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The Christian Dimension of Russia's Middle East Policy EXPERTBRIEF

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The Christian Dimension of Russia's Middle East Policy EXPERTBRIEF EXPERTBRIEF REGIONAL POLITICS March 2017 The Christian Dimension of Russia’s Middle East Policy Leonid Issaev & Serafim Yuriev Abstract: Orthodox Christianity arguably constitutes the foundation of the entire Russian cultural spectrum. The majority The historic role of Christianity in Russian external of Russians feel close to the eastern affairs Christian tradition and identify with it The idea of moral and financial support for Christians to varying degrees. Thus, Orthodoxy around the globe is very familiar to the Russian Church inevitably has a profound influence on and to Russia itself. Indeed, the aspirations of the Russian society. On the other hand, the Russian government and the Church coincide in a desire to Orthodox Church does not officially maintain the unity and prosperity of the world Orthodox position itself as an active political community. From the Russian Church’s perspective, any power; on the contrary, its position is kind of aid to suffering Christians wherever they are in that churches are spiritual institutions the world is undoubtedly a positive thing, fully reflecting alien to big politics. Nevertheless, it the historic mission of Russia as a katechon state – the still has a significant impact upon the strongest Orthodox power and the successor to the political elite. Byzantine Empire in the role of protector of Orthodox Christians throughout the world. In this context, the "Orthodox question" has been steadily growing in post-Soviet Orthodox Christians outside of Russia predominantly live Russia, becoming a convenient tool in the Balkans and the Middle East. In the Middle East for the Russian government to use to they are largely found in the Levant and the southeast of encourage ideological values clearly Turkey. From the 15th century onwards, as a result of the reflecting their domestic and foreign conquest of Constantinople and the subsequent Turkish policy among the Russian population. expansion, all these areas came under Turkish rule. That Syria has now become the most suitable is why we can reasonably draw a link between Russia and platform from which to make use of Eastern Orthodox churches in the context of the Russian- 1 the "Orthodox factor". This analysis will Ottoman struggle. From the 17th century to the end of not comment on whether or not the the Russian Empire there were regular Russian-Turkish real purpose of the Russian military wars for influence in the areas of the Ottoman Empire operation has been the protection of the where the native Christian population lived (primarily Christian population in Syria. This is not the Balkans and Georgia and Ossetia in the Caucasus). the point. There is no doubt, however, that the protection of the Orthodox The intention to protect the Orthodox Church in the population in Syria is actively being Ottoman Empire stemmed from Russia being the most used by the Kremlin to justify Russia's significant Orthodox political power of the time., In one military operation in the eyes of its of the articles of the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774, own population. Hence, Orthodoxy in the right to partially supervise the rights of Orthodox its role as a fundamental element of Christians was formally given to Russia. Afterwards, modern Russian identity is being used two armed conflicts that perfectly demonstrated the as a way of legitimizing the actions of the Russian leadership in Syria. The Christian Dimension of Russia’s Middle East Policy ALSHARQ • ExpertBrief traditional tendency of Russia to support the Antioch (Arabic) Orthodox Church. For their brothers in faith took place during the example, historians recorded unprecedented reign for Nicholas I (1825–1885). The first donations of large sums of cash from Ivan followed the outbreak of the Greek War of IV to all the eastern patriarchs in September Independence (1821–1830) and constituted 1558 via Archimandrite Gennady and the a defense of the Greek Orthodox nation merchant Vasily Poznyakov2. It is presumed by Russia in its struggle against what was that close contact between Russia and the perceived as repressive Turkish rule. The Antiochian Orthodox Church was established second conflict, historically known as the after the visit of Patriarch of Antioch Joachim Crimean War (1853–1856), ended in the Treaty Dow in 1586 to Moscow where one of his of Paris (1856), which presented Russia with companions, Metropolitan Isa, reported highly unfavorable terms. Significantly, the being delighted by the beauty of Moscow and impetus for Russia to declare war on the the glamor of the tzar’s court. Ottoman Empire had been an insult by the Ottoman sultan to orthodox christians – he passed the keys to the Church of the Nativity in Russian traditional foreign policy Bethlehem to the Catholics, in utter disregard included the permanent protection of of the rights of the Orthodox Church in the orthodox christians in the regions over Holy Land. This typical historical precedent which she could exert her influence. is very important, vividly demonstrating that Russia started this unnecessary war purely for the sake of those sharing their As the Russian arabist Konstantin Panchenko faith. Evidently, Russian traditional foreign notes, “That is how the legends of the policy included the permanent protection of fabulous wealth of the Muscovites arose orthodox christians in the regions over which urging masses of eastern clerics to travel to she could exert her influence. Russia in hope of the tzar’s handouts.”3 To tell the truth, such visits were quite rare and From the Russian Church’s perspective, any the relationship between Antioch and Russia kind of aid to suffering Christians wherever was not regularly renewed. However, it was they are in the world is undoubtedly a positive during this period that the brotherly feelings thing, fully reflecting the historic mission of and compassion of the Orthodox Arabs for Russia began to have political consequences. Russia as a katechon state – the strongest It even be said that they made the strategic Orthodox power and the successor to the choice of a geopolitical patron. Byzantine Empire in the role of protector of Orthodox Christians throughout the world. The key event in the history of Russian-Arab orthodox relations was the visit of Orthodox It should be emphasized that Russian Patriarch of Antioch Macarius to Moscow participation in the life of Levantine in the mid-17th century. Macarius spent orthodoxy was significantly less active than about two years in Russia, and strengthened in the Balkans or the Caucasus. Nonetheless, ties with Moscow significantly, leaving a the links between orthodox Arabs and long memory of this event in both Syria the Russian Empire were still quite close. and in Russia. As a result, the grounds for Consequently, financial aid in the form of royal political and religious interactions were alms was regularly sent to Eastern Orthodox laid. Moreover, there emerged a situation in Churches during the reign of Ivan the Terrible which the Orthodox Arabs, chafing under the (1534-1584) and among the recipients was Turkish yoke, looked to Russia for political 2 The Christian Dimension of Russia’s Middle East Policy ALSHARQ • ExpertBrief and financial support, while Russia in turn even throughout the Soviet atheistic era. It used them as informers about the political is common knowledge that in Soviet times, situation in the Middle East. Many pages the Orthodox community in the Middle in the history of Moscow’s relations with East were the conductors of Soviet influence the Orthodox East are known to have been in the Middle East.4 The most commonly written by members of Christian Orthodox given example of this phenomenon is the society in the Ottoman territories, including public defense of the Soviet Union’s policy military and political intelligence about the and presence in the Middle East by the lay of the land in the Middle East. Metropolitan of the Biblos and Botriss, Elias Karam. The key event in the history of Russian- It appears that relations between Russia Arab orthodox relations was the visit of and Orthodox Arabs have already started Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch Macarius to manifest themselves with renewed vigor. to Moscow in the mid-17th century. Russia is historically bound to a close working partnership with the Arab Orthodox Church. When Peter the Great became Russian Given this rich history of bilateral relations, Emperor this policy altered dramatically. which originated in the distant era of Ivan Due to Russia’s turn to the west in this the Terrible and continued throughout the period, the country’s connection with the centuries, even surviving the Soviet era, Eastern patriarchates noticeably weakened. renewed collaboration was almost inevitable. A permanent Russian diplomatic mission was established in Istanbul and the need Paradoxically, by inertia, the traditional for informers disappeared. However, the relationship between Russia and Eastern orientation of the churches in Antioch Orthodoxy in the Middle East persisted and Jerusalem toward Russia remained even throughout the Soviet atheistic era. It unchanged. For example, the correspondence is common knowledge that in Soviet times, of Jerusalem Patriarch Parthenius (1737–1766) with the Russian resident in Istanbul Alexey the Orthodox community in the Middle Vishnyakov (1700–1745) displays the patriarch’s East were the conductors of Soviet influence pro-Russian mindset. Subsequently, in 1882, in the Middle East. the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, which is still active to this day, was founded The role of Middle Eastern Orthodox by emperor Alexander III. At the time it was a Christians in the external affairs of modern rather influential humanitarian organization Russia funded directly from the treasury of the Christians living on the territory of the Russian Empire. Its main task was to promote Levant are represented by two patriarchates: the Orthodox pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Jerusalem and Antioch. The jurisdiction of scholarly research in Palestine, orientalism, the patriarchate of Antioch extends into and humanitarian cooperation with the Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and the eastern regions peoples of the Middle East.
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