Putin and the Third Rome

What is it about?

In this article we analyze how Vladimir Putin used the combination of Russian Orthodox Christianity and Russian imperial history between 1999 and 2022. Based on more than 11.000 speeches, statements and interviews, we conclude that the Russian president has become increasingly more radical in his statements, which culminated in his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Using the combination of Christianity and imperial history, Putin 1) formulated a new state ideology, 2) tried to mobilize the Russians behind this mission of a Holy Russian Empire, 3) demonized his enemies and legitimized their planned destruction, and 4) embedded this in an overarching apocalyptical scheme, in which death and war are noble goals for Russians to embrace, in order to obtain their place in heaven.

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