Russia's Culture Ministry spent a reported $2.4M on a trashy propaganda movie that depicts Europe as a dystopic nightmareland overrun by liberal values, multiculturalism, and murderous refugees. The film failed spectacularly, grossing just $1,315 at Russia's box office. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

The internet is filled with people ‘doing their own research’ who are unable to understand what they’re reading

By my read, the only way for a university to comply with this compact is to gut their social sciences, arts, and humanities, and a good chunk of their sciences, too. www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/u...

Natalia Moskvitina, leader of the anti-abortion foundation "Women for Life," recently conducted a "secret check" on a women's health clinic in Yekaterinburg. Posing as a pregnant woman considering her options, she documented her experience. 1/5

In Russia, teenage pregnancy is being reframed from a social problem into a state-sponsored demographic strategy. Authorities in regions like Kaluga and Oryol have set official "plans" for the number of schoolgirls and students who should give birth, offering cash payments. 1/5

While headlines might focus on a decline in the total number of Russians identifying as Orthodox, a closer look at recent data reveals a far more complex and fascinating story. The Russian Orthodox Church isn’t just losing members; it’s undergoing a profound transformation. 1/3

Russian ‘Orthodox WhatsApp’ Debuts Without Church’s Endorsement:

A Russian Orthodox priest from Yekaterinburg, Mikhail Popov, spoke out against a total abortion ban, but the Patriarchate has swiftly disavowed his comments. Father Fyodor Lukyanov, head of the Church's commission on family, called it a "private opinion." #Russia #Abortion 1/5

Russia is flaunting the resource wealth of its Arctic regions to the U.S. and China, hoping that they will invest in energy, rare earth or infrastructure projects.  Meanwhile, Indigenous peoples face poverty, the destruction of local ecosystems and erasure of their traditional ways of life.

A major Russian Orthodox story flew completely under international media radar in Aug-Sep 2025: the All-Russian procession of St. Tikhon's relics, a massive spiritual mobilization crossing 90 cities that Western outlets entirely missed. Here's why it matters: 1/12

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the conscription of 135,000 men by the end of 2025, the largest conscription drive in nine years.

#OpEd Russia’s billionaires once rivaled Microsoft & Bill Gates. Today, just six remain in the global Top 100, trapped at home and stripped of global influence, writes Vladislav Inozemtsev.

A major Russian Orthodox story flew completely under international media radar in Aug-Sep 2025: the All-Russian procession of St. Tikhon's relics, a massive spiritual mobilization crossing 90 cities that Western outlets entirely missed. Here's why it matters: 1/12

Last week, global religious figures convened in Astana, Kazakhstan for the 8th Congress of Leaders of World & Traditional Religions (Sept 17-18). The theme: "Dialogue of Religions: Synergy for the Future." A key delegation to watch was from Russia. #AstanaCongress #Interfaith 1/9

While Russian state media works to amplify the narrative of USA societal collapse, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) undertakes a far more ambitious project: the sanctification of Charlie Kirk as a martyr for a global, Moscow-led traditionalist movement.

Russia’s Troubling Church Takeover. The Kremlin is leveraging tsarist-era assets to expand its global influence:

‘KGB-Controlled’ Church: Senior US Senator Accuses Russian Orthodox Leaders of Supporting Ukraine Invasion.

Grassley Highlights Free Russia Foundation’s New Report Outlining Putin’s Manipulation of the Russian Orthodox Church to Support Ukraine Invasion:

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew defended his 2019 decision to recognize an independent church in Ukraine and denounced the Russian Orthodox Church as giving a “ringing endorsement to the invasion of Ukraine.”

Veterans returning from Putin’s war in Ukraine are powering the rise of the radical Russian nationalist “Northern Man” group, putting it in a position to challenge the better-known Russian Community controlled by the Kremlin and Orthodox Church.

A prominent Russian Orthodox Church publication, edited by Bishop Tikhon, has released an article paying tribute to the late American political activist Charlie Kirk:

The VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions convenes in Astana this week, but for the Moscow Patriarchate, this is far more than an interfaith meeting. It's a cornerstone of a grand strategy to pivot away from the West. 1/4

Orthodox Faith with Soviet Aesthetics: What a Rare Moscow Parade Says About Power in Russia: www.themoscowtimes.c... @SergeiChapnin

A US Orthodox influencer spoke against Russia’s war. Then she was ousted as a nun:

A Russian court last week jailed a church pastor for four years after he spoke out against the invasion of Ukraine in a sermon.

The Moscow Theological Academy has announced a new online, English-language theology course. My analysis is that this a calculated soft power play. It's a key part of the Kremlin's campaign to recruit Western, especially American, converts and supporters. #Russia #ROC 1/5

Ecumenical Patriarch: There will be no retreat from the granting of Ukrainian Autocephaly

ROC spokesman Legoyda warns priests to be "responsible" & tells media not to mistake a priest's opinion for the Church's. This isn't about accuracy. It's a classic info control play to enforce message discipline. 🧵 #Russia #ROC 1/5

Moldova's Former Constitutional Court president A. Tănase has launched harsh criticism against Metropolitanate of Moldova & some priests who "are using the church for political propaganda and to intoxicate society."

Zelensky refutes Carlson's accusations of 'persecuting' UOC MP:

A new cathedral was founded yesterday in Khabarovsk, dedicated to "All Saints of the Russian Church" and the victory in WWII. But this is no simple act of faith. It's a potent new symbol of the Kremlin's fusion of religion, state power, and perpetual war. #Russia #ROC 1/7

State Service of Ukraine on Ethnic Policy & Freedom of Conscience (DESS) has asked Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal to terminate activities of Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), recognized as affiliated w/Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) 1/2

A Creation Born Out of the Longing of Golus: An excerpt from Bruno Schulz and Galician Jewish Modernity. publicseminar.org/20... @PublicSeminar

A new exhibition, "Regimental Fathers of the Russian Army in the Past and Present," opened at St. Petersburg's Museum of the History of Religion on Sept 3. It explores the history of Russian military clergy from the 17th to the 21st centuries. #Russia #MilitaryHistory 1/11

Occupied Ukraine: Russian-Imposed Punishments For Meeting For Worship, Sharing Faith. www.eurasiareview.co... @EurasiaReview

From a meme to an empire. Toronto-based ‘Saint Javelin’ raises millions for Ukraine:

The Moldovan government and the EU denounced a Russian disruption campaign ahead of the 28 September elections in the country. Security experts in Chișinău say the Russian and the local Orthodox Churches are playing a destabilizing role.

Russian Protestant pastor jailed for 2022 anti-war sermon:

Transnistria’s Jews Find Themselves Caught in a Soviet Time Warp as Ukraine War Rages Next Door:

As War Drags On, Ukrainian-Born Christian Keeps Serving Refugees In Alaska: religionunplugged.co... @ReligionMag

The Kremlin's social engineers just revealed their blueprint for Russia's future. An influential Church-state council laid out a chilling, two-pronged strategy: aggressively restrict migration while intensifying the state's control over women's reproductive rights. 1/3

On Sept 1, Russia implemented a slate of new laws targeting the internet & messaging apps, tightening the state's control over digital communication. The official reasons are about security, but the real target is much deeper. 1/10

Alaska: Orthodoxy Caught Up in Geopolitics:

Despite Losses at Home and Abroad, Moscow Patriarchate Helps Kremlin Expand Influence:

Russian military has killed 14 UOC-MP priests and destroyed hundreds of churches since the start of the full-scale invasion:

The Russian Orthodox Church’s Soft Power Even Reaches the United States:

Several dozen cases of cooperation between UOC-MP priests and Russian invaders are being considered in court - Yelensky:

First criminal charges and imprisonment for studying the Bible in Russian-occupied Donbas: The case is likely Russia's test run of religious persecution, with more arrests almost certain to follow:

During a meeting with representatives of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church announced that 300 parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church have been established on the African continent.

Putin’s New Laws to Create Gulag Archipelago 2.0 With KGB-Style Prisons, Satanism Ban, and Spyware App: