“An indispensable contribution to the study of the contemporary Russian Orthodox Church, this book presents a very nuanced treatment of the role of the Church in Russian politics and society, revealing the multi-layered responses both within the Church itself and in society towards the Church.” Scott Kenworthy, Miami University, Ohio, USA “Western commentators have become increasingly aware of the importance of the Orthodox Church in shaping contemporary Russian identity, but this is often seen in overly simplistic terms. Based on a solid grasp of post-Soviet developments, Hanna Stähle’s exciting new study uses the evidence of social media to reveal a much more complex and nuanced view. This being Russia, there is much that astonishes, much that disturbs, and much to admire in the many vivid examples she presents. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what is really going on in relations between Church and society in Russia today.” George Pattinson, University of Glasgow, UK “Hanna Stähle provides a nuanced and well-argued understanding of contem- porary Russian Orthodoxy by analyzing mediatized Church critique ranging from non-believers through religious to secular critics. The book represents a highly significant contribution to the field of media, religion, and culture studies by demonstrating how the theory of mediatization offers new insights for assessing the heightened visibility and political significance of religion in contemporary Russia.” Mia Lövheim, Uppsala University, Sweden “This book makes a unique and timely contribution to a number of fields. Using the Russian Orthodox Church as its case study, it shows how in the twenty-first century any social or cultural institution exists not only as its official image but as a multitude of conflicting views and online debates. Very clearly written and argued, this is a wonderful study illuminating how phenomena now exist as digital social media objects.” Lev Manovich, City University of New York, USA “This book opens up a new and much-needed perspective in the study of the Russian Orthodox Church, analyzsing its public presence as extended to the digital realm. It demonstrates with compelling evidence how on the internet the official image of the Church can be contested and revised by multiple religious and non-religious voices.” Ekaterina Grishaeva, Ural Federal University, Russia RUSSIAN CHURCH IN THE DIGITAL ERA Mediatization of Orthodoxy The Russian Orthodox Church, the largest and most powerful religious institution in Russia, has become one of the central pillars of Vladimir Putin’s authoritarianism. While church attendance remains low, the religiously inspired rhetoric of traditionalism has come to dominate the mainstream political and media discourse. Has Russia abandoned its atheist past and embraced Orthodox Christianity as its new moral guide? The reality is more complex and contradictory. Digital sources provide evidence of rising domestic criticism of the Russian Orthodox Church and its leadership. This book offers a nuanced understanding of contemporary Russian Orthodoxy and its changing role in the digital era. Topics covered within this book include: • Mediatization theory; • Church reforms under Patriarch Kirill; • Church-state relations since 2009; • The Russian Orthodox Church’s media policy; • Anticlericalism vs. Church criticism; and • Religious, secular, and atheist critiques of the Church in digital media. Using contemporary case studies such as Pussy Riot’s Punk Prayer, this book is a gripping read for those with an interest in media studies, digital criticism of religion, religion in the media, the role of religion in society, and the Russian Orthodox Church. Hanna Stähle received her PhD in Slavic Cultural Studies (summa cum laude) from the University of Passau, Germany. Media, Religion, and Culture Series Editors: Stewart Hoover, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA Jolyon Mitchell, University of Edinburgh, UK Jenna Supp-Montgomerie, University of Iowa, USA Media, Religion, and Gender Key Issues and New Challenges Edited by Mia Lövheim Cyber Zen Imagining Authentic Buddhist Identity, Community, and Practices in the Virtual World of Second Life Gregory Price Grieve Celebrity Worship Peter Ward Digital Creatives and the Rethinking of Religious Authority Heidi A. Campbell Religion in the Age of Digitalization From New Media to Spiritual Machines Edited by Giulia Isetti, Elisa Innerhofer, Harald Pechlaner, and Michael de Rachewiltz Russian Church in the Digital Era Mediatization of Orthodoxy Hanna Stähle For more information about this series, please visit: https://www.routledge. com/Media-Religion-and-Culture/book-series/MRC RUSSIAN CHURCH IN THE DIGITAL ERA Mediatization of Orthodoxy Hanna Stähle First published 2022 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2022 Hanna Stähle The right of Hanna Stähle to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Stahle, Hanna, 1964- author. Title: Russian church in the digital era : mediatization of orthodoxy / Hanna Stähle. Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2021. | Series: Media, religion and culture | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Identifiers: LCCN 2021006976 | ISBN 9780367410414 (hbk) | ISBN 9780367410407 (pbk) | ISBN 9780367814380 (ebk) Subjects: LCSH: Russkaia pravoslavnaia tserkov’‐‐History‐‐21st century. | Digital media‐‐Religious aspects‐‐Russkaia pravoslavnaia tserkov’. | Mass media‐‐Religious aspects‐‐Russkaia pravoslavnaia tserkov’. | Church and state‐‐Russia (Federation) | Russia (Federation)‐‐Church history‐‐21st century. Classification: LCC BX493 .S73 2021 | DDC 281.9/47‐‐dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021006976 ISBN: 978-0-367-41041-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-41040-7 (pbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-81438-0 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by MPS Limited, Dehradun Published with the financial support of the University of Passau Based on a doctoral thesis defended at the University of Passau. Published with the financial support of the University of Passau. Editing and proofreading: Gina Kuhn-Deutscher. Cover image: Mediatization and Christ the Savior Cathedral © Anastasiya Krasovskaya. Посвящается Гришановой Елене Dedicated to Alena Hryshanava CONTENTS Acknowledgements x Note on transliteration and translation xiii Introduction 1 1 Post-Soviet religious revival: Belonging without believing? 15 2 The Russian Orthodox Church under Patriarch Kirill 35 3 Seeking power: The Russian Orthodox Church’s media strategy 61 4 Atheist, religious, secular: Church criticism in digital media 83 5 From victim to persecutor: The Russian Orthodox Church after Pussy Riot 114 6 Russia’s YouTube generation and the Orthodox Church 146 7 Orthodox clergy and laity voicing dissent online: The case of Ahilla.ru 177 Conclusion: Mediatization of Orthodoxy in present-day Russia 201 Appendices 211 Index 215