War Commemorations of Russian Orthodox Church as the Mechanism to Construct Civil Religion in Modern Russia

Abstract

The article considers war commemorations and memorial practices of the Russian Orthodox Church in the context of the formation of civil religion in contemporary Russia. It is emphasized that the relations between the army and the church are the most institutionalized, including those concerning the politics of memory. The factors which determine the centrality of images of war in historical representations, including religious actors, are considered. The main specificity of the representation of the wars of the past within the framework of religious discourse is highlighted.