From the Third Rome to the Burning Lavra: Religion as a Tool of Russian Power Projection

Photo: OpenAI

By Megi Benia

The Russian strike that damaged the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra is more than an attack on a UNESCO World Heritage Site or one of the holiest places in Eastern Orthodoxy. It exposes a deeper contradiction that has long characterized Russia's relationship with religion, history, and power.

For centuries, Russia has sought to portray itself as the heir to the Orthodox Christian world through the policy of the "Third Rome." Following the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Russian rulers and church authorities increasingly advanced the idea that Moscow had inherited the spiritual mission of the Byzantine Empire and become the final guardian of true Christianity. Over time, this concept evolved beyond theology and became a source of political legitimacy, civilizational exceptionalism, and imperial ambition. Today, it remains rooted in Russian strategic culture, informing concepts such as the Russian World (Russkiy Mir) and supporting its self-proclaimed role as a protector of Orthodox peoples, traditional values, and a distinct Eurasian civilization.

At the center of this narrative stands Kyiv. The Christianization of Kyivan Rus in 988 is widely regarded as the foundational moment of Eastern Slavic Christianity, while the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra represents one of the most important spiritual and historical symbols associated with that legacy. Russia's claims to spiritual leadership, historical continuity, and civilizational authority ultimately derive from a heritage that originated in Kyiv rather than Moscow. In many respects, the Lavra represents the very foundation upon which Russia has constructed much of its contemporary historical narrative. This is precisely why the attack is so symbolically powerful. A state that presents itself as the defender of Orthodoxy has damaged one of most sacred sites of Orthodoxy. A state that consistently invokes the legacy of Kyivan Rus has contributed to the destruction of one of the clearest symbols of that heritage. The incident therefore reveals a fundamental reality about Russia’s worldview: its commitment is not to the preservation of Orthodox heritage itself, but to the political utility of that heritage. Religion is embraced when it reinforces state objectives, weaponized when it advances influence, and disregarded when strategic considerations take precedence.

This logic extends far beyond the battlefield and reflects a broader pattern in Russian statecraft. For decades, religion has functioned not only as a spiritual institution but also as an instrument of influence, legitimacy, and power projection. Religious narratives have repeatedly been incorporated into Russia's broader toolkit of influence operations, particularly across the post-Soviet space where questions of identity, history, and cultural affiliation remain politically sensitive. The objective is rarely theological, instead, religion provides a powerful mechanism for shaping perceptions, reinforcing favorable narratives, and exploiting societal divisions. Recent allegations disseminated by Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service concerning Patriarch Bartholomew's supposed efforts to influence the future leadership of the Georgian Orthodox Church illustrate this pattern. Such narratives are designed to generate suspicion, delegitimize institutions, and portray religious developments through a geopolitical lens. By framing external actors as threats to national and religious identity, these operations seek to shape the information environment, erode trust, and create favorable conditions for Russian influence. Similar dynamics have been evident in Ukraine, where Russia's fierce opposition to the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine reflected not only an ecclesiastical dispute but the loss of a significant instrument of cultural and political leverage.

The burning of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra therefore carries significance far beyond the physical damage inflicted on a historic cathedral. It highlights the gap between Russia's rhetoric and its actions while exposing the strategic function religion continues to play within the Kremlin's broader approach to power. The image of flames engulfing one of the most important sites in Orthodox Christianity is particularly striking because it symbolizes the destruction of a heritage that Russia simultaneously claims as central to its own identity. The path from the Third Rome to a burning Lavra tells a revealing story about the evolution of Russian statecraft. It demonstrates how a sacred civilizational narrative has been transformed into an instrument of geopolitical competition and how religion has become integrated into a broader architecture of influence operations, information warfare, and strategic coercion. Ultimately, the attack serves as a reminder that in Russia's strategic mindset, religion is often valued less for its spiritual significance than for its usefulness as a source of legitimacy, influence, and power.

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Megi Benia is Founder and Director of Strategic Security Initiative (SSI)