Eagle, I don't want to form an alliance anymore.

Which unlucky soul is going to suffer?

The world will begin to pray.

Interlude: Dealing with Religious Issues

P.S.: This chapter isn't very related to the main story, and I'm not feeling well today, so I'm only updating once. Therefore, this chapter is free, meow...

June 5th arrived, the day that Orthodox Christians and the Russian people had been eagerly awaiting.

That is the celebration of the millennium of Rus' baptism, which will take place in the Yelokhov Cathedral in Moscow!

Before 988 AD, the Russian land was in chaos, and the predecessor of Russia, Kievan Rus', still believed in pagan religions.

At that time, Grand Prince Vladimir of Kievan Rus' had just defeated his brother in a civil war to seize the throne of Grand Prince of Kiev. He urgently needed reforms to strengthen his power, and his initial approach was to establish polytheism—to place statues of the six main gods worshipped by different tribes together on Mount Kiev, attempting to integrate the various tribes with a unified official pantheon.

But this plan failed. Polytheism is inherently decentralized and could not provide an ideological basis for an early state evolving towards centralism. He needed a monotheistic religion, with a heavenly monarch corresponding to an earthly duke; he wanted to introduce this advanced theory of divine right of kings.

Just then, Byzantine Emperor Basil II faced a major rebellion, and the empire teetered on the brink of collapse. He then sought help from Kiev. Vladimir offered an extremely high price: 6,000 elite Varangian troops (the precursor to the famous Byzantine Varangian Guard) in exchange for the marriage of the emperor's sister, Princess Anna.

This condition is a bit harsh, because the Russian land has long been regarded by the civilized European world as a land of barbarians and a low point of civilization. Anna, the sister of the Byzantine emperor, was a princess born in the Purple Chamber. How could you Slavic barbarians possibly dream of such a thing?

It's worth noting that even the son of Holy Roman Emperor Otto was rejected by the Byzantines, let alone the Slavs! But Basil II had no choice at this moment; the country was in peril, and he could only agree on the condition that Vladimir be baptized and accept Christianity.

After Vladimir's military intervention and the suppression of the imperial rebellion, Byzantium attempted to renege on its debts. Vladimir then attacked Khersones, a key Byzantine city in Crimea, and successfully forced Anna into marriage. He was baptized in Khersones and then took Princess Anna back to Kiev to enforce the baptism.

In this way, the Grand Duchy of Kievan Rus' successfully gained political equal status with the Byzantine imperial family. The Eastern Orthodox Church brought a mature administrative, document, and legal system, as well as the ideological template of "emperor-patriarch" co-governance from the Eastern Roman Empire.

But why did Vladimir establish Eastern Orthodoxy as the state religion? It is said that Vladimir sent envoys to investigate Islam, Judaism, Latin Christianity (Germany), and Greek Christianity.

Islam was rejected because of its prohibition of alcohol, since the Rus' people found pleasure in drinking; Judaism was considered ominous because the Jews had lost their homeland; the Latin Church had "no glory," and only the Hagia Sophia of the Greek Church made messengers "not know whether they were in heaven or on earth."

This narrative is, of course, a literary embellishment by later chroniclers, but it is enough to show that Kievan Rus' at that time very much wanted to join the civilized world.

This is probably the source of what Russian historians consider to be the "inferiority complex," as Russia has historically harbored a sense of inferiority towards the West.

For example, the aristocracy after Peter the Great spoke so much French that they forgot how to speak Russian; the long passages of French dialogue at the beginning of Tolstoy's "War and Peace" are not literary exaggeration, but reality; Pushkin even needed his wet nurse Alina to teach him colloquial Russian when he wrote poetry.

By the mid-19th century, the cultural mother tongue of the Russian aristocracy was, in a sense, French, while Russian was something that needed to be learned and discovered.

Russia seems to always want to import some advanced things from the West. For example, in history, it chose to invite Princess Catherine from Germany to be the Tsar because of the succession problem. It also introduced Marxism from the West and completed the Russification of Marxism.

In the 19th century, a major debate took place in Russian intellectual circles: "Westernists vs. Slavists." Russian intellectuals spent half a century repeatedly asking themselves the same question:

Are we even part of Europe? If not, then what are we, Russia?

In 1836, Chaadaev published "Philosophical Letters," in which he said, "Russia belongs neither to the West nor to the East; we have no tradition." Tsar Nicholas I immediately declared him insane.

Herzen went to London to publish "The Bell" and criticized Russia's inherent weaknesses from a Western perspective.

In his later years, Dostoevsky wrote in "The Writer's Diary" that "the mission of the Russians is undoubtedly that of all Europe and the world," which, in effect, means: "We are not trying to integrate into the West, we are trying to save the West."

The Slavophiles went a step further; figures like Khomyakov and Kireevsky argued that Russia had its own unique tradition of cohesion, something superior to Western individualism.

So rather than saying that the Slavs felt inferior and wanted to integrate into the West, it is more accurate to say that it was a deeply torn mix of love and hate—feeling inferior to the West, yet also feeling morally and spiritually superior to the West, with these two emotions coexisting and amplifying each other.

Furthermore, regarding Marxism, Marx himself held very contradictory views on Russia. In his early years, he was a staunch anti-Russian, viewing Tsarist Russia as a reactionary bastion in Europe. However, in his later years, he developed a strong interest in Russian rural communes, seriously studied whether "Russia could skip the capitalist stage and directly enter socialism," and even learned Russian specifically for this purpose.

Lenin added a whole host of very Russian elements to Marxism: vanguard theory, professional revolutionaries, and the unity of party and state. Then, during the Stalin era, the creation of socialism in one country was achieved, which essentially stuffed the Slavic core of "we are special, we must follow our own path" into the shell of Marxism.

In the end, we will find a paradox: the Soviet Union, as a practitioner of the "most Western ideology," has become the biggest other of the West.

Vladimir wanted the Byzantine princess, and after many twists and turns, he finally got her;

Peter the Great wanted European technology, and in the end, he "cut open a window to Europe";

Catherine wanted to enlighten minds, so she introduced French and held academic salons;

In the 19th century, if one wanted to study German philosophy, one should simply copy Hegel and Schelling.

The 20th century needed German economics, and it also brought in Marxism;

In the 90s, to develop American economics, they hired Sachs to implement shock therapy...

Every time, Russia will always go through a spiral cycle of "Hey, this Western gadget is pretty good, take it!", "Why isn't this working properly?", "Damn, no, we've been fooled by the West!", and "Actually, we have our own path."

This is the twisted Russian civilization, spanning Eurasia and neither purely Eastern nor purely Western, forever asking itself, "Who am I?" And each cycle is simultaneously a redefinition of this Russian land.

As the first milestone in Russia's entry into civilization, the Orthodox Church, flowing into Kievan Rus', brought with it Byzantine icons, architecture, laws, and methods of governance. Orthodox Christianity became the root of Russian identity, and after the fall of Constantinople, Russians considered themselves to have taken up that banner—Moscow was the Third Rome, the last and eternal center of Orthodox Christianity!

For a believer, 988 was the moment when Russia became a Christian nation, the moment when the land of Russia was brought into the universal church.

But the biggest problem now is that the ruling Communist Party adheres to state atheism, and religion is regarded as the spiritual opium of the people. For the past seventy years, the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union has been suppressed.

Since the October Revolution, the number of churches in Russia has dwindled from over 50,000 to just a few hundred. During the Great Patriotic War, Stalin relaxed religious controls to strengthen mobilization, only to tighten them again after the war. Khrushchev also launched an anti-religious campaign, closing more than half of the churches that had been restored during Stalin's era. By the time of Brezhnev, the Orthodox Church was openly declining, with most believers only able to remain in secrecy.

PS: Although it is counterintuitive, Comrade Stalin was much more tolerant of religious issues than his predecessors and successors, perhaps because he was a priest.

On this day, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union approved the request of the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church.

The reason is not complicated. Slava's approach to handling ethnic issues in the constituent republics over the years has not been the old method of brutal suppression. The Russian Orthodox Church has observed this and has become interested. In exchange, it is willing to help the CPSU: on issues of ethnicity and separatism in the constituent republics, it will help the CPSU maintain the unity of the union; it is willing to accept the supervision and control of the CPSU.

Slava agreed, but he did not speak publicly about the topic.

Because he was a Communist Party member, he believed there was no savior, no gods or emperors, and that tomorrow must be created through one's own hands. As the General Secretary of the CPSU, he represented the party and could not publicly endorse religion; he could only permit it privately.

Even so, this incident caused a huge uproar in religious circles.

This shows that, in the eyes of the new General Secretary, religion has its place in Russian culture!

Many observers saw it as a signal that religious relations in the Soviet Union were about to change, and it was time to reach out to the Soviet Union and ask the General Secretary for his opinion.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After the celebration, the KGB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent reports.

The report essentially stated that the proportion of religious believers attending the celebration was not high. A significant portion of those who came were not actually devout believers—they came for the Russian cultural traditions, for the excitement of the millennium celebration, and simply to join in the fun and see something new.

Only a minority of people kneel down to pray for their faith.

As Slava looked at the report, the weight that had been hanging over him finally lifted.

What he was most worried about was never the outwardly recognized, tamed, and decrepit Orthodox Church. What he was truly worried about was—

Could it be that under the repression of the past seventy years, a large number of secret underground believers have hidden among ordinary citizens? On the surface, they are good citizens of the Soviet Union and good cadres of the Party, but deep down they harbor an unquenchable religious belief!

If that's the case, then a purge of the cadre ranks will have to be carried out after this celebration.

Fortunately, this celebration shows that religion in the Soviet Union was more of a culture, a sense of identity, a custom left by ancestors, and a cultural heritage.

Since it's culture, that makes things easier—culture can be guided, utilized, and co-opted!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Following the celebrations, Slava received the Orthodox Patriarch and his delegation at the Kremlin.

The Patriarch was named Pimen.

Pimen became Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in 1971. By 1988, he was very old and in poor health. He made many compromises, signed many documents, and made many deals with the KGB during the Brezhnev era, but he ultimately brought the church to this day.

Pimmen made a number of suggestions. He hoped to restore public religious activities, and he spoke of the current situation of the church and the state of religious development in the various republics of the Eastern Bloc.

"...The Orthodox Church has no intention of interfering with the Soviet regime's management of the country. The Church fully supports citizens' freedom of religion, and the Church can also help the Soviet Union—it can help promote patriotism, help maintain the stability of the regime, and can do diplomatic work for the Soviet Union on the international stage."

Slava knew the power of the last point. When Poland was in the Solidarity movement, Pope John Paul II of the Catholic Church came to Poland to cause trouble. How many people are in Poland? Just over thirty million. How many believers came to see John Paul II? The Pope's pilgrimage attracted nearly ten million people!

A single word from the Pope could throw Moscow into chaos and rally Catholics throughout the Western world against the Soviet Union; that's the terrifying power of religion!

The Eastern Orthodox Church wields influence within the Orthodox community worldwide—in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Greece, and beyond. This influence was a readily available asset in Soviet diplomacy.

Pimen laid out these benefits, hoping that Slava would be lenient and allow the resumption of public Orthodox activities.

Just then, one of the bishops in the delegation tentatively spoke up: "Then, Your Excellency Mr. Ivanov, could you consider adding military chaplains to the army? This would make the army—"

"Shut up!" Pimen shouted, then quickly apologized to Slava.

Slava knew that the two of them were putting on an act for him.

The entire play had only one purpose: to test. To test Slava's attitude towards religion. If he softened like Gorbachev, then the church could take advantage of him; if he hardened like Khrushchev, then it wouldn't matter if he continued to play the subservient role.

"Alright, alright, ignorance is no excuse. This bishop probably doesn't understand the Soviet armed forces. If we want the Party to command the gun, we never need religion; we need to use communist ideology to guide the army's direction," Slava said casually.

This reminded him! The Soviet army's political commissar system, after decades of ups and downs, had become a "political deputy position" and was completely rotten. Military reform was imperative.

We must never abandon the political work system and relinquish control over the army, as Yeltsin and Gorbachev did in history.

After noting this down, Slava set the tone: "Patriarch, our Soviets respect the freedom of belief of our citizens, and this will not change."

Pimian nodded slightly.

"I think this millennium celebration was very well done. It successfully proved that Orthodox Christianity is by no means just a spiritual opium; over the past thousand years, it has become an integral part of Russian culture, an objective fact that we must acknowledge."

These few sentences are meant to save face for the other person.

Slava then changed the subject: "But there is one thing I must make clear to you—the legal framework for the CPSU's treatment of religious organizations will not change, and I personally think Comrade Stalin did a very good job."

He was referring to the Regulations on Religious Organizations promulgated during the Stalin era in 1929.

This law stipulates that religious organizations must register with the state; religious activities can only be held in registered churches; no religious education—especially education for minors—can be conducted in public places or religious venues; religious organizations are prohibited from engaging in charity, publishing, or social services; and clergy are prohibited from proselytizing outside of churches.

These measures together confine religion to a few registered buildings.

It forbids religions from engaging with young people, from gaining prestige from society, from publishing books, and from entering society.

Slava wanted to keep this cage.

“Regarding the issue of publishing, I know you have underground newspapers and publications; the KGB isn’t blind. You can sell your publications in churches, but only in churches,” Slava said.

"Then comes the education issue that you care about most—this is an absolute red line. No religion is allowed to conduct education in public schools or public places. I can't control what you do in your own homes, and I can't control what you preach in churches. I think I've been very tolerant. Don't push your luck."

Pimen understood and bowed to Slava: "Thank you for your kindness."

Slava may give religion a celebration, a dignity, a "cultural" status—but he will not loosen a single bar of the cage left over from the Stalin era!

"Khrushchev's repression of religion was indeed somewhat excessive, and even Comrade Brezhnev did not restore it. Now you ask me how I want to deal with religion... I think Comrade Stalin's solution is very good," Slava concluded. "As for the specifics, our Politburo will need to discuss it further."

The day after the Orthodox Patriarch left, Slava convened a Politburo meeting to discuss how to deal with religion.

The meeting began with some debate about the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Some conservatives on the committee actually supported incorporating the Orthodox Church! Their reasoning was that the Orthodox Church is the state religion of Russia, the root of Russian national character, and represents traditional values. At a time when reforms are causing unrest and various liberal noises are emerging, bringing in the Orthodox Church—this old-fashioned church that emphasizes tradition, order, and obedience—as an ally would be a perfect way to block the unhealthy trends of liberal intellectuals.

On the other side were the staunchly religious party members—they wouldn't stand for it. In their view, atheism was the foundation of communism, the very basis of the party's existence. Giving religion even an inch of space now would be a betrayal of faith, the first shovel of earth being dug into the foundation of Marxism!

The KGB's concern is control. They are well aware of how deeply the Orthodox Church has been infiltrated—from the Stalin era to the present, the Church's specific movements have been monitored by the KGB. As long as the KGB retains control over the appointment and approval of senior Church personnel, they will not object.

"I think the Orthodox Church is like a caged bird. It can be released to chirp when needed, but the cage cannot be dismantled. It can be managed using Comrade Stalin's methods."

Stalin's secularization theory remains relevant even today.

Its purpose is not to cruelly oppress or force conversion, but to suppress the spread of religion, so that the Party has enough time and energy to manage and develop society, occupy the ecological niche of religion, and let religion naturally roll into the corners of society by enriching material and spiritual culture.

When a person no longer worries about whether they will have food to eat tomorrow, whether they will be taken care of if they are sick, whether they will have a pension when they are old, or whether their children can receive an education, their psychological need to "seek protection from supernatural forces" will decrease significantly.

The functions that religion has historically provided—an explanation of suffering, a solace for death, a promise of redress for injustice ("the afterlife will be better"), a sense of community—can all be replaced by secular institutions in a well-functioning modern welfare state.

However, it is important to note that a developed material life and a developed spiritual life must go hand in hand; neither can be neglected!

The United States is one of the world's wealthiest and most developed countries, with high levels of education, advanced technology, and abundant material resources—yet its religious population is far higher than that of European countries at a similar level of development. By 1988, over 90 percent of Americans claimed to believe in God, and 40 percent regularly attended church.

Compared to countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, although they still nominally have a state religion (Lutheranism) and the vast majority of people are registered as church members, their actual religious participation rate is surprisingly low.

Less than five percent of people in Sweden regularly attend church services, and Danes are increasingly inclined to say "it doesn't matter" when asked whether God exists, but the situation is different in the United States.

The social safety net in the United States is much weaker than in Europe—healthcare, education, and elderly care are highly market-driven, leading to greater uncertainty for individuals. In a society where "you are responsible for yourself," people have a greater need for the psychological security and community support that religion provides. Moreover, the religious market in the United States is highly competitive—hundreds of denominations compete for followers, constantly innovating and adapting to consumer needs, thus maintaining the vitality of religion.

Therefore, material abundance is a necessary condition for the natural decline of religion, but not a sufficient one. If a society is materially wealthy but spiritually empty, with broken community ties and atomized interpersonal relationships, religion will still fill that void.

For Slava to marginalize religion naturally, he needs to not only provide people with food and clothing, but also a secular spiritual home: scientific veneration, respect for labor, collective honor, and cultural participation.

This was Lenin's original vision: a self-realizing communist society has no fertile ground for religion to survive.

The Church's current subservience to Slava is largely due to circumstances forcing them to yield. What were the consequences of the Catholic Church's control over Europe in the Middle Ages? The Inquisition, witch hunts, systematic suppression of dissent, and the bloody Crusades.

What has Iran become since the 1979 Islamic Revolution? Theocracy, moral policing, systematic disenfranchisement of women, and brutal repression of dissidents.

What was Afghanistan under Taliban rule? It suppressed girls' access to higher education, destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas, and carried out public executions.

What has Saudi Arabia's export of Wahhabism resulted in? Religious extremism and terrorism on a global scale.

History has repeatedly proven that when religion gains absolute political power, it inevitably leads to totalitarianism and repression—because religion claims to possess absolute truth, which is not open to questioning, competition, or dissent!

A regime that claims to represent the will of God cannot logically accept the existence of an opposition unless it is a secular state.

Chapter 98 The Soviet Union: Taking Risks

After the United States and the Soviet Union reached a consensus to jointly exploit Japan, a new storm began to emerge over the Pacific Ocean.

On June 18th, the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun published a news article.