Russia sends princes’ relics to the front as part of a war myth, CNN reports

In early September, a fragment of Prince Dmitry Donskoy’s right hand was taken to Russian military positions. CNN reports that the relic is being moved between Russian bases in territories of Ukraine occupied by Russia.

The Moscow Patriarchate said the “holy warrior” would invisibly remain alongside Russian troops. Metropolitan Vladimir, Russia’s appointed Orthodox leader in Donetsk and Mariupol, said the relics would help soldiers and civilians mobilize their spiritual and physical strength for victory.

Dmitry Donskoy in wartime rhetoric

The relic is associated with Donskoy’s victory at the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. Religious studies scholar Sergei Chapnin said the Kremlin uses the prince’s image as that of a defender of the homeland rather than an aggressor, helping frame the current war as Russia’s defence.

Chapnin called this a “mobilization myth” that combines historical figures and events from different eras into a single legend. In his assessment, the relics become a tool for influencing public opinion. Relics of Alexander Nevsky had previously been taken to the front.

Clergy criticise the relics’ use

Orthodox priest and historian Alexander Zanemonts told CNN that the practice has nothing to do with Christianity and amounts to using the church for “patriotic” purposes. Russian priest Grigory Mikhno-Vaitenko, who helps Ukrainian refugees, said the church should offer spiritual support without misleading people.

After Russia announced partial mobilisation in 2022, Patriarch Kirill said that a service member killed while performing military duty makes a sacrifice that washes away sins. Mikhno-Vaitenko, who left the Russian Orthodox Church after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, said the church was effectively blessing killing.

Former and current Russian service members told CNN that prayers, visits by priests and the chance to touch a relic provide moral support to some troops. One Russian fighter in Donbas offered a different view, saying the relics were more needed by the mothers of those killed.

The great-power narrative

British historian Mark Galeotti, cited by The Times, said Vladimir Putin seeks to present himself as Russia’s defender and the war as part of a struggle for the country’s special place in the world. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has said Russia cannot exist without great-power status.

Galeotti also pointed to a gap between that rhetoric and Russia’s position, citing economic stagnation, Ukrainian drone and missile strikes deeper inside Russian territory, and pressure on the regions. In Mordovia, he reported, the payment for recruiting a service member was cut from 3 million roubles to 800,000 roubles, about $9,500.

CNN noted that the church’s political influence does not indicate equally widespread religious practice. About two-thirds of Russians describe themselves as Orthodox, while priests and religious scholars interviewed by CNN estimate that only about 2% regularly observe religious rites.