The "war on Satanism" is becoming a war on self-expression. Read the full investigation by Verstka Media (in Russian) here:
verstka.media/kak-go...
8/8

You can't ban what doesn't exist. Since the "International Satanism Movement" isn't a real organization, the law is used as a cudgel against subcultures, horror fans, and alternative creatives. Real Satanists aren't the ones being caught.
7/8

The "Chilling Effect": Musicians note that "satanic" imagery in metal is usually aesthetic or counter-cultural, not religious. But bc the Supreme Court's full ruling hasn't been published, the criteria are vague. Police can interpret almost any "dark" imagery as extremist.
6/8

The Victims: The dragnet is wide and absurd. Verstka found: A tarot reader in Krasnodar fined for a single card posted on VKontakte; woman fined twice: once for a jacket patch, once for a cosplay photo; and a metal musicians now self-censoring tattoos and album art.
5/8

The Arrests: It wasn't just a shutdown. Artem Repin, a 41-year-old attendee, was sentenced to 12 days of administrative arrest. His crime: His costume included a prop book and cup featuring Baphomet symbols, which the court ruled were "international symbols of Satanism."
4/8

The Crackdown: The "Necrocomiccon" festival in St. Petersburg (formerly Starcon: Halloween) was a major target. Orthodox activists ("Sorok Sorokov") demanded it be banned for "blasphemy." Police raided the event, forcing minors to leave and effectively shutting it down.
3/8

In July 2025, Russia’s Supreme Court declared the "International Satanism Movement" extremist. Displaying a pentagram is now legally equivalent to displaying a swastika. In just 4 months, authorities have opened 20 admin cases. My previous report: russiareligionwatch....
2/8

The ROC is no longer just a religious institution; it is a disciplined arm of the state.
It has traded prophetic distance for political power. As long as the Kremlin prosecutes this war, the Church will sanctify the shells and lobby the world to look away.
12/12

The Jerusalem Pivot connects conflicts. Delegations are drawing parallels between Christians in Gaza and the UOC in Ukraine. It’s a powerful diplomatic wedge used to rally the Global South against "Western-backed aggressors."
11/12

Putin is also making moves in the Middle East. Nov 16: Putin awards the Order of Friendship to Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem to break the unity of Greek churches and secure a "neutral" (pro-Moscow) stance from the Mother Church.
10/12

But in occupied territories, the Church's role is darker. Reports confirm 20,000 children from Donetsk were sent to "summer camps" for ideological re-education. The ROC is the spiritual engine behind this transfer, which aligns with the Siberia relocation scheme.
9/12

On the ground, the persecution narrative was fueled by the seizure of the Holy Transfiguration Church in Moshny (Nov 16). Violent clashes gave Moscow exactly the visual evidence it needed for its lobbyists in D.C.
8/12

The numbers are staggering. Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol reported 50,000 Russian servicemen have been baptized in the combat zone. This is the operationalization of "Holy War" theology to boost morale in a war of attrition.
7/12

Kirill’s "New Symphonia" doctrine effectively absolves the regime of authoritarianism.
The deal is clear: The State protects the Church; the Church sanctifies the State’s geopolitical goals (i.e., the war) as a divine mandate.
6/12

Meeting Putin on Nov 20 in Moscow, Patriarch Kirill declared a new era. He claimed the Church is now freer than under the Tsars or Soviets because there is "no conflict", just total, voluntary alignment with the State.
5/12

The reaction was swift. The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate didn't mince words, labeling the visiting clergy "boosters of Putin's monstrous war" and the visit itself an "intelligence operation."
4/12