The Trouble with Russia

There’s been a surge in sympathy for Russia among some American conservatives in recent years. There are a few clear reasons for this. But there are more compelling reasons why this is misguided and misunderstands the reality of modern Russia.

Reasons for conservative russophilia

The number one topic that comes up is Russia’s law banning “homosexual propaganda.” To conservatives in the West who face required legal acceptance and reeducation on the topic at work, public schools, and in media, Russia seems like an oasis. Putin seems like a strong leader willing to push back against progressive moral rot. Any talk critical of Russia is chalked up as a liberal temper tantrum at a major power not giving into their cultural imperialism.

I’d say the second is the perception that Russia has triumphed over communism. After 70 years of communist rule, with groups like the League of Militant Atheists running state-supported propaganda, Russia is no longer a Communist nation. Over 70% of Russians identify as orthodox christian, up from 31% in 1991. The number of churches in the country has gone from ~2,000 in 1991 to over 20,000. 

To those in the West seeing a constant collapse in religious affiliation and practice since the 60s, Russia’s “conversion” seems like a miracle. Jordan Peterson’s publicizing of works by Russian anticommunist Alexander Solzhenitsyn also contributes to widespread admiration for Russians’ struggle and eventual triumph over communism. Catholic figures from Bishop Barron to Pope Benedict have spoken of Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, and Fulton Sheen spoke of Dostoevsky’s warnings about communism. 

Third is probably the perception of personal friendliness between Trump and Putin among Trump supporters. Though this was overblown given the real actions taken by Trump and Congressional Republicans during his administration. 

A distant fourth may be the reality that Russia has been the main power taking action to protect Christians in the Middle East. 

Why this is a bad idea

Look past the cosmetics and you’ll see that Russia is by no means a nation dedicated to rebuilding Christian society. 

First, only six percent of Russians attend Divine Liturgy regularly, which is worse than Mass attendance in most western nations. It’s tough to make a case that Russia has converted and that their society has a Christian foundation when the “I’m Christian, but” attitude is worse there than anywhere else. And remember, even practicing orthodox christians fully accept divorce and many accept contraception. 

Second, abortion rates in Russia are significantly worse than in many western countries, including the US. It is tough to stomach people going on and on about Russia’s supposed moral superiority to the west given that abortion was and remains more prevalent there than elsewhere. 

Third, the communists are still around and retain much cultural influence. The Communist Party in Russia remains the second largest political party in the nation, with membership far outstripping the membership of the Communist Party of the US despite Russia’s much smaller population. Thousands have petitioned the Russian government to change the name of the city of Volgograd back to Stalingrad. Russian churches are being built with murals of Stalin and Russian Orthodox prelates are kissing the feet of Stalin statues. 

Fourth, many of the practicing Russian Christians are anticatholic. While we may appreciate Patriach Hilarion Afeyev’s denunciation of Western immorality, we must oppose his wish to suppress Eastern churches that wish to enter into full communion with Rome. It is not exactly difficult to guess what might happen to Ukrainian Catholic churches if Russian soldiers gain control over them. And members of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia (ROCOR) do seem to have an anticatholic streak. 

Fifth, the Russians have staked their foreign policy on an alliance with Communist China, which may be the biggest political threat to the faith. Certainly they are a direct threat to any catholic and orthodox christians within their borders, just ask Cardinal Zen in Hong Kong. 

Sixth, the Russians have also made common cause with increasingly militant islamic Turkey. Russia didn’t exactly speak up when Turkey reconverted the mother church of Eastern Christianity, Hagia Sophia, back into a mosque. 

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Russia is not a genuinely Christian nation in any real sense. At best it is mission territory whose few practicing christians are mostly in fervent schism and dissent from critical moral laws. It is a nation dominated by a cult of personality around its current opportunistic leader, allies with nearby antichristian states when convenient, and has scenes of idolization of dead communist leaders dotting the landscape. 

Publicly endorsing Russia as some sort of Christian ideal or healthy counterweight to the secular west is shallow thinking that makes one look foolish. Yes, it is a miracle that Russia has emerged from decades of communism with the faith that many of its people genuinely possess. But don’t lose the forest for the trees. 

And remember that the Leonine prayers following traditional Low Mass are still for the conversion of Russia. Pope Pius XI issued that intention after the resolution of the Roman Question, and that intention has never been changed.