First ever church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster opens in Russia

This article is very interesting especially with Russia's very complicated relationship with religion. According to Russia Beyond the Headlines an project led by Rossiyskaya Gazeta the Church of the Flying Spagetti Monster opened its doors in Nizhny Novgorod. According to the article "Pastafarianism (followers of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster) is a so-called parody religion that emerged in the United States after physics graduate Bobby Henderson protested against the Kansas State Board of Education’s decision to allow the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in science classes." This Religion is at most a joke, created by Atheists to display the absurdity of some religious belief.

This is a very strange development especially after the 1997 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations. That law makes it very difficult for new religions to form in Russia, and it assures domination of the Russian Eastern Orthodox Church. A religion that parodies and makes fun of religion could prove to be very inflammatory to the Orthodox Church which holds a lot of political influence. It may not be long before they crack down on this religion.

Links: http://rbth.com/politics_and_society/2016/03/29/first-ever-church-of-the-flying-spaghetti-monster-opens-in-russia_580129
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_on_Freedom_of_Conscience_and_Religious_Associations

Ramzan Kadyrov: The "Insta-Famous" Leader of the Republic of Chechnya

On Ramzan A. Kadyrov's wikipedia page, he is classified as a "Warlord."  However, this is not his most interesting characterization: the President of the Republic of Chechnya is widely known as an active contributor to the social media site Instagram, where he uploads numerous photos to his personal account on a daily basis.

Kadyrov_95 has over 1.7 million followers and almost 7,000 posts.  Like many other users of Instagram, his photos show himself, his family and friends, and his activities.  Unlike many other users of Instagram, Kadyrov is the leader of a North Caucasus Republic with a tumultuous and war-torn past, and his friends include celebrities, athletes, politicians -- most notably the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

Kadyrov has been involved in Chechen politics for most of his life.  His father, Ahkmad Kadyrov, (a former rebel against Russia who switched sides to get power), was the President of Chechnya until he was assassinated in 2004.  Ramzan Kadyrov succumbed to the presidency in 2007.  Under Kadyrov's presidency, Chechnya has been rebuilt from the ruins caused by the First and Second Chechen Wars.  Kadyrov has kept order in his Republic, and is loyal to no one except President Putin.

Kadyrov's Instagram shows the facade he wants to show the world.  While he posts vehemently about his faith and religion (Islam) on the social media platform, he is known for his human rights abuses, corruption, and protection of Chechen criminals.  It is definitely interesting to see a social media-savvy politician.

Recently, Kadyrov has declared that he wants to step down.  This has been to the dismay of many, resulting in widespread use of hashtags on social media featuring: #RamzanIsOurLeader! #КадыровНашЛидер! and #RamzanDontLeave #РамзанНеуходи, leading to speculation that this campaign has been instigated or endorsed by the government.

Who knows what will happen to Chechnya (or Instagram) if Ramzan leaves???

You can follow this Warlord and World Leader on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/kadyrov_95/

 In the article "Serbs protest government’s NATO deal, call to Russia for help," RT claims that the Serbian people need Russia's help in order to keep NATO out of their affairs. RT claims the protesters said,“The deal with NATO contradicts the will of the Serbian people, and breaks the constitution, as NATO will be able to use our infrastructure, and wander around as they wish,” to claim that this deal is somehow going to allow the west to exploit them. The Prime Minister said "its critics are 'stuck in the 17th century,' and insisting that 'Serbia is maintaining its sovereignty and wants to cooperate both with NATO and with the Russian Federation.'"     

This article is a great example of Russia's state owned media creating an example of their false "responsibility to protect" pattern which is illustrated in Dunn and Bobick's article "The empire strikes back: War without war and occupation without occupation in the Russian sphere of influence" referenced below. By showing a protest in response to a Serbian government deal with NATO, they can influence public opinion into believing that the Serbian people want Russian help and that it is their duty to help them, despite the reality being that Russia is trying to push back EU and NATO influence. It is just another influence of Putin's information warfare. I am unsure what his intentions as to Serbia are, but it probably has a great deal to do with the Balkan intervention during the Clinton administration.


https://www.rt.com/news/333142-serbia-nato-immunity-protest/

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/amet.12086/abstract

This found media is a clip from the BBC documentary, ‘Extreme Russia: Far Right and Proud’ produced in 2015. The presenter is visiting the headquarters of a new nationalist youth, Network located in Moscow. This group is a collective of young middle class creatives that have talents in the fields of culture and new media. This group was formed as a response to the Bolotnaya Square protests and Putin’s desire to mould a future patriotic generation. The group have a conservative agenda advocating values of heterosexual relationships, protection of national religions especially that of the Russian Orthodox Church and the preservation of the Russian language. The organisation is responsible for projects such as the production of a new series of superhero films in which everyday Russians show themselves as patriots.

This example of a nationalist youth organisation supports the general assumption that nationalism is on the rise with an increase of anti western sentiment and xenophobia becoming more prevalent. This group is an example of of cultural nationalism in line with the Kremlin’s conservative agenda. The members of the organisation genuinely seem convinced by its message with the intention of spreading their beliefs across the nation. The group is also extremely well funded, a main sponsor being the Kremlin and the members do see it as a means to gain opportunities in their careers and network with the right people. 

Link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3X4sdzPT1vKWbSgRrnc4QGf/reggie-yates-the-opportunity-to-challenge-myself-in-another-corner-of-the-world-was-one-i-couldnt-turn-down