Pussy Riot Jailed: Why This is Both a Religious and Political Issue

Pussy Riot Jailed: Why This is Both a Religious and Political Issue August 18, 2012

The arrest and conviction of Pussy Riot on charges of hooliganism fits into a broader context of Russian cultural history and political structure. Pussy Riot’s conviction is yet another example of the collaboration between church and state typical of Russian history, aimed to increase Putin’s power.

Russian culture and political structure have always lagged behind the benchmarks set by the neighbors to the West (and sometimes by those in the East). For over a decade, the Putin regime has governed on one fundamental principal: divide and conquer. However, now Putin has a new and solid ally in the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).

This is not the first time that the Russian Orthodox Church has partnered up with various Russian forms of government. The ROC was the official religious authority during the rule of the Romanov dynasty, it cooperated with the KGB under Communist rule, and it is following that well-established Soviet script once again in the interest of the Putin regime.

The ROC has a long rap sheet in their relationship with cultural figures, highlighted by two incidents in the 19th century and one in the 20th century. In 1821, Alexander Pushkin published a short work titled “Gabrieliad” that described the sexual encounters of the Virgin Mary as having been “visited” by Gabriel, Satan (as a serpent), and God (as a dove). The ROC led an inquest in 1828 into the blasphemous work. Pushkin was forced to deny his authorship and through the patronage of Tsar Nicholas I, he was spared serious punishment.
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