunteers do - it is a manifestation of goodwill , when volitional efforts are reinforced by feelings of pity , compassion and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the creation of volunteer movements is very important .
During the atheistic period , the system of solidarity within the Orthodox parishes of our country was destroyed .
People could not meet , could not talk , could not create any organizations - all this was forbidden and strictly controlled .
This contributed to the development of a kind of religious individualism , when in the temple there was , in fact , the same thing as at home - I myself pray , I turn to God , and everything that surrounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , the creation of volunteer movements in most parishes ( if we talk about Moscow ) , this individualism destroys .
People begin to recognize themselves as a community and make joint efforts to solve the tasks that they must solve , including for the sake of conscience and for the sake of their Christian vocation .
The volunteer movement among young people has a very great perspective .
You know , this changes and , I think , will change the climate not only in Orthodox communities , but also in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , elections for the president and head of state will be held in Russia .
How does the Church relate to elections ?
The church is very , very positive , - because the election existed in the Church earlier than in the state .
Patriarchs chose and , by the grace of God , still choose .
In addition , our councils are acting and making decisions through voting .
Therefore , voting , elections - this is what is inherent in the Church .
If voting is permissible in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this is inadmissible in a secular society ?
It is not just permissible , but it should be welcomed when the people take part in the election of their highest leader or their representatives to parliament .
For some , this is the only way to somehow influence the situation .
Many people think : `` Well , how can I influence , I am alone , and there are millions of people there . ''
But this is not so !
Voices of millions are created from the voices of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone , including Orthodox people , to participate , especially in the upcoming presidential elections .
It is very important .
Your Holiness , President Putin is setting a task to build a digital economy in Russia .
Where is the church here ?
In our church , the theme of the digital economy is associated with two concepts .
On the one hand , there is the concept of efficiency , this is insisted on by secular people , especially managers .
Undoubtedly , the introduction of digital technologies will ensure greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , is good .
But the Church has another concept - security .
And we are talking not only about the possibility of malicious forces to use digital technologies in order to render irreparable damage to the country , society or any of the people - this is the entire technological level .
I would now talk about the spiritual level .
The Church is very concerned that modern technical means can totally limit human freedom .
I will give a simple example .
We have hot heads , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash and go exclusively to electronic cards .
This will ensure transparency , control - well , all those arguments that many are well aware of .
All this is so .
But if suddenly , at some point in history , access to these cards will open in response to your loyalty ?
Today , in order to obtain citizenship in one of the European countries , people who wish to naturalize , obtain citizenship or a residence permit , are offered to watch a video , which tells about the life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws .
The LGBT theme is very vividly represented in this video , and after viewing the question is asked : `` Do you agree with all this ? ''
If a person says : `` Yes , I agree , all this is normal for me '' - he passes the screening and becomes a citizen , or obtains a residence permit .
If he says `` No '' , he will not .
And what if access to finance is restricted by this kind of conditions ?
These are the dangers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top of its voice .
Still , back to the Christmas theme .
In these days , of course , the tables are laid , and the difference is visible .
Someone , so to speak , lobsters are not enough , and someone is happy and chocolate .
Nevertheless , we are talking about the unity of society , although the stratification is evident .
Is not this stupidity a unity ?
`` The stratification of society is a huge problem .
All this today is present in our lives .
Socialism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let 's be honest : he did not solve it .
I found another certificate of my aunt , who lived in the village in the 1950s .
She did not have a passport , but she somehow miraculously escaped to Leningrad to visit relatives .
She talked about the horrific situation of the village of that time-all this was in a socialist society !
Therefore , the problem of social imbalances has always existed .
But the stability of society and social justice , as we have discussed from the very beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on overcoming this gap .
Than this gap is larger , the more destabilization of society , the more negative energy , the more rejection from all that occurs in society , in the country , the more criticism .
But with what you said , you can not be reconciled .
It is necessary to set the task of overcoming these contradictions .
Once again I want to say that the rich and the poor will always be , but it is very important that the gap be reduced , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's grave situation , on the brink of survival .
Of course , the state of many pensioners also causes anxiety .
Anxiety is caused by the fact that many people lose their homes at the end of their life , they are thrown out of the apartments by `` black realtors '' , businessmen who seize their property .
The state should provide for a very clear system that would insure people from this kind of life situations .
And God grant that the development of the economy and proper domestic policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people with wealthy and have-nots , and that justice is more and more penetrated into the bowels of our national life .
Well , congratulate you on your holiday , Your Holiness .
I would like to whole-heartedly congratulate our viewers on the coming Christmas .
The world in which we live is not easy , and our conversation with you has highlighted many problems .
But here 's what I would like to say .
The Nativity of Christ , the coming into the world of the Savior is the beginning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is an event that gives a person great strength and strengthens his sense of optimism .
At the Christmas services we sing a wonderful hymn `` God with us . ''
These are the biblical words : God is with us , understand , languages ( see Isaiah 8 : 9 ) , that is , `` understand , O people , for God is with us . ''
Indeed , through the coming of the Savior into the world , God is with us , and by establishing a connection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to acquire very great strengths for solving problems in our life - personal , family , social .
Let the blessing of God abide over all our people and over our country .
I am sincerely grateful to you for this amazing interview .

"Today we are experiencing, from a worldview point of view, a special period in history. Never before has mankind put good and evil on the same plane."
This article from our archives was first published on RI in January 2018
We found this Christmas day (January 7th) interview highly interesting - the Patriarch says some truly remarkable things here. He argues that Russia is, and was for most of its history, a deeply selfless nation, helping others out of a sense of Christian duty.
He rejects liberalism and moral relativism, and predicts apocalypse unless people turn away from these false prophets. He talks about the Ukraine and Syrian conflicts and much else. Highly recommended.
The full transcript follows below.
Our contributor Gil Doctorow has written about this very insightfully here and here. The interviewer was Dmitry Kiselyov, Russia's #1 news anchor, who asks excellent questions.
We can't help but be struck by the difference in programming between Russia and the West - the interest and attention given to Christian issues by the establishment in contemporary Russia is extraordinary, certainly in contrast to the rampant Christophobia of the Western media.
Here is a 5 minute excerpt where he talks about how Russia has acted selflessly to help others over the centuries:
Here is a 4 minute one where he talks about how the world is headed for disaster unless the West makes some big changes:
And here is the full interview, only in Russian, unfortunately
Explanation: This translation was done by running the official Russian text of the interview through Google Translate, which we then corrected for style by non-Russian speakers. Therefore, we cannot vouch that this translation is entirely accurate, however it seems to us that it came out surprisingly well, and is very understandable to us in English.
One possible reason why this might be so is that Kirill has the unusual ability of speaking in grammatically perfect sentences, and paragraphs, without the usual idiomatic expressions, not to mention 'ands' and 'ums'. It is really quite extraordinary when you see him doing it in Russian - he is somehow able to speak the way other people write, a skill that has also been attributed to Henry Kissinger.
Kiselev:
Your Holiness, on the planet is not something that is not calm, but the impression that the world is going crazy. In these conditions, your word has always been inspiring, so I want to share with you one of my own reasons: Russia will be alive as long as it retains its identity. To what extent is it so? If so, what is Russia's specificity today
His Holiness:
Of course, each person has his own identity, there are no two identical people, and each country also has some kind of identity. Probably, this factor is formed under the influence of various circumstances - if we talk about Russia, then this is the size of the country, climate, history, and so on.
But there is something that underlies the motivation of the absolute majority of our people if they listen to the inner voice, which we call the conscience.
I think that the uniqueness is largely determined by the fact that Russia is conscientious, although this sometimes created problems for our country.
Here are some very vivid, well-known examples of how conscientiousness prevailed over pragmatism. Crimean War, the defense of Orthodoxy in the Holy Land, Nicholas I. One of our listeners will say: "Yes, but it was a geopolitical program." But it was not geopolitical ideas that inspired people to protect holy things and protect the Orthodox in the Holy Land, but their conscience.
And the Balkan wars under Alexander II? Thousands and thousands of ordinary Russian people went to fight for the Slav brothers, and together with them the generals and members of the royal family - is that only pragmatism? Why, for the sake of pragmatism, is a person capable of dying? Never in my life!
This movement to meet the danger, in order to protect - also from the voice of conscience. And Nicholas II and the beginning of the First World War, when we interceded for the Serb brothers? Someone can also say "pragmatism". But would people go to war if it was only pragmatism? So, in the history of Russia this conscientiousness is seen very clearly. And the Balkan wars under Alexander II? Thousands and thousands of ordinary Russian people went to fight for the Slav brothers, and together with them the generals and members of the royal family - is that only pragmatism?
Why, for the sake of pragmatism, is a person capable of dying? Never in my life! This movement to meet the danger, in order to protect - also from the voice of conscience.
And Nicholas II and the beginning of the First World War, when we interceded for the Serb brothers? Someone can also say "pragmatism". But would people go to war if it was only pragmatism? So, in the history of Russia this conscientiousness is seen very clearly. And the Balkan wars under Alexander II? Thousands and thousands of ordinary Russian people went to fight for the Slav brothers, and together with them the generals and members of the royal family - is that only pragmatism? Why, for the sake of pragmatism, is a person capable of dying? Never in my life!
This movement to meet the danger, in order to protect - also from the voice of conscience. And Nicholas II and the beginning of the First World War, when we interceded for the Serb brothers? Someone can also say "pragmatism". But would people go to war if it was only pragmatism? So, in the history of Russia this conscientiousness is seen very clearly. - also from the voice of conscience. And Nicholas II and the beginning of the First World War, when we interceded for the Serb brothers? Someone can also say "pragmatism".
But would people go to war if it was only pragmatism? So, in the history of Russia this conscientiousness is seen very clearly. - also from the voice of conscience. And Nicholas II and the beginning of the First World War, when we interceded for the Serb brothers? Someone can also say "pragmatism". But would people go to war if it was only pragmatism? So, in the history of Russia this conscientiousness is seen very clearly.
Kiselev:
Many believe that Russia is trying to play a disproportionate role in the world, and there are even some risks for our country. So is the cross able?
His Holiness:
"The cross is not supposed to be abandoned," the Orthodox Church teaches. If Russia takes on this cross, then God will give and the forces to carry it. Most importantly, that what we have just said about, namely, the moral dimension in politics, is never absorbed by purely pragmatic goals, far from morality. And if we are in politics, in life, in our social order, we will strive for justice to triumph so that the moral feeling of the people is calm, then we will certainly have to bear a certain cross.
I will not go into details, but, of course, there are people in the world who do not agree with our position. But once again I want to say: if God places the cross, he gives and the forces to bear it. The mere fact of carrying this cross is of great importance for the whole world, for the entire human community.
Kiselev:
And yet you spoke recently about the apocalypse. Responses were very different, we are able to interpret, you know. But still, to what and how to prepare?
His Holiness:
Apocalypse is the end of history, and it was not invented by Patriarch Kirill. If you open the Bible, it is clearly stated there that the end of the story will come, and, in general, this is very logical, because every person at any moment will die.
Many of us are concerned about the end of the world, but we do not realize that our own demise separates us from the end of the world not by some extended period, but by a very specific period of time - as the Bible says, the days of our seventy years , and if in the forces - eighty years (see Ps 89:10).
By the way, there is an incomprehensible, but, apparently, nonrandom regularity. People do not like liberal views when the Church deals with two topics: when the Church speaks of the devil and when the Church speaks of the end of the world. Therefore, I expected such a reaction. But the question arises why such a reaction arises. And it arises for the same reason that modern culture tries to push aside the theme of death.
The theme of death as an entertaining is present in every film, but we do not like to seriously consider the end of human life and do not like to talk about death. And this is not only for us - in the West even more. There, and the coffin is not opened during the farewell ceremony, whether in the temple or elsewhere; The less we talk about it, the more relaxed for everyone. And why? But because this topic requires philosophical reflection,
Well, now in essence. When will the end of the world come? When human society ceases to be viable, when it exhausts the resource to exist. In what case can this happen? In the event that the total domination of evil comes, because evil is not viable. A system in which evil prevails can not exist. And if evil increases, if evil pushes out good from human life, then an end will come.
And why this need to talk today? Today we are experiencing, from a worldview point of view, a special period in history. Never before has mankind put good and evil on the same plane. There have been attempts to justify evil, but there has never been an attempt to say that good and evil are not absolute truths. In people's minds, both good and evil were absolute truths, and today they have become relative.
When can evil grow uncontrollably in human society? It is when such a point of view, putting good and evil on the same board, triumphs on a global scale. And since today we are not even at the beginning of this process, and a certain stage has already been passed, how can the Church not talk about it, how not to strike the bells, how not to warn that we have entered the terribly dangerous path of self-destruction?
Kiselev:
But we have had periods in history when good and evil turned out to be indistinguishable, for example, the murder of the royal family, the 100th anniversary of which we will soon celebrate. What does this date mean? And when will all the examinations end?
His Holiness:
I'll start with the last part of your question. Examinations will end when they are completed by specialists and say: here are the results of all the studies. Nobody deliberately drags out this process, but no one is forcing scientists who are eager to answer exhaustively the questions that constantly arise.
You know that there was a conference in the Sretensky Monastery where I attended, and for me it was extremely important to hear both the reports of scientists about the work done and the questions that they were asked. And the experts said: "We do not have a ready answer. We are not sure, we need to explore something else, which will open the possibility of reaching final conclusions. " That's when this happens, then we will make decisions at the Bishops' Council, taking into account, of course, the opinion of those who still have questions to answer.
Well, now about the tragedy of regicide. I have a question that I would like to formulate, and maybe there will be someone who will help me answer it.
In 1905, the emperor issued a manifesto, which opens the possibility of realizing the widest freedoms. A multi-party system is being created, the State Duma is being established. The tsar-autocrat opened this possibility - not a revolution, tsar! After all, there were those who said: "It is not necessary to do this; on the contrary, it is necessary to break all opposition. " But the king goes to meet those who wanted to change the political system. It provides ample opportunities.
The Duma is turning not so much into an arena for solving political issues as it is in the arena of the struggle around the tsar, around the autocracy. What just was not said then to the emperor!
It is now widely believed that the king was weak. But let's think: he was internally weak or internally strong person? After all, he had the power to kill the State Duma with one clap, disperse all parties, reintroduce censorship, - he had real political power. But he did not use it.
Our liberal historians still water Emperor Nicholas II with mud and extol the Emperor Alexander II. But who did more to open the possibilities for a democratic discussion of problems, the participation of society in the formation of state policy - Alexander II or Nicholas II? Of course, Nicholas II. But see what happens!
He is overthrown, as he himself said, "all around betrayal," then brutally destroying the whole family, the name is mixed with dirt, and even those who approach him without a particularly negative feeling say: "We were weak". But if he were a weak man, he would not have accepted death as he had accepted it.
Why is the royal family canonized? Not for the fact that Nicholas II was a good ruler, a wise diplomat or military strategist. He is glorified precisely because he took a Christian death. And not only death, but all this part - the terrible part - of your life.
He was under arrest, suffering insults and oppression. Yesterday's tsar, who had lost everything, and such calm diary entries, a calm Christian view of what was happening to him. And this was inherent not only to him, but to all family members.
Hence, regardless of the political evaluation of its activities, people should have respect for the life path of the emperor. Especially in liberal people, but nothing like this happens! Even in the year of the century of revolutionary events, nothing appeared on the screens, except for the film, which throws another lump of dirt into the face of the martyr. That's why people were indignant over the appearance of this picture! Really nothing else was found? Again, the liberal circles gave birth to this film, - and where is the merit of the emperor of the emperor?
In response, I do not propose an analysis of his political activities, I do not sum up any results of his rule. I'm just talking about a very important part of his life, connected with the rights and freedoms of subjects of the Russian Empire, and about how his life ended. Of course, all that happened to the emperor of the emperor, what happened to our country, should make us think about many things.
Not all, however, enough revolution
Kiselev:
In the civil war that is now in Ukraine, kill every day. The Russian Orthodox Church prays for Ukraine, for healing the split, but what else can be done?
His Holiness:
By itself, prayer is a very powerful moment. I understand that non-religious people can not understand this, but those who passed through the experience of prayer know that the heavens answer. I have said many times that if the boss deceived us once, we can forgive him. If, after coming into the office and asking for something, we did not get help for the second time, then we are already very skeptical about the prospects for further contacts. But if the third time we were deceived, then this ends up.
Throughout life, people constantly turn to God with prayer and remain faithful to the end of the days. This means that he receives an answer that the sky is not closed to him. And in this sense, when we say that we are praying for peace, for reconciliation of people in Ukraine, for overcoming the fratricidal conflict, we put our confidence in the words that the Lord will at some moment put mercy on the Ukrainian people and internecine warfare will cease.
In addition, our Ukrainian Orthodox Church plays a very important role. Today it is the only peacekeeping force in Ukraine, as she has flocks in the east, in the west, and in the center of the country. It can not serve the political interests of certain groups, parties or geographical regions of Ukraine. It is called upon to carry to all the message that is able to transform the minds and hearts of people and, in particular, to promote reconciliation.
As for the whole of our Church, we, to the best of our ability, tried to facilitate the return of the prisoners. By the grace of God, on the eve of the New Year and the birth of Christ, there was a massive exchange of prisoners of war, although not as we would like. Therefore, we believe that this is the first stage of the exchange of prisoners of war program, in the implementation of which our Church has been actively participating from the very beginning to the present day.
Kiselev:
Another hot spot is Syria. In the course of the war, many people, including Christians, died there. Did you manage to help something, and what's next? It's not only Syria, it's the entire Middle East ...
His Holiness:
Already in 2014, it was clear that conflicts on the territory of Syria were being incited by radical forces which, if they came to power, would begin by liquidating the Christian presence in this country. That is precisely why the Christians actively supported Assad and his government, - because in the country a certain balance of forces was secured and that is very important. People felt they were being protected. In 2014, notwithstanding warnings about the danger, I nonetheless decided to travel to Syria.
I was in Damascus and led a church service there, and I saw what enthusiasm there was among the people. In conversations both with Muslims and with Christians, meeting with politicians, I understood that if the Islamic radicals come to power in Syria, the first ones who would suffer would be the Christians. As already happened in Iraq, where 85% of the Christians were either killed or driven out of the country. I visited Iraq still under the regime of Hussein, including in the northern regions, in Mosul. I visited the ancient Christian monasteries.
I saw the piety of the people and was overjoyed that in Muslim surroundings the Christian churches existed in peace. Now practically nothing of this remains – the monasteries have been destroyed, the churches were blown up. The same could happen in Syria. Therefore the participation of Russia was connected not only with solving questions about which I do not have full competence and about which I do not consider it possible to speak, relating to the stabilization of the situation, and not to allow…..military threats, not to allow power to be seized by the terrorists.
There was a very important idea – to defend the Christian minority. Back in 2013, when Moscow was celebrating the 1025th anniversary of the Christian baptism of Rus’, the heads of the Orthodox Churches arrived. When they met with Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, one of the strongest messages concerned precisely the request that Russia take part in the defense of Christians in the Near East. And I am happy that this happened. Thanks to the participation of Russia a genocide of Christians was averted.
“Now there arises the question of restoring peace in this country, justice, security, solving a huge number of economic issues. And, what is especially close to us, - the restoration of churches, monasteries, monuments, including Muslim and ancient monuments. Our Church is participating in rendering humanitarian assistance. We are working both in our own name, and in addition we have a bilateral agreement with the Catholic Church to jointly provide humanitarian assistance. In other words, we are acting in various areas, - I hope they will make their contribution to real assistance to those who are still suffering in Syria.”
Kiselev:
In this regard, the following question is logical. Now the volunteer movement is becoming popular. But the priest is a volunteer. Besides that he prays, he also deals with a lot of other things. In addition, we are helping Christians in Syria - what is happening here in our territory?
His Holiness:
Maxim the Confessor connects two concepts, love and will, strong-willed qualities of the person. If love impregnates the will, we speak of such people: a man of good will. That's all that volunteers do - it is a manifestation of goodwill, when volitional efforts are reinforced by feelings of pity, compassion and love.
For the Russian Church, the creation of volunteer movements is very important. During the atheistic period, the system of solidarity within the Orthodox parishes of our country was destroyed. People could not meet, could not talk, could not create any organizations - all this was forbidden and strictly controlled.
This contributed to the development of a kind of religious individualism, when in the temple there was, in fact, the same thing as at home - I myself pray, I turn to God, and everything that surrounds me does not directly concern me. So, the creation of volunteer movements in most parishes (if we talk about Moscow), this individualism destroys.
People begin to recognize themselves as a community and make joint efforts to solve the tasks that they must solve, including for the sake of conscience and for the sake of their Christian vocation. The volunteer movement among young people has a very great perspective. You know, this changes and, I think, will change the climate not only in Orthodox communities, but also in our society.
Kiselev:
In two months or so, elections for the president and head of state will be held in Russia. How does the Church relate to elections?
His Holiness:
The church is very, very positive, - because the election existed in the Church earlier than in the state. Patriarchs chose and, by the grace of God, still choose. In addition, our councils are acting and making decisions through voting. Therefore, voting, elections - this is what is inherent in the Church.
If voting is permissible in the Church, then why should believers think that this is inadmissible in a secular society? It is not just permissible, but it should be welcomed when the people take part in the election of their highest leader or their representatives to parliament. For some, this is the only way to somehow influence the situation. Many people think: "Well, how can I influence, I am alone, and there are millions of people there." But this is not so! Voices of millions are created from the voices of the units. Therefore, I would urge everyone, including Orthodox people, to participate, especially in the upcoming presidential elections. It is very important.
Kiselev:
Your Holiness, President Putin is setting a task to build a digital economy in Russia. Where is the church here?
His Holiness:
In our church, the theme of the digital economy is associated with two concepts. On the one hand, there is the concept of efficiency, this is insisted on by secular people, especially managers. Undoubtedly, the introduction of digital technologies will ensure greater effectiveness of the decision-making process, which, of course, is good. But the Church has another concept - security. And we are talking not only about the possibility of malicious forces to use digital technologies in order to render irreparable damage to the country, society or any of the people - this is the entire technological level.
I would now talk about the spiritual level. The Church is very concerned that modern technical means can totally limit human freedom. I will give a simple example. We have hot heads, who enthusiastically talk about the need to eliminate cash and go exclusively to electronic cards. This will ensure transparency, control - well, all those arguments that many are well aware of. All this is so. But if suddenly, at some point in history, access to these cards will open in response to your loyalty? Today, in order to obtain citizenship in one of the European countries, people who wish to naturalize, obtain citizenship or a residence permit, are offered to watch a video, which tells about the life of this country, its customs and laws.
The LGBT theme is very vividly represented in this video, and after viewing the question is asked: "Do you agree with all this?" If a person says: "Yes, I agree, all this is normal for me" - he passes the screening and becomes a citizen, or obtains a residence permit. If he says "No", he will not. And what if access to finance is restricted by this kind of conditions? These are the dangers that the Church today speaks at the top of its voice.
Kiselev:
Still, back to the Christmas theme. In these days, of course, the tables are laid, and the difference is visible. Someone, so to speak, lobsters are not enough, and someone is happy and chocolate. Nevertheless, we are talking about the unity of society, although the stratification is evident. Is not this stupidity a unity?
His Holiness:
"The stratification of society is a huge problem. All this today is present in our lives. Socialism tried to solve this problem, but let's be honest: he did not solve it. I found another certificate of my aunt, who lived in the village in the 1950s. She did not have a passport, but she somehow miraculously escaped to Leningrad to visit relatives. She talked about the horrific situation of the village of that time-all this was in a socialist society!
Therefore, the problem of social imbalances has always existed. But the stability of society and social justice, as we have discussed from the very beginning today, depends, first of all, on overcoming this gap. Than this gap is larger, the more destabilization of society, the more negative energy, the more rejection from all that occurs in society, in the country, the more criticism.
But with what you said, you can not be reconciled. It is necessary to set the task of overcoming these contradictions. Once again I want to say that the rich and the poor will always be, but it is very important that the gap be reduced, and that poverty does not mean a person's grave situation, on the brink of survival.
Of course, the state of many pensioners also causes anxiety. Anxiety is caused by the fact that many people lose their homes at the end of their life, they are thrown out of the apartments by "black realtors", businessmen who seize their property. The state should provide for a very clear system that would insure people from this kind of life situations. And God grant that the development of the economy and proper domestic policy contribute to overcoming the huge division between people with wealthy and have-nots, and that justice is more and more penetrated into the bowels of our national life.
Kiselev:
Well, congratulate you on your holiday, Your Holiness.
His Holiness:
I would like to whole-heartedly congratulate our viewers on the coming Christmas. The world in which we live is not easy, and our conversation with you has highlighted many problems. But here's what I would like to say. The Nativity of Christ, the coming into the world of the Savior is the beginning of a new era, a new era. This is an event that gives a person great strength and strengthens his sense of optimism. At the Christmas services we sing a wonderful hymn "God with us." These are the biblical words: God is with us, understand, languages(see Isaiah 8: 9), that is, "understand, O people, for God is with us." Indeed, through the coming of the Savior into the world, God is with us, and by establishing a connection with the Lord, we are able to acquire very great strengths for solving problems in our life - personal, family, social. Let the blessing of God abide over all our people and over our country.
Kiselev:
I am sincerely grateful to you for this amazing interview.
His Holiness:
Thank you.


russia-insider--2020-12-21--Russia’s 10 Most Beautiful Monasteries: Winter View

If you ’ re not afraid of the Russian winter , here are 10 reasons to visit the country in December and admire the view This article from our archives was first published on RI in November 2016 Shad Tchup Ling Buddhist Monastery , founded in 1995 , at the top of Mount Kachkara near the city of Kachkanar , Ural Mountains , 1 707 km from Moscow .
The Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius is located 70 km northeast of Moscow in Sergiev Posad ; it was founded in 1337 .
The monastery is considered the spiritual home of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300 resident monks .
Novodevichy Convent is one of Moscow ’ s most beautiful architectural sites , established in 1524 .
It is located on a peninsula of sorts , surrounded on three sides by the Moskva River .
The convent comprises 14 buildings , including residential quarters , administrative buildings , bell towers , and churches .
The Trinity Convent in Murom .
In the 1640s the wealthy merchant Taras Borisov endowed the nearby Trinity Convent , whose ornate Church of the Holy Trinity is decorated with ceramic tiles .
Svensky Monastery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Desna and Sven Rivers , is three miles from the city of Bryansk .
According to legend , it was founded by Count Roman Mikhailovich in 1288 .
Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery , which is located in Kirillov on the shore of Lake Siverskoye , was founded at the end of the 14th century .
Its founder Saint Cyril was a descendant of the noble Muscovite Velyaminov family .
He rose up through the ranks from monk to archimandrite at Moscow ’ s Simonov Monastery , but declined the top position and at the age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region , where he founded a monastery .
Shcheglovsky Monastery of the Holy Mother of God is a male monastery near the city of Tula , 180 km from Moscow .
Featuring the icon of Mary the Milk Giver , the main cathedral , which was consecrated in 1860 , is only open during prayer services .
There are several smaller structures inside the complex , as well as a tranquil garden .
Overall , there is a 19th century feel to the place .
Located in the town of Istra about 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monastery was founded in 1656 by Russian Orthodox Patriarch Nikon .
The patriarch chose the site as he felt it resembled the Holy Land .
The Istra River and the buildings are supposed to symbolically represent the Jordan River and Jerusalem , respectively .
Belogorsky Monastery is located 85 km ( 53 miles ) from the regional capital of Perm .
Due to the unique climate , in winter the entire cathedral is covered with hoarfrost , resembling a fairy-tale castle made of sugary icing .
The first wooden church was built at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the closest to Red Square ( 1,2 mile ) .
It is situated on Petrovka Street in Moscow and was most likely established by Saint Peter in 1315 .

If you’re not afraid of the Russian winter, here are 10 reasons to visit the country in December and admire the view
This article from our archives was first published on RI in November 2016
Shad Tchup Ling Buddhist Monastery, founded in 1995, at the top of Mount Kachkara near the city of Kachkanar, Ural Mountains, 1 707 km from Moscow.
The Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius is located 70 km northeast of Moscow in Sergiev Posad; it was founded in 1337. The monastery is considered the spiritual home of the Russian Orthodox Church and has over 300 resident monks.
Novodevichy Convent is one of Moscow’s most beautiful architectural sites, established in 1524. It is located on a peninsula of sorts, surrounded on three sides by the Moskva River. The convent comprises 14 buildings, including residential quarters, administrative buildings, bell towers, and churches.
The Trinity Convent in Murom. In the 1640s the wealthy merchant Taras Borisov endowed the nearby Trinity Convent, whose ornate Church of the Holy Trinity is decorated with ceramic tiles.
Svensky Monastery, located at the confluence of the Desna and Sven Rivers, is three miles from the city of Bryansk. According to legend, it was founded by Count Roman Mikhailovich in 1288.
Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, which is located in Kirillov on the shore of Lake Siverskoye, was founded at the end of the 14th century. Its founder Saint Cyril was a descendant of the noble Muscovite Velyaminov family. He rose up through the ranks from monk to archimandrite at Moscow’s Simonov Monastery, but declined the top position and at the age of 60 moved to the White Lake region, where he founded a monastery.
Shcheglovsky Monastery of the Holy Mother of God is a male monastery near the city of Tula, 180 km from Moscow. Featuring the icon of Mary the Milk Giver, the main cathedral, which was consecrated in 1860, is only open during prayer services. There are several smaller structures inside the complex, as well as a tranquil garden. Overall, there is a 19th century feel to the place.
Located in the town of Istra about 25 miles from Moscow, the New Jerusalem Monastery was founded in 1656 by Russian Orthodox Patriarch Nikon. The patriarch chose the site as he felt it resembled the Holy Land. The Istra River and the buildings are supposed to symbolically represent the Jordan River and Jerusalem, respectively.
Belogorsky Monastery is located 85 km (53 miles) from the regional capital of Perm. Due to the unique climate, in winter the entire cathedral is covered with hoarfrost, resembling a fairy-tale castle made of sugary icing. The first wooden church was built at the site in 894.
Vysokopetrovsky Monastery is the closest to Red Square (1,2 mile). It is situated on Petrovka Street in Moscow and was most likely established by Saint Peter in 1315.


russia-insider--2020-12-21--Systematic American Mistakes Are Making Russia Great Again

This article from our archives was first published on RI in February 2018 Orlov is one of our favorite essayists on Russia and all sorts of other things .
He moved to the US as a child , and lives in the Boston area .
He is one of the better-known thinkers The New Yorker has dubbed 'The Dystopians ' in an excellent 2009 profile , along with James Howard Kunstler , another regular contributor to RI ( archive ) .
These theorists believe that modern society is headed for a jarring and painful crack-up .
He is best known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American collapse ( he thinks America 's will be worse ) .
He is a prolific author on a wide array of subjects , and you can see his work by searching him on Amazon .
He has a large following on the web , and on Patreon , and we urge you to support him there , as Russia Insider does .
His current project is organizing the production of affordable house boats for living on .
He lives on a boat himself .
If you have n't discovered his work yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ archive of articles on RI .
They are a real treasure , full of invaluable insight into both the US and Russia and how they are related .
After a year and a half of silence accompanied by much media noise , from the Mueller investigation into Trump the Terrible ’ s collusion with the Russians ( and their lord and master the Dread Pirate Putin ) in order to steal the election from innocent young Hillary “ twinkle-toes ” Clinton , Mueller finally laid an egg .
He indicted 13 Russians for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleges that they bought some stolen personal info ( Social Security numbers , names , birth dates , etc . )
on the internet , used these to set up PayPal and Facebook accounts , and then used these to buy Facebook ads in an effort to undermine the American people ’ s faith in the wholesome goodness of their democracy .
There is no evidence that anyone in the Trump campaign or administration knew that this was happening .
There is no evidence that any of the 13 Russians had anything to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is no evidence that anything they did had any measurable effect on the outcome of the election .
There is , however , ample evidence that this indictment will go nowhere .
There is a difference between being indicted and being convicted : a convicted person is proven guilty ; an indicted person is protected by the presumption of innocence until convicted .
To be convicted in a criminal trial , a person has to be physically present before the court because one has the right to face one ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is automatically a kangaroo court .
The 13 Russians are Russian nationals residing in Russia .
According to the Russian constitution , Russian citizens can not be extradited to stand trial in a foreign court , and it seems exceedingly unlikely that they will face criminal charges in Russia based on Mueller ’ s indictment .
Therefore , these 13 Russians have to be presumed innocent under US law—forever—even if they get to spend time in a Russian jail , convicted under Russian law .
It ’ s still possible that one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abroad , get snatched and shipped off to the US to stand trial , and be convicted of money laundering , identity theft and wire fraud .
But the charge of working to undermine the American people ’ s faith in the wholesome goodness of their democracy would be rather hard to prove , mostly because there isn ’ t much of it to be found these days .
The accusation is a lot like accusing somebody of despoiling an outhouse by crapping in it , along with everyone else , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its door that read “ No Russians !
” and the 13 Russians just ignored it and crapped in it anyway .
The reason the Outhouse of American Democracy is posted “ No Russians !
” is because Russia is the enemy .
There aren ’ t any compelling reasons why it should be the enemy , and treating it as such is incredibly foolish and dangerous , but that ’ s beside the point .
Painting Russia as the enemy serves a psychological need rather than a rational one : Americans desperately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project their own faults .
The US is progressing toward a fascist police state ; therefore , Russia is said to be a horrible dictatorship run by Putin .
The US traditionally meddles in elections around the world , including Russia ; therefore , the Russians are said to meddle in US elections .
The US is the most aggressive country on the planet , occupying and bombing dozens of countries ; therefore , the Russians are accused of “ aggression.
” And so on… If ( for whatever stupid reason ) Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it stands to reason that the Americans would want to make it weaker rather than stronger .
Working to strengthen one ’ s enemy seems like a poor strategy .
And yet that is what has been happening : the last two US administrations—Obama ’ s and Trump ’ s—both have been steadfastly aiding and abetting Russia ’ s rise to greatness .
Aiding and abetting the enemy is bad enough by itself , but it would also appear that they have been doing so unwittingly .
Thus , if Mueller really had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his heart , he would have indicted both the Obama and the Trump administrations for aiding and abetting the enemy through gross negligence .
Here is how the indictment would read : 1 .
The Obama administration falsely accused the government of Syria of carrying out an attack using chemical weapons near Damascus on August 21 , 2013 in order to find an excuse to attack and invade Syria .
Chemical weapons were in fact used in that incident , but not by the forces controlled by the Syrian government .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either using chemical weapons or in maintaining its chemical weapons stockpile , this gave Russia an opening to negotiate an international deal under which Syria surrendered its entire stockpile of chemical weapons , which were destroyed , and international inspectors subsequently certified Syria as being free of them .
This incident showed Russia to be a trustworthy partner , able to peacefully resolve crises through negotiation , raising its stature in the world , and the US to be a rogue state willing to use any means , including the use of chemical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justify its illegal use of force .
Following in Obama ’ s footsteps , the Trump administration , soon after assuming office , used similar unverified accusations of a Syrian chemical weapons attack to ineffectually bomb a Syrian airbase using Tomahawk missiles .
2 .
In February 2014 the Obama administration organized and carried out a bloody coup in Kiev , staging a massacre using foreign mercenaries , falsely accusing the Ukraine ’ s constitutional government of carrying it out , overthrowing it , and installing a puppet regime managed by the CIA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature of this regime , which is comprised of oligarchs and criminals allied with neo-Nazi groups , and which has elevated to the status of national heroes certain perpetrators of genocide against Jews , Poles and others during World War II , has been kept hidden from the public in the US .
But because Russia and the Ukraine are not ethnically , linguistically , culturally or religiously distinct , and have existed as a single entity through most of their history , most Russians understood what had happened .
The chaos and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian government an opening to hold a referendum in Crimea , which was briefly joined to the Ukraine , but which had been part of Russia since 1783 , and to re-annex the territory .
It also led to armed rebellion in eastern Ukraine and the formation of two de facto independent republics there , making the Ukraine into a semi-defunct state that does not control its own territory .
All of these developments led to a tremendous surge of patriotic feeling among Russians , who felt proud of being able to reclaim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt threatened by seeing the Ukraine once again fall to the fascists .
True to form , the Trump administration has continued Obama ’ s this policy of Making Russia Great Again by providing the Ukrainian military with lethal weapons and advice .
3 .
Although the Russian annexation of Crimea , based on an overwhelming victory in a popular referendum and a great showing of public support , was impeccably legal in upholding the Crimea ’ s right to self-determination ( unlike NATO previous annexation of Kosovo ) , the Obama administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Russia in retribution .
These sanctions , together with Russia ’ s counter-sanctions on food exports from the EU , have finally provided the impetus for Russia to break with the past pattern of exporting gas and oil and importing just about everything else , and to embrace the strategy of import replacement .
This has allowed Russia to become self-sufficient in many areas , such as oil and gas exploration and production technology , agriculture and many other areas .
Although Russia experienced a period of considerable economic difficulty which saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substantially , Russia ’ s economy has survived .
The popularity of the national leadership did not suffer because most Russians now understand what they are fighting for and , given the barrage of negative news from the Ukraine , who their enemy is , and what would happen to them if they were to show weakness .
4 .
Although the Trump administration has mostly followed in Obama ’ s footsteps in Making Russia Great Again , the most recent round of anti-Russian sanctions , which the Trump administration did not impose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an act of Congress , was inadvertently an act of pure genius .
What Trump ’ s flunkies did was take the Kremlin directory and the Forbes list of Russia ’ s wealthiest individuals , and put them together into a single list of people .
If these sanctions were actually imposed rather than merely threatened , those having any dealings with the individuals on this list would suffer legal repercussions .
The brilliance of this plan is in two parts .
First , there have been some differences of orientation among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were more US-oriented than others .
What this list did was make them look foolish in their hopes of ever appeasing the US .
Before , the US had a few lukewarm champions inside the Kremlin ; now it has zero .
Second , Russia has had a problem with wealthy individuals moving their capital abroad , to Switzerland , to various offshore tax havens , and most notably to the United States , which is the money laundering capital of the world .
But now Trump has threatened them with wealth confiscation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian government has extended a tax amnesty for those wishing to repatriate their capital .
As a result , a flood of money is now reentering the Russian economy , giving it a major boost .
Once you put it all together , the charge against the last two US administrations for Making Russia Great Again by aiding and abetting it , unwittingly and through gross negligence , becomes compelling .
There is , of course , no chance at all that anybody will be put on trial for it , but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the # MeToo movement , it is no longer necessary in contemporary America to prove a crime ; a mere allegation is now sufficient to end careers and to ruin reputations .
You can play this game too : of each US policy or initiative announced against Russia , ask yourself : How is it going to help Make Russia Great Again ?
Because it probably will .

This article from our archives was first published on RI in February 2018
Orlov is one of our favorite essayists on Russia and all sorts of other things. He moved to the US as a child, and lives in the Boston area.
He is one of the better-known thinkers The New Yorker has dubbed 'The Dystopians' in an excellent 2009 profile, along with James Howard Kunstler, another regular contributor to RI (archive). These theorists believe that modern society is headed for a jarring and painful crack-up.
He is best known for his 2011 book comparing Soviet and American collapse (he thinks America's will be worse). He is a prolific author on a wide array of subjects, and you can see his work by searching him on Amazon.
He has a large following on the web, and on Patreon, and we urge you to support him there, as Russia Insider does.
His current project is organizing the production of affordable house boats for living on. He lives on a boat himself.
If you haven't discovered his work yet, please take a look at his archive of articles on RI. They are a real treasure, full of invaluable insight into both the US and Russia and how they are related.
After a year and a half of silence accompanied by much media noise, from the Mueller investigation into Trump the Terrible’s collusion with the Russians (and their lord and master the Dread Pirate Putin) in order to steal the election from innocent young Hillary “twinkle-toes” Clinton, Mueller finally laid an egg. He indicted 13 Russians for identity theft and wire fraud.
Christian, popular, and winning against an obnoxious, hypocritical, militaristic, Christophobic bully. Who is the indispensable nation now?
He alleges that they bought some stolen personal info (Social Security numbers, names, birth dates, etc.) on the internet, used these to set up PayPal and Facebook accounts, and then used these to buy Facebook ads in an effort to undermine the American people’s faith in the wholesome goodness of their democracy.
There is no evidence that anyone in the Trump campaign or administration knew that this was happening. There is no evidence that any of the 13 Russians had anything to do with Putin or the Russian government. There is no evidence that anything they did had any measurable effect on the outcome of the election.
There is, however, ample evidence that this indictment will go nowhere.
There is a difference between being indicted and being convicted: a convicted person is proven guilty; an indicted person is protected by the presumption of innocence until convicted. To be convicted in a criminal trial, a person has to be physically present before the court because one has the right to face one’s accusers. A trial held in absentia is automatically a kangaroo court. The 13 Russians are Russian nationals residing in Russia. According to the Russian constitution, Russian citizens cannot be extradited to stand trial in a foreign court, and it seems exceedingly unlikely that they will face criminal charges in Russia based on Mueller’s indictment. Therefore, these 13 Russians have to be presumed innocent under US law—forever—even if they get to spend time in a Russian jail, convicted under Russian law.
It’s still possible that one of these Russians will at some point travel abroad, get snatched and shipped off to the US to stand trial, and be convicted of money laundering, identity theft and wire fraud. But the charge of working to undermine the American people’s faith in the wholesome goodness of their democracy would be rather hard to prove, mostly because there isn’t much of it to be found these days. The accusation is a lot like accusing somebody of despoiling an outhouse by crapping in it, along with everyone else, but the outhouse in question had a sign on its door that read “No Russians!” and the 13 Russians just ignored it and crapped in it anyway.
The reason the Outhouse of American Democracy is posted “No Russians!” is because Russia is the enemy. There aren’t any compelling reasons why it should be the enemy, and treating it as such is incredibly foolish and dangerous, but that’s beside the point. Painting Russia as the enemy serves a psychological need rather than a rational one: Americans desperately need some entity onto which they can project their own faults. The US is progressing toward a fascist police state; therefore, Russia is said to be a horrible dictatorship run by Putin. The US traditionally meddles in elections around the world, including Russia; therefore, the Russians are said to meddle in US elections. The US is the most aggressive country on the planet, occupying and bombing dozens of countries; therefore, the Russians are accused of “aggression.” And so on…
If (for whatever stupid reason) Russia is indeed America’s enemy, it stands to reason that the Americans would want to make it weaker rather than stronger. Working to strengthen one’s enemy seems like a poor strategy. And yet that is what has been happening: the last two US administrations—Obama’s and Trump’s—both have been steadfastly aiding and abetting Russia’s rise to greatness. Aiding and abetting the enemy is bad enough by itself, but it would also appear that they have been doing so unwittingly. Thus, if Mueller really had the health and beauty of American democracy in his heart, he would have indicted both the Obama and the Trump administrations for aiding and abetting the enemy through gross negligence. Here is how the indictment would read:
1. The Obama administration falsely accused the government of Syria of carrying out an attack using chemical weapons near Damascus on August 21, 2013 in order to find an excuse to attack and invade Syria. Chemical weapons were in fact used in that incident, but not by the forces controlled by the Syrian government. Since the Syrian government had no interest in either using chemical weapons or in maintaining its chemical weapons stockpile, this gave Russia an opening to negotiate an international deal under which Syria surrendered its entire stockpile of chemical weapons, which were destroyed, and international inspectors subsequently certified Syria as being free of them. This incident showed Russia to be a trustworthy partner, able to peacefully resolve crises through negotiation, raising its stature in the world, and the US to be a rogue state willing to use any means, including the use of chemical weapons against civilians, in order to justify its illegal use of force. Following in Obama’s footsteps, the Trump administration, soon after assuming office, used similar unverified accusations of a Syrian chemical weapons attack to ineffectually bomb a Syrian airbase using Tomahawk missiles.
2. In February 2014 the Obama administration organized and carried out a bloody coup in Kiev, staging a massacre using foreign mercenaries, falsely accusing the Ukraine’s constitutional government of carrying it out, overthrowing it, and installing a puppet regime managed by the CIA and the US State Department. The nature of this regime, which is comprised of oligarchs and criminals allied with neo-Nazi groups, and which has elevated to the status of national heroes certain perpetrators of genocide against Jews, Poles and others during World War II, has been kept hidden from the public in the US. But because Russia and the Ukraine are not ethnically, linguistically, culturally or religiously distinct, and have existed as a single entity through most of their history, most Russians understood what had happened. The chaos and mayhem that followed the putsch gave the Russian government an opening to hold a referendum in Crimea, which was briefly joined to the Ukraine, but which had been part of Russia since 1783, and to re-annex the territory. It also led to armed rebellion in eastern Ukraine and the formation of two de facto independent republics there, making the Ukraine into a semi-defunct state that does not control its own territory. All of these developments led to a tremendous surge of patriotic feeling among Russians, who felt proud of being able to reclaim what they saw as rightfully theirs and felt threatened by seeing the Ukraine once again fall to the fascists. True to form, the Trump administration has continued Obama’s this policy of Making Russia Great Again by providing the Ukrainian military with lethal weapons and advice.
3. Although the Russian annexation of Crimea, based on an overwhelming victory in a popular referendum and a great showing of public support, was impeccably legal in upholding the Crimea’s right to self-determination (unlike NATO previous annexation of Kosovo), the Obama administration saw it fit to impose economic sanctions on Russia in retribution. These sanctions, together with Russia’s counter-sanctions on food exports from the EU, have finally provided the impetus for Russia to break with the past pattern of exporting gas and oil and importing just about everything else, and to embrace the strategy of import replacement. This has allowed Russia to become self-sufficient in many areas, such as oil and gas exploration and production technology, agriculture and many other areas. Although Russia experienced a period of considerable economic difficulty which saw the purchasing power of the population dwindle substantially, Russia’s economy has survived. The popularity of the national leadership did not suffer because most Russians now understand what they are fighting for and, given the barrage of negative news from the Ukraine, who their enemy is, and what would happen to them if they were to show weakness.
4. Although the Trump administration has mostly followed in Obama’s footsteps in Making Russia Great Again, the most recent round of anti-Russian sanctions, which the Trump administration did not impose but only announced, as required by an act of Congress, was inadvertently an act of pure genius. What Trump’s flunkies did was take the Kremlin directory and the Forbes list of Russia’s wealthiest individuals, and put them together into a single list of people. If these sanctions were actually imposed rather than merely threatened, those having any dealings with the individuals on this list would suffer legal repercussions. The brilliance of this plan is in two parts. First, there have been some differences of orientation among the members of the Kremlin administration: some were more US-oriented than others. What this list did was make them look foolish in their hopes of ever appeasing the US. Before, the US had a few lukewarm champions inside the Kremlin; now it has zero. Second, Russia has had a problem with wealthy individuals moving their capital abroad, to Switzerland, to various offshore tax havens, and most notably to the United States, which is the money laundering capital of the world. But now Trump has threatened them with wealth confiscation. At the same time, the Russian government has extended a tax amnesty for those wishing to repatriate their capital. As a result, a flood of money is now reentering the Russian economy, giving it a major boost.
Once you put it all together, the charge against the last two US administrations for Making Russia Great Again by aiding and abetting it, unwittingly and through gross negligence, becomes compelling. There is, of course, no chance at all that anybody will be put on trial for it, but that may not be necessary. As shown by the #MeToo movement, it is no longer necessary in contemporary America to prove a crime; a mere allegation is now sufficient to end careers and to ruin reputations. You can play this game too: of each US policy or initiative announced against Russia, ask yourself: How is it going to help Make Russia Great Again? Because it probably will.