Authors

Victoria Hudson¹;  ¹ King's College London, UK

Discussion

This paper will explore the role of Paganism in far-right social groupings, particularly among those with a paramilitary orientation, such as Rusych. It will draw upon the statements and information provided by these groups and coverage in the Russian media. The paper will also aim to establish where these groups fit in on the Russian socio-political landscape in terms of who to they attract as members; their sources of material, informational and political support, and how they are networked. It will include the discursive handling of Pagan-oriented far-right groupings by the Russian state, the Moscow Patriarchate and other “traditional” faiths of the Russian Federation. It will look to explore the role and extent of Paganism within these groups, examining the role of Paganism as a religious or mystical calling balanced against its function as a justificatory, identity-giving or driving ideology or worldview.