Every empire eventually becomes trapped by its own mythology. Russia happens to be built on a peculiar combination of holy relics, imperial nostalgia, and endless lectures about "traditional values." The problem is that reality keeps interrupting the performance. In 2022, Margarita Simonyan (the Kremlin's propagandist) declared that Russia would never bomb Kyiv because "our shrine is there." The implication being: unlike everyone else, Russia supposedly possesses some special reverence for fait

Russia claims to defend Christianity – then bombs the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The war has exposed its sacred values as cover for imperial violence.

The Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of Orthodox Christianity's oldest and most sacred monasteries, was among the targets in Russia's latest overnight attack on…

From Shrine to Target: The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Recast as a “Decision-Making Center” — Ukrinform.

The attack on the Lavra turns a centuries-old spiritual landmark into a frontline in the wider battle over who gets to own the very birthplace of shared faith among Russians and…

Every empire eventually becomes trapped by its own mythology. Russia happens to be built on a peculiar combination of holy relics, imperial nostalgia, and endless lectures about…