Publication

This working paper examines how the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) of the Moscow Patriarchate uses its status to influence and support the Kremlin’s policies both domestically and abroad. The text’s authors suggest that while the Church’s interests do not entirely overlap with those of Moscow, the ROC has frequently supported recent legislation changes as well as the Kremlin’s engagement in Syria and Ukraine. They also conclude that the present situation benefits both the Church and the Kremlin, and that the politicization of spiritual values that the relationship between the two involves will have a long-lasting conservative influence on Russian politics.