Putin’s Out, What About Putinism? Scenarios for the Russian Orthodox Church in a Post-Putin Russia
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This paper discusses the potential scenarios for the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) once Vladimir Putin has ceased, for whatever reason, to wield power in Russia. This paper assumes that the utility of the ROC as a legitimacy provider and promoter of the state sanctioned discourse is what shapes its options in a post-Putin reality. Thus, as this paper argues, future scenarios for the ROC are determined less by the fate of Vladimir Putin than that of Putinism, i.e. the ideological agenda co-created and promoted by the Church leaders. This assumption leads to two main scenarios – the ‘continuator’ and the ‘challenger.’
Source: Problems of Post-Communism
Author: Alicja Curanović
Institution: University of Warsaw
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7166576526