In Moscow earlier this month I visited Russia’s new Main Cathedral of the Armed Forces. I think it may become the defining building of the Putin era. Here’s my piece, plus a short thread with pics https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/20/orthodox-cathedral-of-the-armed-force-russian-national-identity-military-disneyland

As you approach the cathedral it really does look enormous, and is done out in metal to give it a military feel. The floors are made of metal melted down from captured Wehrmacht tanks and weapons

On one side, Jesus ascending to heaven against a blue mosaic background that looks visually quite impressive. On the other side, though, military themes predominate.

Mostly, they’re images from WW2. Could this be the only church in the world with a swastika depicted inside?

More modern conflicts also depicted in mosaic. This one lists all since WW2, including crushing 1956 and Prague Spring, Afghanistan, both Chechnyas. The soldiers are looked over by angels

There’s a huge Virgin Mary made to look like the famous “Motherland calls” war poster, and plenty of images of weaponry.

Afterwards you can go to the adjacent war museum and enjoy interactive displays, see what is apparently Hitler’s jacket, and pose for pics by a mannequin of a surrendering Nazi...

I ended my 2018 book about how the war memory in Russia has become almost a secular religion. This new cathedral makes it explicit.

As my cathedral guide said: “Only Russians are capable of sacrificing themselves to save humanity, just like Jesus did.” https://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Hangover-Putins-Russia-Ghosts/dp/0190058846

The museum is fascinating distillation of current mainstream war narrative - no explanation of causes of the war, who the Nazis were, what they wanted, any of their crimes except invading Soviet Union. Holocaust a tiny footnote. This is how Stalin’s SU on eve of war portrayed:

The multimedia rooms - some of which have temperature and smell elements - are pretty impressive, but aren’t particularly moving. It all feels a bit like a computer game.