In Icons Axed, Freedoms Lost, Vyacheslav Karpov and Rachel L. Schroeder demonstrate how Russia went from persecuting believers to jailing critics of religion, and why, in contrast, religious pluralism and tolerance have solidified in Ukraine. Offering a richly documented history of cultural and political struggles that surrounded desecularization - the resurgence of religion’s societal role - from the end of the USSR to the Russo-Ukrainian war, they show Russian critics of desecularization adhered to artistic provocations, from axing icons to “punk-prayers” in cathedrals and how Orthodox activists, in turn, responded by vandalizing controversial exhibits and calling on the state to crush “the enemies of the Church.” Putin’s solidifying tyranny heard their calls and criminalized insults to religious feelings. Meanwhile, Ukraine adhered to its pluralistic legacies. Its churches refused to engage in Russian-style culture wars, sticking instead to forgiveness and forbearance. Icons Axed, Freedoms Lost offers original theoretical and methodological perspectives on desecularization applicable far beyond the cases of Russia and Ukraine.


Book Information
ISBN 9781978822238
Author Vyacheslav Karpov
Format Hardback
Page Count 260
Imprint Rutgers University Press
Publisher Rutgers University Press
Weight(grams) 454g