Why is Russia sending dead princes, saints into Ukraine battle
The Russian Orthodox Church is deploying religious relics of medieval figures like Dmitry Donskoy to military bases in occupied Ukraine. This practice aims to bolster troop morale by framing the current conflict as a defensive struggle for the fatherland.
Why it matters
It highlights the deepening integration between the Russian state and the Orthodox Church, using historical and religious symbolism to justify ongoing military aggression.
Russian troops fighting in eastern Ukraine are receiving an unusual form of support as the war enters another winter. Relics of medieval Russian rulers and warrior saints are being taken to military bases and units at the front.In early September, a fragment of the remains of Dmitry Donskoy, the Moscow prince celebrated for his victory at the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo, was sent to Russian troops and is now being moved around military bases in Russian-occupied Ukraine. The relic is a fragment of his right hand, the same hand the Russian Orthodox Church says he used to wield his sword in battle.The military department of the Moscow Patriarchate said the “saint commander” would invisibly stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Russian soldiers.
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