The Russian Orthodox Church and the World Mapping the Theme for IS Studies

Russian diplomatic tradition was marked by the so-called symphony of powers between the secular and spiritual leaders. Such system was destroyed by Peter the Great when he decided to become the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Nevertheless, the messianic spirit of Byzantine diplomacy can be traced in Russian diplomacy through centuries. Even under the Soviet regime, diplomacy was based on “proletarian” or “socialist” internationalism. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, both the new Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church looked forward to strengthening their relations in order to develop a unifying national idea and to recover the influence of religion. Russian diplomatic institutions also underlined their support for the Church’s policy that “corresponds to one of the oldest and most profound traditions of our diplomacy.” The extension of the Community of Independent States often coincides with the canonical territory, an area in which the national Orthodox churches are subjected to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchy. In practice, this translates into the possibility of a channel of direct dialogue with local churches and governments highlighting the cultural and historical closeness between Russia and some other orthodox countries. The foreign activity of Patriarch Kirill and the Imperial Orthodox Society of Palestine invigorate the cultural and Russian political presence in different regions. Lately, problems have appeared because of the creation of a Ukrainian Orthodox church, independent of Moscow patriarchy. All these and other issues require new understanding of the studies of international relations that open new visions on Russia’s foreign policy. The chapter constructs the evolution of the international activities of the Russian Orthodoc Church, mapping the topics for discussion within the scholarship.