The Great Patriotic War is an important element of Russian memorial policy. The victory over Nazism symbolises the strength and endurance of the soldiers of the Soviet Union about what Russians think as heroic deeds.

As part of the anniversary celebration, the Church of the Armed Forces has been built recently. According to Asia News, the church aspires to be a kind of pantheon that glorifies Russian history and its leaders.

The finishing touches are currently being put to the Orthodox Church of the Armed Forces, with mosaics that even depict Vladimir Putin and Yosef Stalin among God the Father, the Mother of God, the angels and the saints, Asia News noted.

However, Dmitry Peskov, the president’s spokesman just recently announced that the part of the mosaic depicting President Putin would not be displayed due to objections raised by the Russian Head of State. The spokesman said that “someday grateful future generations will appreciate our achievements, but it’s too early to do this now.”

The fate of the piece depicting Stalin is unclear. As it is well known, the Soviet dictator introduced severe oppression and was a persecutor of all religions, including Orthodox Christianity. 

Russian Orthodox Bishop Stefan of Klin told Interfax news agency that depicting historical events is acceptable in some areas of a church. He was referring to the mosaic, according to the Moscow Times. However, “that doesn’t mean we carry pictures of historical events up to the altar,” he said.

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Photo is courtesy of Unsplash (illustration).