Those who talk in the temple are consigned to sorrow and woe

I contemplate apathy and ressentiment in Russian society, focusing on Orthodox culture which legitimizes historical despotism, authoritarianism, and military aggression. The work visualize Orthodoxy narrative and its impact on the nation's future.

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In my work, I reflect on the causes of apathy within Russian society, ressentiment, and apparent indifference towards the repressive and aggressive policies of the state.

In a novel about Ivan the Terrible and the terrorist despotism of the XIV century a Russian writer Aleksey Tolstoy wrote that he was most struck not so much by the fact that Ivan IV could exist, but “that there could be such a society that looked at him without indignation”.

Even today, we see a similar society formed by a centuries-old dictatorship. I believe that one of the key forms of this dictatorship is Eastern Orthodoxy — the faith and cultural identity for the majority of Russians. The Orthodox doctrine which is based on the acceptance of suffering, self-sacrifice, and unquestioning submission to patriarchal attitudes creates such a mentality. The title of this project is a striking example of it: this is not a threat, but a typical appeal to keep silent while inside the church.

The Russian political system uses Orthodoxy as a mechanism of propaganda. The statement “there is no power but of God” (Romans 13:1) pronounced by state officials at a national level. According to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), three new churches a day are being opened in Russia. The head of the ROC officially reproaches the desire for well-being and comfort, he calls the Covid-19 “God’s mercy”, while the president of Russia informs that in the event of a nuclear war, “we will go to heaven as martyrs”.

The militarization of the church is becoming also one of the prevailing political attitudes. “Military temples” are being built, weapons are being consecrated. In June 2023, justifying the invasion of Ukraine, the ROC stated that “pacifism is incompatible with the Orthodox teaching”. The new Orthodox dogmatics manifests itself as a convenient and working mechanism of subordination, military aggression, and the irremovability of power.

Today, the word “God” is enshrined in the Constitution of Russia, and since 2013, a law on insulting the feelings of believers has been introduced into the criminal code. This means that, theoretically, my photography work can become a criminal offence if there is a complaint filed.

This project is the last thing I had been working on for several years before leaving Russia. My aim is to visualise the world built by a bearer of modern neo-Orthodox ideology. I imagine a possible future of this country, the ghostly outlines of which are becoming more and more visible in its present.