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The Shadow of Alexander Nevsky in Russia-China Negotiations

Vladimir Putin acts as Alexander Nevsky, making a choice between the antagonistic West and the more traditional China, now epitomised by Xi Jinping.

Russia’s definitive turn to the East that is presently much discussed in the Western media comes as another historical comeback of the recent years. Here, Vladimir Putin acts as Alexander Nevsky, making a choice between the antagonistic West and the more traditional China, now epitomised by Xi Jinping.

The 13th Century in Russian History: A Choice between the West and the East

Back in the first half of 13th century the Papacy went berserk against everyone that was still not subdued to the power of the Roman throne. The barbarian Albigensian Crusade and the siege and capture of Constantinople as the highest point of the Fourth Crusade were insufficient. The Slavic and Baltic tribes of the Eastern Europe remained pagan or Orthodox, and they had to be converted coerced into Catholicism.

The Livonian Order successfully converted or exterminated several Baltic tribes before reaching the borders of Rus near Novgorod the Great. The story of Alexander Nevsky’s overthrowing the Catholic knights in two decisive battles (the Battle on the Neva River, 1240; and the Battle on the Ice, 1242) is well known.

At practically the same time the Mongols came in hordes and subdued the fragments of the Ancient Russian state that fell apart as a result of feudal disunity. Arguably, the Tatar-Mongols were better equipped, and they acted as one force, whereas the Russians were divided, and this explains why there was little resistance to their onslaught. The Mongols were strong, the Russians were weak – although not too weak against the Catholic knights.

Yet there was another reason why the Mongol yoke seemed the lesser of two evils. The Mongols left unscathed the Orthodox Church. If an occasional temple did perish in the flame, it was because the Mongols burnt the entire city, and not because they strongly opposed the Russian religion. As a result, not only did the Orthodox church and faith survive, they also became the building block of the Mongol resistance and played the pivotal role in the first victory at Kulikovo Field in 1380.

Needless to say, this would be absolutely impossible if the Papacy had its way. The Papacy’s sole aim was to expand its power beyond the known limits, to make it universal. There would be no Orthodox order, but only the Roman Catholic. There would be no Russian churches or that peculiar ancient Russian culture we all admire. And there would possibly be no Russians as a nation. The Papacy gave an example of discerning between the heretics and faithful during the Albigensian Crusade: kill them all, and God will know the difference.

Russia and China Today

Centuries later we are back to the same configuration in politics, and once again Russia opts for an alliance with traditional, Orthodox-friendly China against the West, which has clearly lost sight of things in its servile devotion to “progress” and a staunch opposition to Orthodox Christianity.

Hence, Alexander Nevsky’s not-so-difficult choice has been upheld by Vladimir Putin.

More articles:

Historical comebacks

The Battle on the Ice

The United States against China

The Day of the Defender of the Fatherland

Today we celebrate the Day of the Defender of the Fatherland. When I was little, on February 23rd we celebrated the Day of the Soviet Army and the Military Fleet. At school, we drew pictures and gave small presents to the boys who were duly expected to go to the army one day. It was a compulsory 2-year service during the Soviet times.

Then the USSR collapsed, and for some time this day attracted a lot of criticism. The Soviet Union was presented as a militarist state, whereas the entire world allegedly wanted to be friends with us.

And then it became a male version of 8th of March, with socks, underpants and antiperspirants being the presents of choice for many women to their men.

This year, following the Presidential address, this holiday (Day of the Defender of the Fatherland), which is marked with an official day-off, has at once become a truly national celebration of our service to Russia. Vladimir Putin has uttered what I believed for many years: a family is akin to one’s native country (Rodina), which we call the Motherland or the Fatherland. And thereby each and everyone of us serve and defend it in whatever capacity we can.

For me as an historian, writer and translator, my service to Russia is in preserving its history, arts, and language; in disseminating these among the foreign speakers; in liaising between my country and those parts of the outer world that share our values.

More posts on History.

An Empire Reborn

Russia is moving from the servile copying of liberalism to creating the Russian national state and the renaissance of the Russian empire

by Roman Antonovsky

Today’s speech by Vladimir Putin will definitely go down in history.

In fact, this is a manifesto. It is a manifesto of conservative antiglobalism. Evidently, Russia has finally defined its present-day ideology, combining the best that was in the Russian Empire and to some extent – in the USSR.

First of all, Putin has declared our country a stronghold of traditional conservative values where 15o genders, LGBT-propaganda, destigmatization of paedophilia and transsexuality are all out of place. Meanwhile, the left liberals from the U.S. Democratic party are trying to impose the above as the “new normal” on the rest of the world.

Secondly, our President has proclaimed Russia the leader of the global anti-colonial movement. Such was the USSR in the mid-20th century when it helped the nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America to free themselves from the European and American colonialism.

Indeed, the West acknowledged the independence to its former colonies. However, it has de-facto continued to exploit these countries economically and has not shun from applying military force to overthrow the regimes it dislikes.

Thirdly, it is no coincidence why, speaking of Russian national interests, Putin finished his landmark speech with a quote from the work by Ivan Ilyin. Ilyin was the principal ideologist of the Russian Orthodox Imperial national-patriotism. This philosopher’s works that were written at the beginning and in the mid-20th century, are extremely relevant today. Everything he wrote about external and internal enemies, the West and Ukraine fits perfectly into the current agenda. Moreover, apart from warnings about the dangers on the path of the Russian state and its people, his writings contain the working recipes how to overcome both dangers and enemies. Putin quoted Ilyin’s work “For national Russia. The manifesto of the Russian movement”.

Today, the speech of Putin himself has become such manifesto. The speech contained reference to the Bible, Ilyin, and traditional values and indicated that Russia is moving away from the servile copying of the Western liberalism towards creating the Russian national state and the renaissance of the Russian empire, whose interests the rest of the world will have to reckon with. Novorossiya’s comeback to the native harbour is but the beginning of Russia’s gathering its lands and gaining full sovereignty.

Translated from Russian by Julia Shuvalova

More on Russia

Neighbourhood Cam: The New World Awaits

Following the referenda in four parts of the now former Ukraine, we are waiting for the ratification of historic documents tomorrow. The sunset tonight signifies the glimpse of hope that always shines amidst the most terrible circumstances. The war in Donbass isn’t over yet, but its end is imminent because the territory has rejoined Russia.

The war with the West is imminent, too, and no, “we didn’t start the fire” but we are going to end it.

Currently a couple of hundred thousands of Russian citizens are peacefully “invading” Georgia and Kazakhstan under the name of the “great escape”. This exodus marks the moment when Russia is only full of people who want it to exist and who want to exist with it – or not.

The readiness to die is what sets Russia apart from the rest of the world. And this is precisely what has allowed my country to survive the ordeals many other nations could not withstand. The more you are prepared to die, the more you fight for your life – metaphysically, first and foremost.

The single mistake of the Western world, Europe in particular, has been the desire to live in peace. And so it was eager to sustain any status quo that made it possible. Now it has all but lost its own status as a political subject. Britain has left the EU to remain the one.

On the contrary, by starting the special military operation, Russia has shown that the country will no longer tolerate the status quo that includes, among other unacceptable things, the resurrection of Fascism. And we are ready to undertake every measure that Europe ignored or was unable to undertake.

And it explains why Russia is taking time to “respond” to a teract on Nord Stream. There is no hurry, and Europe is now a continent in distress, it will need help, obviously, but it will have to cope by itself.

The only thing I would tell all Europeans is this: don’t go to the US. Why would you go to work and pay your taxes to the country that bombed Japan and Vietnam and is now pumping money and weapons into Ukraine? It’s OK if you plan to stay in your home country, but if you’re thinking of moving, then go to Russia. People here speak different European languages, women are beautiful, and you will always be able to return to your home country…

Football Fans in Russia Turn to the Front

Russian football fans unite behind the team “RUSSIA”. They make the support of the country and soldiers their priority.

Russia may not be the most potent football power, but its football fans are known for their ability to unite behind their favourite team. Today they unite behind the team “RUSSIA”. Below is an extract from the Russian football fan club CSKA Vandals address to other fan clubs:

“Dear friends, regardless of your club preferences,

Some of you have long followed the event in Donbass and have already made their contribution to the fight, but for some of you the war is only just beginning to get personal. Now that each of us has seen (or may see) their pals, friends, or relatives go to the front, it is high time to stop having vain hopes and thinking that this war is far enough to pass you by. It won’t. It is time to realise your personal responsibility for the guys at the frontline and for the future of our country and to start helping each other, so as to bring closer the end of fighting and the peace. Better later than never.

Many were emotionally driven by fear to flee the country in haste, but we are staying here, in our homeland, with our near and dear, and with you. From now on we stop any football-linked activity and make the support of our brothers and the victory of Russia our sole priority”.

Translated from Russian by Julia Shuvalova

Other posts On Russia.

The End of Germany?

After today’s attack on Nord Stream it is clear: the powers-that-be are working hard to speed a bitter end for Germany and European industry.

In case you didn’t know, Germany was once the most powerful state in Europe. It was called the Holy Roman Empire and it existed from 962 until dissolved by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806.

Russia traditionally established matrimonial unions with Germany in the 18th and the 19 th centuries; and so did Britain. However, following the demise of the HRE, Germany gradually became an anti-Russian actor in the European political theatre. Great Britain habitually drove a wedge between the two countries, assisted by France. The two bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century occurred between Germany and Russia, leading to significant losses in population, a separation of Germany, and a long-term economic regeneration of the countries.

21st century and Nord Stream

In the last 50 years there was a glimpse of hope for the future relations between Russia and Germany. However, as we can see now, the very idea of the European Union has been to ensure there would not be a single powerful state on the European continent. Scandinavian countries naturally “withdraw” from continental politics. Britain officially left the EU in 2020. Germany was pinpointed as the new leading power in Europe. Yet after today’s attack on three lines of Nord Stream it is clear: the powers-that-be are working hard to speed a bitter end for Germany and European industry.

The occurrence has already been called an act of economic terrorism. The US have previously indicated that they were going to destroy Nord Stream. It is clear that the USA and Great Britain worked together to hammer this “fizzy” bolt into the European economy. Now that Nord Stream is out of order Europe will have either no gas at all, or it will have to buy it from Britain and the US at an extremely high price.

Economic Piracy in 2022

Worse yet – and there is some analysis on this – this attack to destroy Nord Stream is to have some very sinister consequences. German investors have already turned to the US; now the business and engineers will have to turn there, too. If they cannot live and work in the coldness of European winter, they have to migrate… to the US.

This is more or less what the Soviet people experienced in 1990s, following the demise of the USSR. A lot of people left the country in search for better opportunities and salaries, often going to the US. Now the same is about to happen to Germany, which country, significantly, became united at the expense of the USSR collapse.

The Swedish seismologists acknowledge that there was no underwater earthquake in the area of the gas leak, and that the resulting ruptures in the pipes were caused by explosions, Meanwhile, the Polish ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs Radek Sikorski has posted this picture on Twitter.

The US and its satellites don’t even conceal their terrorist attack – on Germany, Europe, and peace. Such is the price you pay for adhering to Realpolitik. You endlessly create an enemy to exist.

Other posts in History

Mobilization in Russia and Thoughts on the “Flight”

While mobilization is underway, some people chose to flee Russia. The majority’s sentiment towards them is disdain.

Something we have expected from February is now happening. The mobilization has started in Russia last Wednesday, and today the reserve officers have departed for the training centres. A lot of experts were arguing for it since the beginning of the Special Military Operation, but I believe there is time for everything. Now is the time for Russian men to protect the newly-freed territories of Donbass and the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions.

The new “Flight”

Meanwhile, some people chose to flee Russia back in February, and some are leaving now. If you want to know the sentiment of the majority of Russians towards this “flight”, it is mostly a disdain.

People often confuse the government and the country. Whereas the love and support for the country often mean the approval of the government, the attitude to the government doesn’t equal the attitude to the country, its people and culture. I may dislike the government for some of its (in)actions but my love for my country will not let me seek the revolution.

The effect of globalization and “democratization” has been such that the notions of national pride and patriotism have been mocked for years on end. Yet, as the recent events show, they have not become obsolete or redundant. Having something to be proud of is pertinent to a man. Having a role model is vital for self-development. And love for a country is the same as love for a family. This is what we see in Serbia – and in Italy, following the victory of the Brothers of Italy.

Alas, as we see today, the institute of a family is being destroyed in Europe and America, and love for the country is considered a manifestation of racism. In truth, however, loving the country, one’s family and compatriots is healthy and indicates a high degree of self-awareness and development, for this love prepares you to sacrifice many things for your loved one. Including your love.

Patriots Abroad

The reason why the Russian government is not preventing those fleeing the country from doing so is quite obvious. We don’t need cowards, we don’t need those who may work to destroy the country from within. We want real men, real citizens who love their country and their compatriots.

Someone I studied with at the Lomonosov MSU went to Turkey in February. He studied Art History, so obviously he considers himself a mouthpiece of the Russian “intelligentzia“. Recently he felt the urge to express his attitude to the military operation, Putin, and all of us who have not fled the country. We, he said, are his enemies.

Well, if so, then he and his co-thinkers are better off to be away from the Russian horde. However, I reminded him about the General Denikin who fled Russia in the aftermath of the Civil War but who one of the first to provide financial assistance to the Soviet State during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). The Russian composer Sergey Rachmaninov also donated his concert money to the USSR throughout the war years until his death in 1943. This is what he wrote in letters from 1941-1942:

November 19, 1941: “This is the only way in which I can express my compassion for the sufferings of the people of my homeland”.

March 25, 1942: “From one of the Russians – here is my assistance to the Russian nation in its fight against the enemies. I want to believe, and I do believe, in complete victory”.

Following the victory at Stalingrad, 1943, Rachmaninov addressed Joseph Stalin with a short letter:

“I am now confident that my Motherland will defeat the agressors. I also admire the fact that despite its greatest ordeal the musical culture of fighting Russia, including that of the Russian nation, continues to enthrall the world, it is alive and continues to develop. I am willing to accept that we were probably wrong in the early 1920s when we thought that the Russian art was doomed to be destroyed or degraded”.

Mobilization

So, mobilization is going well. The soldiers are not being sent straight to the front. They first arrive at the training camp and it is not certain that they will actually go to fight. The territories of Donbass and other two regions need the people militia and other male help. The link will take you to a report in Telegram of Moscow reserve soldiers departing for Donbass. As for those “scared patriots” who chose to leave their homeland, we kind-heartedly mock them. They still have not realised that nobody wants them in either Europe or America. But I would also close the boundary, for we want to live, make families and do business with reliable people. I wouldn’t want anyone who chose to run away to ever come back and claim back their workplaces and chairs.

Likewise, there is more than one military operation going on at the moment. There is a lot to do within the country, in Moscow alone, in the spheres of civil life, e.g. education, health service, etc. So, we have all been mobilized, but, as the events of the bygone days show, we will conquer Mars after this Victory. Watch this space (sic!)

Other posts on Ukraine and Russia.

Thoughts on Sts Peter and Paul’s Day

Today we celebrated the Day of two Christian saints, Peter and Paul. Peter was one of Jesus’s disciples who tried to emulate his master and follow him in his footsteps but couldn’t quite do so. He was afraid to walk on water, and, despite his own expectations, refuted Jesus three times. Following the Resurrection, he became the leader of disciples and an ardent professor of faith.

Saul, on the other hand, was a staunch persecutor of Christians until the angel knocked him down and revealed God’s will. And so Saul became Paul and wrote many epistles to pagans and Christians alike. Caravaggio’ The Conversion of Saul depicts the moment of epiphany.

Both eventually martyred: Peter was crucified head down (at his own request), and Paul was beheaded for he was a Ronan citizen. As a result, Paul is often depicted with a sword, as in this painting by El Greco.

Paul may also be depicted with a book which is a nod to his literary activity, and Peter is portrayed with the keys to Kingdom of Heaven in his hand. In this Russian icon another aspect is noticeable: Peter is older and is always on the left side of the picture.

The saints were celebrated in Russia practically since the Christening, and the Cathedral of St Sophia in Kiev has the earliest surviving image of Peter in what was Ancient Rus.

The popular expression says “Peter and Paul reduce the day by an hour”. By August 2nd, St Elijah’s Day, the day will have lost two hours, which is commemorated in another expression.

The story of Peter and Paul is that of a person’s following his or her vocation with faith. At the beginning of this short fasting period I went to St Clement of Rome’s church where I wrote down something of my own epiphany, that Christianity is not about suffering but about faith and service. When one has found their vocation, they should follow it, not in the hope to martyr or to die a peaceful death, but in the determination to fulfill their vocation. Martyrdom or a good death is not the end in itself; the vocation is. The story of Peter and Paul is a good illustration of this thesis. After all, there were St Nicholas and St Spyridon of Trimythous who died a peaceful death but whose contribution to Christianity was no less than that of the apostles’.

There are two lessons Peter and Paul teach us. One, follow your vocation. And two, none of us is ever good enough for a task. Peter betrayed Christ but came to be the guardian of the heavenly Kingdom. Saul used to destroy Christians but eventually became the most ardent propagator of a new religion. Whatever we used to do in the past, we can always change our ways and start anew.

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