The Role of Russian Anti-Cultism in Religious Repression and Justifying the Invasion of Ukraine

The emergence and development of anti-cultism in Russia have had a profound impact on the country’s religious policies and, more recently, have contributed to justifying Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The 2020 and 2023 reports of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom analyze this phenomenon in detail.



The Role of Alexander Dvorkin and the Anti-Cult Movement

In 1992, Alexander Dvorkin, a Russian anti-cult activist, returned to Russia with a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies and began organizing a movement against so-called "totalitarian cults." He founded the Saint Irenaeus of Lyon Information-Consultation Center (SILIC), which became the hub of the anti-cult movement in Russia, supported by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the government. SILIC maintains an online database on New Religious Movements (NRMs) and operates as a propaganda center against such movements.

Dvorkin's ideas influenced Russian legislation, leading to the promulgation of the 1997 Federal Law on Freedom of Conscience, which strengthened traditional religions like Orthodoxy and limited the spread of new religious movements. The law, along with the anti-cult movement, helped justify the repression of religious minorities, reinforcing the concept of national spiritual security.

The Influence of the Anti-Cult Movement in Ukraine

Since 2014, with the annexation of Crimea, Russia has exported its restrictive religious legislation to Ukraine, using it to persecute Crimean Tatars, accusing them of extremism and terrorism. Other religious minorities, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, have also faced persecution, arrests, and torture. The 2022 invasion further amplified these violations, with the Russian government damaging and destroying places of worship, arresting and killing religious leaders, and imposing strict rules against independent religious activities.

Religious Justifications for the Russian Invasion

Russian propaganda has used religious language to justify the war, demonizing minority religious groups and distorting the history of the Holocaust. High-ranking Russian officials have described the invasion as a battle against "Satanism" and the loss of traditional moral values, with Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church openly supporting the war.

Conclusion

The anti-cult movement in Russia, initially created to combat new religious movements, has become a tool of political repression, contributing to the justification of military aggression against Ukraine and the persecution of religious minorities.

https://actfiles.org/category/articles/

#Russia #Ukraine #Religion #ReligiousPersecution #AntiCultism #WarInUkraine #Propaganda #ReligiousFreedom #OrthodoxChurch #HumanRights #ReligiousConflict #RussianOccupation

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inquisitorial Power: How “Cult-Hunting” Became a Shadow System of Control

Image
  A Dark Transformation In today’s Russia, what was once presented as the noble mission of “protecting society from sects” seems to have taken on a far more disturbing face. Far from safeguarding citizens, the so-called fight against religious movements has turned into a tool to manipulate institutions, silence dissent, and spread fear. Beyond Faith: A Political Instrument According to several observers, this movement is much more than a religious initiative. It has evolved into a hybrid system —combining political Orthodoxy, Soviet-style repression, and authoritarian ideology. The result? A totalitarian sect in disguise , using the language of faith to conceal a mechanism of power. The Tactics of Control Investigations highlight specific strategies: Systematic propaganda labeling minorities and dissenters as “sectarians”; Parallel justice structures that bypass normal legal procedures; Collapse of public trust , with citizens convinced that transparency and fai...
Read more

The Shocking Truth Behind FECRIS: A Legacy of Violence and Manipulation

Image
Lawyer Eugenia Tarasenko has revealed a disturbing truth about the hidden face of the modern and seemingly noble international sect FECRIS. Her investigations have unveiled the dark roots of their main method, known as deprogramming, which has its origins in the 70s and 80s, within the sadistic organization “Cult Awareness Network” (CAN), also known as “Cult Alert Network”. In a video interview, lawyer Tarasenko details the brutal practices of the CAN, an organization that operated in the United States and terrorized countless individuals. “This movement, let’s call it that, was widespread in the United States in the Seventies and Eighties,” explains Tarasenko. “If a person’s entourage - relatives and friends - did not like the fact that this person was part of an organization and simply did not pay attention to his parents or his family, but was engaged in his life, they ordered the deprogramming service.” https://rutube.ru/video/5b7b1c4aa4bbedad25a06a6111d38c0d/ This deprogramming, f...
Read more

Investigation into the Czech Anti-Cult Movement: Between Nazi Connections, Russian Influence, and American Deprogrammers

Image
The Czech anti-cult movement, which has gained traction in recent years, presents itself as an independent organization dedicated to combating so-called "cults" and religious "sects" within the country. However, a closer analysis of their activities and connections reveals disturbing ties to extremist groups, Nazi ideologies, and foreign influences, particularly from Russia. Additionally, parallels emerge with the methods used by American deprogrammers, placing this movement within a global network of anti-cult propaganda. Kristina Ciroková The Movement’s Objectives The Czech anti-cult movement targets a variety of religious organizations, including Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Scientology, and the Church of Shincheonji. Additionally, attacks are directed against political figures like Donald Trump, Slovak politician Robert Fico, and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. This aggressive stance in combating ...
Read more