TERMINOLOGICAL FRONT: «RUSKIY MIR» («RUSSIAN WORLD/PEACE») IN RELIGIOUS AND CONFESSIONAL RHETORIC (THE SCIENCE OF RELIGION PERCEPTION OF EXISTENTIAL CHOICE)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15407/fd2023.01.026

Keywords:

terminological front, «russkii mir», «Russian world/peace», religious and confessional rhetoric, Russian Orthodox Church, UOC MP

Abstract

The task of this article is to clarify the appropriateness and adequacy of peace-making (confessional) rhetoric in the situation of the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in particular, the meaningful correspondence of the concept of «peace» in its application or reading by the bearers of different worldview paradigms. The «russkii mir» cannot be translated either as «Russian peace» or as «Russian world». This is because the scope and content of these concepts are different. Rus (Kyiv`s Rus) — a thousand-year-old princely state with its center in Kyiv, where the ancestors of modern Ukrainians lived, baptized by Prince Volodymyr in 988. Rus is not Russia. But Muscovy adopted the name Russia to derive its historiography from Rus. «Russkii mir» actually refutes the axiological principles laid down by ancient Rus’s civilization (freedom, dignity, partnership, co-creation, mutual responsibility).

«Russkii mir» destroys peace in global or any local images, trying to grab the territory it decided to own. «Russkii mir» encroaches on world domination and therefore tries to impose its rules of the game on the world, which would reshape the world structure according to the wishes of the Russian dictators. For this, «russkii mir» uses any means and institutions as a tool: the army, weapons of mass destruction, atrocities, terror, lies, propaganda, the church and peace-making rhetoric. The goal is not to restore peace, but to establish the world domination of the Russian Empire in any of its variants (Muscovy, Russian Empire, Soviet Union, Russian Federation or Orthodox Civilization).

Russian Orthodox Church plays a leading role in this — it uses religious rhetoric to formu- late a worldview model of the «russkii mir», consolidates the Russian population for a war of aggression, and justifies the atrocities of the Russian military with the sacred mission of restoring the Holy Rus’. Russian Orthodox Church justifies the «civilizing mission» of the Russian troops, actually calls to protect «our Common Russian Fatherland» by killing Ukrainians on the territo- ry of Ukraine. False messianism, manichaeism, paternalism, hatred of the civilized world that lives by democratic standards and respects the dignity and freedom of the individual, Russian arrogance, conceit, supremacy and egomania — this is what Russian Orthodoxy promotes with its religious rhetoric. Therefore, if we hear calls for «peace» from the bearer of the «russkii mir»’s worldview, it actually means a demand to come to terms with all their whims, to give up one’s own identity, one’s own world, one’s own life, if they do not fit into the concept of «russkii mir».

Author Biography

Oksana HORKUSHA

PhD in Philosophy, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Religious Studies, H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 4, Triochsviatytelska St., Kyiv, 01001, Ukraine

References

Kirill's «russkii mir» is not for Ukraine (2014). A collection of scientific articles / Ed. by Prof. A. Kolodnyi. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv.

questions to the episcopate and the UOC Synod from the clergy and laity (2023). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://fosfanariou.gr/index.php/2023/01/17/na-katadikastei-i-mosxa-zi-toun-oi-pistoi-tis-parataxis-onoufriou/.

Fylypovych, L., Horkusha, O. (2020а). Interdenominational dialogue in contemporary ukraine: correction in war and pandemic conditions. In: Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, 40 (5). Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/ vol40/iss5/4/?fbclid=IwAR2e1hpoGEhxWRpzWMkjJSPjr7O_ DKUUXteHDB0Tcx7e9hxSAMAskMsVFUI.

Fylypovych, L., Horkusha, O. (2022). Relevance and risks of ecumenical/interreligious dialogue in the context of the global challenges of the Russian-Ukrainian war. In: Relationship btw Religion and Globalization: religious particularism VS religious universalism. Book of abstracts. Struga (Macedonia). Retrieved from: http://fzf.ukim.edu.mk/en/second-european-confer- ence-for-religious-dialogue-and-cooperation-relationship-between-religion-and-globali- zation-religious-particularism-vs-religious-universalism-3/.

Kirill Patriarh (2022). Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/PatriarhKirill/.

Kirill Patriarh (2023) Sermon for the Baptism of Christ on January 19, 2023. [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGk4DlkUp44&ab_channel=russianchurch.

Bystrytskyi, Ye. (2020). The birth of the stranger from the identity of the community. [In Uk- tainian]. In: Ideology and Politics, 2 (16), 42-61.

Horkusha O. (2017) Interfaith dialogue in modern Ukraine: motives, conditions, purpose, subjects, levels of understanding. [In Ukrainian]. Ukrainian religious studies. Bulletin of the Ukrainian Association of Religious Scholars and the Department of Religious Studies, H.S. Sko- voroda Institute of Philosophy, NAS of Ukraine, 83, 45-60.

https://doi.org/10.32420/2017.83.768

Horkusha O. (2021) The post-colonial path from the «Russian world/peace» to the Ukrainian world: a network of identities on the map of worldview horizons. [Іn Ukrainian]. «Ruskiy mir» as a doctrine: origins, threats and methods. Philosophical dialogues, 21-22, 70-90.

Horkusha, O. (2022). The Ukrainian world as an earthly ecumen - a religious and worldview section. [In Ukrainian]. In: The Ukrainian world in its religious dimensions: a collective monograph / Ed. by prof. L. Fylypovych and prof. A. Aristova (pp. 55-94). . Kyiv. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FhWP6mH_76WKJ6tzoMtQrxsEevx6KLVu/view?fb- clid=IwAR3jH6dWhxpieskmTCt4skK4f3TaRnFYt9ufEE0h9Vzq8F9opFq3Lhjs2Xc.

Yermolenko, A. (2021). Argumentative discourse in the culture of dialogue. [In Ukrainian]. In: Culture of dialogue. National Round Table: Collection of Articles. Center for Research of Po- litical Values. Kharkiv: «Folio». Retrieved from: https://nashformat.ua/reader/50975#epu- bcfi(/6/14[bookcontent4_0]!/4/2/42/1:0).

Yermolenko, A. (2022). Resistance instead of negotiations. [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://filosof.com.ua/tpost/dxm3d5j991-sprotiv-zamst-peremovin. https://drive.google. com/file/d/1K5Z1JN_Z00gbqdPntKnM6dhHXgLu16cY/view. [=Єрмоленко 2022]

Zdioruk, S., Yablonskyi, V., Tokman, V. et al. (2014). Ukraine and the «Russian world» project: analyst. Report. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: NISD. URL: http://www.niss.gov.ua/articles/159.

Kozlovskyi, I. (2021). Peculiarities of building a constructive interconfessional and interreligious dialogue in Ukraine. [In Ukrainian]. In: Culture of dialogue. National Round Table: Collec- tion of Articles. Retrieved from: https://nashformat.ua/reader/50975#epubcfi(/6/60[book- content27_0]!/4/2/150/1:398)ю

Kolodnyi, A. (2005). Ukraine in its religious images. Monograph. Lviv: SPOLOM.

Kolodnyi, A. (2013). Historiosophy of religion: Ukrainian context. [In Uktainian]. In: A. Kolodnyi, Historiosophy of religion. Monograph (pp. 219-368). Kyiv: UAR. [=Колодний 2013]

Kolodnyi, A. (2019a). Confessions of Ukraine in the context of its security. [In Ukrainian]. In: Religious security/danger of Ukraine. Collection of scientific works and materials / Ed. by prof. A. Kolodnyi (pp. 12-190). . Kyiv. [=Колодний 2019a]

Kolodnyi, A. (2019b). Moscow invader under the guardianship of the Russian Orthodox Church. [In Ukrainian]. In: Religious security/danger of Ukraine. Collection of scientific works and materials / Ed. by prof. A. Kolodnyi (pp. 69-76). . Kyiv.

Kolodnyi, A. (2019c). Ukrainian Orthodoxy is not all Ukrainian Orthodoxy. [In Ukrainian]. In: Religious security/danger of Ukraine. Collection of scientific works and materials / Ed. by prof. A. Kolodnyi (pp. 81-92). Kyiv.

Kolodnyi, A. (2019d). National self-identification of Ukraine: the role of the religious factor. [In Ukrainian]. In: Religious security/danger of Ukraine. Collection of scientific works and materials / Ed. by prof. A. Kolodnyi (pp. 19-26). Kyiv.

Kolodnyi, A. (2022). Ukrainian religiosity in the context of the Ukrainian world. [In Ukrainian]. In: The Ukrainian world in its religious dimensions: a collective monograph / Ed. by prof. L. Fylypovych and prof. A. Aristova (pp. 19-28). Kyiv. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FhWP6mH_76WKJ6tzoMtQrxsEevx6KLVu/view?fbclid=IwAR3jH6dWhx-pieskmTCt4skK4f3TaRnFYt9ufEE0h9Vzq8F9opFq3Lhjs2Xc.

Culture of Dialogue (2021). National Round Table: Collection of Articles. Center for Research of Political Values. [In Ukrainian]. Kharkiv: «Folio».

Lysyi, I. (2019). Dialogue or intercultural, and therefore interconfessional wall. [In Ukarainian]. In: Religious security/danger of Ukraine. Collection of scientific works and materials / Ed. by prof. A. Kolodnyi (pp. 32-43). Kyiv.

Нorkusha, О., Fylypovych, L. (2020b). Relevant methodological algorithms and thematic boundaries of interfaith dialogue: modern ukrainian context. In: BLACK SEA, 56 (5), 19-22.

Onuphrius, Metropolitan (2023). The Primate appealed to the leadership of the Russian Federation: for the sake of Christ, stop killing our people (video) 01/15/2023. [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://news.church.ua/2023/01/17/predstoyatel-zvernuvsya-kerivnictva-rf-zaradi-xrista-pripinit-vbivati-nashix-lyudej-video/.

Religious security/danger of Ukraine (2019) Collection of scientific papers and materials / Ed. by prof. A. Kolodnyi. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: UAR.

Sagan, O. (2021). The struggle of Orthodox identities in Ukraine and the request for a new quality of public theology. [In Ukrainian]. In: Culture of dialogue. National Round Table: Collection of Articles. Center for Research of Political Values. Kharkiv «Folio». Retrieved from: https://nashformat.ua/reader/50975#epubcfi(/6/16[bookcontent5_0]!/4/2/92/1:221).

Tytarenko, V. (2021). The religious factor in the development of the Ukrainian world. [In Ukrainian]. In: Culture of dialogue. National Round Table: Collection of Articles. Retrieved from: https:// nashformat.ua/reader/50975#epubcfi(/6/60[bookcontent27_0]!/4/2/150/1:398).

The Ukrainian world in its religious dimensions (2022). Collective monograph Ed by prof. L. Fylypovych. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv.

Fylypovych, L., Horkusha, O. (2018). Interfaith dialogue in modern Ukraine: expediency and effectiveness of its implementation in conditions of war. [In Ukrainian]. In: Ukrainian religious studies. Bulletin of the NGO «Ukrainian Association of Religious Experts» and the De- partment of Religious Studies, H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy, NAS of Ukraine, 85, 4-16.

https://doi.org/10.32420/2018.85.692

Fylypovych, L., Horkusha, O. (2022а). War for peace or the collapse of ecumenical rhetoric (religious analysis). [In Ukrainian]. Philosophical thought, 3, 44-47.

Fylypovych, L., Horkusha, O. (2022b). Basic concepts and categories that form the term space of the Ukrainian world. [In Ukrainian]. In: The Ukrainian world in its religious dimensions. Collective monograpgph / Ed. by prof. L. Fylypovych (рр. 8-13)/ Kyiv. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FhWP6mH_76WKJ6tzoMtQrxsEevx6KLVu/view?fb- clid=IwAR1Urd-hee1o7DYSFrfMXTubEL8ahGHv51tkbMoi7c8z6QmkbgJAz36AiQE.

Downloads

Abstract views: 256

Published

2023-03-06

How to Cite

HORKUSHA, O. (2023). TERMINOLOGICAL FRONT: «RUSKIY MIR» («RUSSIAN WORLD/PEACE») IN RELIGIOUS AND CONFESSIONAL RHETORIC (THE SCIENCE OF RELIGION PERCEPTION OF EXISTENTIAL CHOICE). Filosofska Dumka, (1), 26–44. https://doi.org/10.15407/fd2023.01.026

Issue

Section

TOPIC OF THE ISSUE

Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.