February 13, 2026
Putin's 'Temple of War' was just the beginning. Russia is building churches, mosques, and even underground chapels to convince the nation that the invasion of Ukraine is sacred.
"The Temple of War: People and Ideas That Made the Russian Invasion Possible," by historian Ilia Venyavkin, profiles the figures who helped Vladimir Putin prime Russians for the attack on Ukraine. Venyavkin cites a visit to the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces in Patriot Park as a primary catalyst for the book. The cathedral, as Venyavkin writes in the preface, was built on Putin’s orders but "had been developing in Russian political culture for many years." The historian draws a parallel to the Russian–Ukrainian war: Putin personally gave the order for the invasion, but the heroes of Moscow’s “Temple of War” — from Army General Sergey Surovikin to RT propagandist Margarita Simonyan — manufactured the public consent that made it possible.
TL;DR
- Russia is constructing numerous religious sites, including churches and mosques, dedicated to military figures and war efforts.
- The Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces, built on Putin's orders, features symbolic designs referencing military history and Soviet victories.
- New churches are being built across Russia to commemorate soldiers killed in past wars and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
- Religious sites, including mosques and underground chapels, are being established even in combat zones in Ukraine to support Russian troops.
- These developments reflect a broader trend of integrating military commemoration into Russian political and cultural life, as detailed in Ilia Venyavkin's book 'The Temple of War'.
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