The Kremlin Playbook 3: Keeping the Faith
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Overview
This latest and final report in the Kremlin Playbook series explores how the United States and its European allies can protect the religious beliefs and values of their citizens from malign influence at a time when transatlantic societies are grappling with the speed of societal change. Societal anxiety and fear related to these rapid economic, demographic, and generational shifts—and the subsequent politics and political figures that seek to capitalize on them—have fueled societal divisions around the so-called cultural wars in Western societies. Through two main channels, the Orthodox world and the traditional values ecosystem, the Kremlin has taken advantage of these fears to accentuate societal wedges in Europe and Eurasia.
Preface 1
Introduction 2
1 | Framing the Issues 5
Terms and Taxonomy 5
Russian Views of Traditionalism 8
2 | Russia’s Internal Dynamics 10
Conservatism in Russia 10
The Relationship between the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church 13
The Actors of Strategic Conservatism 17
Between Multiconfessional and State Religion: Religious Repression inside Russia 19
3 | Russia’s Strategic Conservatism in Practice 20
Modus Operandi 20
Interaction with Other Channels of Influence 21
Strategic and Tactical Benefits 23
4 | Cross-Cutting Trends 24
Reuniting the Orthodox World 24
Traditional Values against the “Decadent West” 28
Local Enablers of Strategic Conservatism 32
5 | Impact and Limitations: Keeping the Faith 34
The Limits of Strategic Conservatism 35
Keeping the Faith 37
Appendix: Case Studies 38
France 38
Bosnia and Herzegovina 50
Georgia 58
Greece 67
About the Authors 79
- Title: The Kremlin Playbook 3: Keeping the Faith
- Authors: Heather A. Conley, Donatienne Ruy
- Series: CSIS Reports
- Publisher: Center for Strategic & International Studies
- Print Publication Date: 2022
- Logos Release Date: 2022
- Pages: 116
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781538170465, 9781538170458, 1538170450, 1538170469
- Resource ID: LLS:9781538170465
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-04-21T20:46:52Z
Heather A. Conley was senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic and director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS. During her tenure, she oversaw the development and publication of all three Kremlin Playbook reports.
Donatienne Ruy is the director of the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy at CSIS, where she oversees the strategic direction of the program and the Executive Education course offering. She was previously an associate fellow with the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, where she oversaw the development of the second and third Kremlin Playbook projects.