Blessed Films: The Russian Orthodox Church and Patriotic Culture in the 2000s

Abstract

This chapter discusses official blessing of the then-Patriarch of All Russia, Aleksy II. How the head of a church blesses a documentary and what this act tells us about the changes in Russian Orthodoxy and Russian culture more broadly. The films all received patriarchal support after the 2000 “Basis of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church” was released, a document that did much to outline the church’s goals for the new millennium. Thus, the documentary brings into view several important processes underway in Russian culture, history, and remembrance since the fall of Communism. The Life of St. Sergius is itself primarily concerned with providing guidelines on how to live a spiritual life in the present for Russian viewers. The document opens with an overview of the church and its believers. The second section is devoted to the church and the Russian nation. Keywords:2000s; Aleksy; film; orthodox church; patriotic culture; Russia