ABSTRACT
The new cathedral was consecrated in 2000 and is more than just a religious building. It has become, in the Russian public discourse, a sign of national pride and an indicator of Russia’s increasing strength. This chapter focuses on return of property to religious organizations because this boosted the erection of new churches and the refurbishment of existing ones. In particular, a new law was important for this. Since 2010, religious organizations in the Russian Federation have been legally empowered to claim back property confiscated by the state after the October Revolution in 1917. Fostering patriotism is mutually positive for both Russian Orthodoxy and the political sector. Nevertheless, cooperation is only one aspect in the relationship between politics and Russian Orthodoxy based on ideological convergence, personal and institutional entanglements. The public interest in religious topics predated the official turn to religion of Soviet society during Gorbachev years and was already noticeable before the official millennium celebrations in 1988.
