Russia Redivivus

And this time, they've fixed a classic Marxist mistake in their march to consolidation and control:

The advent of atheist Soviet rule wiped away religion as an obsolete “opiate for the masses,” which had no place in a modernized society. Yet it seems that religion did not fully fall victim to socialist crusades... In post-Soviet Russia, although images of churches converted into bars remain prominent in the memory of the Russian Orthodox Church, a significant majority of the masses find a source of comfort and stability in the institution. The elite, on the other hand, have re-discovered the power of heavenly support for their earthly undertakings... Likewise, the omni-present, omnipotent Putin-Medvedev duo has not neglected its spiritual duties and has built a close and comfortable relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church. President Medvedev’s move to assign Russian Orthodox priests to Russian troop units, as well as his efforts to make religious instruction a part of the public school curriculum, reinforces the tsarist-era notion of the Orthodox Church as an inextricable, indispensable part of Russian life. These actions also make clear that the president has found religion to be a handsome complement to his authority. Such breakdown of the church-state boundary may have alarmed Thomas Jefferson, but would have seemed perfectly fine to the Russian czars. Current Prime Minister Putin has gone further, seeking to bolster the influence of the ROC abroad...

Clever and interesting. On the one hand, kind of creepy, because this will help Russia consolidate power, extend order within its borders, and bolster them in many ways. A strengthened Russia under Putin could be a formidable force for something in days to come--not sure whether for good or evil. On the other hand, here is an expansion of the avenues of grace in a country badly in need of it. Their demographic decline is extreme. Their spiritual emptiness from the Cold War's ravages need healing. The growth of Orthodoxy may help with that. But Putin is unlikely to like the idea of any sort of rapprochement with the Catholic Church, since we are an international entity, foreign in a certain sense to the Russian state. Since they seem to be heading down the nationalist path, ecumenical initiatives would appear counterproductive to their goals. But who knows?