Authors

Discussion

Created under the auspices of the Moscow Patriarchate in 1993, the World Russian People's Council (WRPC) has become a key platform for articulating a joint political vision between church, state, and right-wing civil society in Russia. During the Council's annual meetings, leading state officials, clerics, intellectuals, and 'Orthodox-minded' business people gather to discuss the Russian world's past, present, and future. The history of the WRPC in the last thirty years reflects the evolution of church-state relations in Russia, and the Council's joint declarations reveal the broader ideological dynamics surrounding that relationship. This paper examines both aspects to discern the genealogy and main parameters of the current ecclesio-political hegemony in Russia. The analysis will also consider what is unique in patriotic production of this church-state alliance, in contrast to previous historical examples.