Russian propaganda claims: There are none of their "sanctuaries" in Berlin and London. Our map proves the opposite
Recently, in one of the Russian propaganda talk shows, the head of RT, Margarita Simonyan, said that Russia will not launch a nuclear attack on Kyiv because "our sanctuaries" are there. At the same time, she claimed that Western capitals can be bombed with little to no hesitation because "none of our sanctuaries are located in there." The map of Russian churches in Europe, which TEXTY published last week as part of the "Germs of the Russian World" project, proves the opposite.
Translated by Dmitry Lytov, Mike Lytov
Read this article in Ukrainian
Looking for a rational grain in the words of the Russian propagandists is a futile task. It is clear that considering Ukrainian churches and monasteries as "their own sanctuaries" is a figment of Russia’s imagination. It's the same with the enemy’s dreams of taking down Kyiv because Russian forces "have already been to Hostomel airport" (in an attempt to seize this area to the northwest of the Ukrainian capital in spring 2022). But it is hard to deny the existence of church influence networks in European countries.
In the "Germs of the Russian World" project, we assembled a map of churches and parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church and its twin, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in European countries. There are more than 400 such places promoting "Russian Orthodoxy", and this is only in the 19 countries that we investigated.
Most of the churches (over 150) are based in Germany, more than 50 in the UK, more than 60 in Italy, more than 30 in France. These numbers include at least two Russian churches in London (one of them – the Diocesan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God and All Saints – is located right next to Hyde Park), and eight in Berlin and the suburbs.
Are Russian churches in Europe a risk factor? When in 2016 the Russians opened their "spiritual and cultural center" wall-to-wall with the Palace of the Alma in Paris, which houses services of the President of France, some researchers even suggested possible espionage.
It would be fair to note that many Russian Orthodox churches are located in small towns and villages and were often built in the early 1900s. However, the Security Service of Ukraine has recently clearly demonstrated what Moscow priests can actually do. Which is why it seems quite possible that their European colleagues should also take a closer look at the centers of "Russian Orthodoxy".
The full interactive map can be viewed in the "Germs of the Russian World" project.
