By Batiushka for the Saker blog
Tell everyone that the evil that is in the world will grow even stronger,
but that it is not evil that will triumph, but love.
Tsar Nicholas II
Foreword
A published author for 35 years on Church and cultural matters, I wrote a first article for the Saker that was published on 29 March 2022. It seems strange now that it took so long for me to offer to write here, as Andrei and I have the same spiritual background. The SMO in the Ukraine was the turning-point. This article, for 24th February 2023, is the last for Andrei’s blog. Appropriately for the Orwellian-minded, it is the 84th article in those 330 odd days, one every four days. Thank you, Andrei. As for future writings on geopolitical and cultural themes, I will be talking to Pepe Escobar.
Old Russia and Old Europe
I am an Old Russian who lives in Old Europe. I have lived in several European countries, not only in Russia. But just as I never recognised the New Russia, nor do I recognise the New Europe. Just as I recognised neither the Soviet Union with its post-Sovietism, nor do I recognise the European Union with its post-Europeanism. The latter Union was born just a few days after the funeral of the former Union, as the demons that had haunted the USSR for exactly 75 years from December 1916 to December 1991 crossed westwards and found another corrupted and rotting corpse to infest and consume. I believe that we are now at a millennial parting of the ways in world history with the clear and abject failure of the Western world. Although those of nominal faith are riven by nationalist politics, compromised by money-oriented careerism, strangled by bureaucratic centralism and reduced by superstitious ritualism, we follow another way. For the King is coming and we must be ready to meet Him.
I was brought up on Tsar Nicholas II, the man who is maligned far more than Vladimir Putin, and on the murdered Alexander Pushkin and Ivan Turgenev, but also on William Shakespeare, Johann von Goethe, Alphonse Daudet and Knut Hamsun. I listened to Piotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rakhmaninov, but also to Johann Strauss, Edvard Grieg, Charles Trenet, Amalia Rodrigues and Albert Ketelby. I lived in Saint Petersburg, but also in Oslo, Paris, Thessaloniki, Lisbon and Vienna, passing through Belgrade, Geneva, Berlin, Prague, Madrid, Rome, London, Helsinki, Budapest, Bucharest and some very obscure but far more significant places inbetween, for their significance is mystical.
There is a birch forest and dusty summer tracks just outside Ekaterinburg in the Urals, a log peasant house outside Great Novgorod, a village on the Slovak border with the Ukraine where they have never spoken either Slovak or Ukrainian, the whitest sandy beach in the Gaelic Outer Hebrides by a ruined monk’s cell, a fragrant pine forest on the ambered Baltic coast of Latvia, a dark backstreet in Porto where I had a funeral, the woods of Thassos in the azure-blue Aegean, a secret, lilac-filled courtyard in north-east Paris left over from the time of Zola, a path by Lake Balaton in Hungary and a path by Lake Naroch in Belarus, and a little wooden chapel in the Romanian Carpathians that belongs to hermit-shepherds. They have all played a part. All these places, and many others, form one continuous story. But that is the little epic of a family with branches scattered across Old Russia and Old Europe and which is yet to be told. The tale of that Resurrection is for another time and another place.
Russia Now
Four Christmases ago an ex-British ambassador to a certain European country asked me why the excellent relations between the West and Russia of the 1990s (when he was an ‘attache’ in the British Embassy in Moscow) had so regrettably dissolved. I answered him simply: ‘Because the arrogant West spat in Russia’s face’. He had not been expecting that answer and the only reply of the old spy was astounded silence. I maintain its truth.
In 1714 Tsar Peter I opened a window on Europe. Russia never closed it. But in 2014 the West did. The bad news was that Russia was sick for 300 years with an obsession with the setting sun of the Western world, the Abendland, the Evening land, as the Germans rightly have it. The good news is that Russia is recovering from this obsession, because in 2014 it turned eastwards with its other head, to the rising sun. In 2014 Russia turned eastwards because the arrogant West had spat in its face. And, unsurprisingly, it found daybreak in the east much more pleasant than nightfall. Russia very quickly made friends with China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Iran – to name but a few. In fact, Russia very quickly made friends with seven-eighths of the world, where its real friends had been all along.
As President Putin said in his speech of 21 February, Russia is ‘an ancient, independent and quite distinct Civilisation’. Therefore, just because arrogant Europe spat in its face, Russia does not now have to face an identity crisis. It has refound its identity in being what it is, Northern Eurasia. It no longer has to pretend to be only the Western half of itself, it has reclaimed the double-headed eagle which faces both East and West. But this does mean that the rest of Europe has to face an identity crisis. And this is serious. For it. Because, having renounced its Civilisation, it has lost its identity. And because without Russia, Europe cannot survive. Why else did the US try to destroy and substitute for Ukrainian Civilisation? It was in order to cut little Kiev off from its Russian child, who had become much greater than Kiev, just as it tried to cut off little Europe from Russia, that had become much greater than it. Why else did the US blow up Nordstream? It was to cut off the small north-western peninsula of Eurasia from the other half of Europe and so from all Eurasia, so as to make it a fully dependent invalid of the US.
The Ukraine and Europe
As we have said a multitude of times, Russia only ever had three aims in this conflict: the Demilitarisation and Denazification of the territory at present known as the Ukraine and the Liberation of the territory at present known as the Donbass. Demilitarisation. Denazification. Liberation. Three words. It is not the tens of thousands of words of the EU directive on the regulatory height of forklift truck seats. (I used to know the author). What has happened after a year is that through Western foolishness the territory to be demilitarised and denazified, the Ukraine, has had to be expanded, and the territory to be liberated, the Donbass, has had to be expanded. As a result of ever-escalating Western aggression and its supply of ‘long-range weapons’, Russia has now had to go further ‘to repel the menace from our borders’. (I quote from President Putin’s same speech). In other words, the Demilitarisation and Denazification of the Ukraine has become the Demilitarisation and Denazification of all Europe, for Europe has been Ukrainianised. It was its own choice. And the Liberation of the Donbass has become the Liberation of all the Ukraine, for the Ukraine has been Donbassised. It was its own choice.
For, through its utterly suicidal foolishness, all that part of Europe that lies to the west of the borders of the Russian Federation and Belarus, has become a borderland. Europe is now the European borderland vassal of the US, controlled by puppet governors, appointed by the Court in Washington. Today there is a Zelensky court jester in every European Capital. Their only qualification is the ability to juggle. If they cannot, they are disposed of. The proof of this is that when Russian troops have liberated the whole territory of the present Ukraine, NATO and its equally US-ordered sister-organisation, the EU, will collapse. Russia will not need to demilitarise, denazify and liberate Europe. Demilitarisation will be implemented by the collapse of NATO. Denazification will be implemented by the collapse of the EU and the rest of borderland Europe beyond the Russian borders. As for Liberation, it will be implemented by the rebellions of the peoples of Europe against the narcissistic vassals of their US Nazi Overlord. Then there will be a Free Europe. And then Russia will be gently tapped on the shoulder by the countries of Europe, who one by one will humbly ask not to be forgotten. Oppressed Serbia has not been. Nor has gallant, if diplomatic, Hungary. However, others, especially those further west, will have to do a lot more to attract attention. Russia is busy elsewhere with far more important things than the Europe that is woke, that is, spiritually and so morally asleep, and so irrelevant.
Between 1914 and 2014 Europe attempted to commit suicide three times. World War I, from which Russia was ejected by a regime-change organised from London and New York and camouflaged as a ‘Revolution’, was won by the US, both militarily and politically. World War II, in which Russia was only allowed to achieve its World War I aims of liberating Vienna and Berlin, was won by the US, not militarily, but politically. However, this present war, which is World War III and will be called so by the historians of the future, will be won by Russia, both militarily and politically. It will be the victory that Russia was deprived of in 1917 by the Anglo-Zionist conspiracy. Therefore, World War III, lost both militarily and politically by the US, will mean that the US loses its Empire. Its previous pride will be humbled and its previous impunity will be punished.
Afterword
In all my wanderings through Russia and Europe I have always believed that Russia must return to its roots and identity in order to refind itself. Since 2014, quite miraculously, this has been happening. However, I have always believed that Europe too must return to its roots and identity in order to refind itself. This can be so through the example of Russia’s return, but it will be very radical and it will hurt a lot. Just as it hurt and hurts Russia. Humility, like the Church, always hurts. Nevertheless, all can still come right, injustices can still be righted. The thirst for justice and for restitution can still triumph over the conspiracies of the past. It is always the same sevenfold story: Repentance, return, redemption, rebirth, restoration, restitution and resurrection. They form one continuous story. But that is the great epic of all the families with branches scattered across Russia and Europe and which is yet to be told. The tale of that Resurrection is for another time and another place.
23 February 2023
Thanks Batiushka for your very meaningful and appreciated contributions.
Agree completely!!!
As always, I like to read you Batiushka. I hope to find you again in the near future.
Europe is not as old as truly ancient civilizations in this world, and the U.S. is just a child of Europe. The US took over the role of hegemon from the UK, but beneath the surface it is evil that does its ‘thing’. That evil can and does crop up in any country. It is the root of evil that must be overcome by man. It has been said before, it is a spiritual war. And we can only win that from within ourselves. That will happen. If not this cycle, then another one. Meanwhile, the most important thing is to watch and learn, raise consciousness and trust God.
Appreciate your analysis including this last one on the Saker blog.
Am very pleased to read that we will be able to follow you under Pepe Escobar. Looking forward to that.
And indeed, Batiushka, as I’ve been long saying, this is true for each and every one of us, as an individual, and then as many individuals come together, as a village, as a town, as a nation – we must, in the end and the beginning, start with our roots of identity – the first answer to the question “who am I”?
It starts with the national identity, the stories of our forefathers, our antecedents, their glories and loves and battles, fought to leave us with with what we have now. As the Cymraeg {Welsh} actor. Richard Burton said, on being asked how he felt about his early life struggles said ” it made me feel, what strong, what wonderful people, do I come from, that they helped to give me my form, my strength”.
Without this, how do we go on, in later years, to build and think “This is who Iam from my people, but who am I from my inner self”, and thus begin our commitment to values, beliefs, promises made to future actions, oaths made to that inner self. ?
And this is what the people of the Hegemon Empire of Pirates and Lies have had take from them. They tried it in my nation, Cymru, by saying a Pakistani immigrant sent by the english to live in South Wales was a Welshman. But we know ourselves better than the English, poor things, and the outcry made sure this was never attempted again. We mean Pakistani immigrants no harm, but they are NOT Cymraeg, NOT “Welsh”.
And we know how wrong are they who say “what a fuss about nothing”. It’s not. For identity preserved is everything, and in the end, if you lost it once, you will have to come back to it, no matter who you are, as you point out.
Good luck in the future.
84 articles? I think I read every one, and I marveled at their astonishing truthfulness. I hope they can be gathered under your name as the archiving and re-hosting of Saker material proceeds.
I look forward to your eventual telling of that vast story that waits for another time and place.
And so, until another time, Batiushka – thank you for all of your writing, which I have found wonderful.
Until soon.
Many thanks Batiushka (& our host Saker) for these wonder pieces. They have been a source of peace for me in these trying times. The insight and depth from which you write is both educational and calming. I can feel the conviction of your heart in your words. Like great prose, it is a joy to read. I will look forward to reading your prose somewhere alongside the swaggering Pepe Escobar. Does Batiushka mean something like “wise Grandfather” for surely it does to me.
Every time I discover a new contribution from you I feel happy (A rare feeling I do miss lately).
The West is zombified and the few of us, which still dissent, need your words and your blessing.
With Pepe you are in excellent company.
Cheers from Gers!
Every religion practiced today has come from the East, Batiushka
That should say something about the west
They are still pagans and acting like one
A very thought-provoking article, thank you ! For some reason, we Hungarians have been struggling with a similar identity crisis for a thousand years now, because we thought that a people who came from the east would one day be accepted and considered equa l! When Batu Khan sent his emissaries to us in 1241, he told us that we are a brother nation and should allow free passage to the west, but we did not, we resisted because we believed that this was our job as Christians. The West watched the destruction of our people with a grin ! The same thing happened again in 1526, when Sultan Suleiman I sent ambassadors to us, claiming that both peoples claim to be Attila’s descendants and that we should allow the Ottoman armies to pass to the west and be his allies. We refused the request because we professed to be Christians, our army’s failed , 150-year occupation was waiting for us, during which time the West grinned and did nothing. That is, he did it because when the Turks were driven out with the armies after 150 years, but only so that the Habsburg empire would sit on our necks for 200 years ! The dawn came and the spirit of the long-awaited “Free West” reached us in 1991, we hoped to be equal members of the family of Western nations in the EU, the nearly thirty years were sobering, because we are neither equal nor loved ! If you follow the daily politics, you can clearly see that instead of the sane politicization and acceptance supported by our people, we get spit in the face and hate, just like the Russians got in 1991! They will never forget that we are a people from the east, we love freedom and we only want acceptance and respect, but now we see more and more that we will never get this from the former colonizers and we have to look for friends in the east !
Another fantastic article, Batiushka! You do have a special mind. Thanks for writing and publishing here. The Saker website always amazed me with great articles and comments. As a Brazilian, I have been following Pepe Escobar for over a decade and I will get to your publications through him. But, I will miss Andrei’s blog…
In the final paragraphs, you said things that blew my mind, which it bounced from the present to the future and then back to the past. All my recent ancestors were European – Spanish, German, Irish and Italian. I see the dangers and get very worried about my children who are living in Europe as well. I have tried to talk to them, although rarely, about the enormous changes our world is going through; but they do not want to hear… I guess they will be hit hard… They will remember my words, although too late to get ready for what is coming… I will forward this article to them. It is illuminating.
The 7 R’s.
love, love that thank you very much.
Indeed, one will even find the solution to climate change in those 7 R’s.
Amos 4: 6-10
Cheers!!!🫵😉
By the way for any interested the story of my life and character and the reason I suppose I’m the only one in the Christian world trying desperately to get the truth out about climate change is summed up in these verses!
1 Cor. 1:26-30
1 Cor. 2: 1-5
1 John 2:27
I experienced and continue to experience those verses and indeed the verse about having faith in Gods power rather than in men is very true. I however, look at the Church Universal perplexed?
What happened is a question for us all To ponder as the weather continues to turn angry fulfilling what Christ said:
St. Matt. 7:25-27
Lastly, the Revelation of St John isn’t a difficult book for me to intrepret. Strange I actually find it quite easy! 🧐
Cheers
Hello Gerry,
Clif High stated a while back that “It doesn’t matter whether you believe this stuff or not. They do” and that they are arrogant/stupid enough to believe that if they can create the conditions foretold, then the events foretold will follow. There lies the answer to the “climate change” problem.
I live in inland Australia and the continuous spraying of nasty stuff in the atmosphere is literally sickening.
The whole thing is so in your face, that many now see it.
As an ex New Zealander, I have many contacts there and the enhancement of a recent tropical cyclone was obvious and many have now learned to look and not listen to the liars.
This is only one part of ‘creating conditions’. Plagues are hatched in biolabs and hunger is being well organised.
(The recent cyclone in NZ hit Hawkes Bay and that’s where a large chunk of NZ’s food is grown.)
Thank you Batiushka, perhaps the sharing of an article to Rense News might help us find you in future, I reckon that’s where I first found something from Andre’s Saker Blog.
Hello Tommo
‘Create conditions foretold’ doesn’t answer such things as crop circles nor the UFO lights that we are experiencing nor the Tunguska event of the past!?
Regardless, in ancient Israel they were very sensitive to misfortunes understanding the warnings given to them. That is why we find the blowing of the shofar which was a call to national repentance of one and all.
Further I know for a fact that birds falling dead out of the sky and fish washing up dead in the tens of thousands on our shores was foretold in Hosea 4.
Why is it that what was told us in the past is occurring again Tommo? The answer lies of course in the pollution of sin not the pollution of industrial causes.
National repentance Tommo! And wow Crop Circles! Now that’s Divine Communication isn’t it of a very serious nature as found in
Luke 21:11 Yes?
The real question is why that one country above every other? Why?
I have loved reading all your articles! Where will I find you when the Saker closes?
Ex oriente lux, “aus dem Osten kommt das Licht”, the light comes from the East. Meanwhile the Occident or the land of the setting sun must now find its proper place after 500 years. The pretence is over.
Thank you, Batyushka, for the generosity of your heart.
I experienced a wave of the future when my eyes alighted on this article, I will read you eleswhere, in Asia, or wherever, but do get a wriggle on with the resurrection of life and folks please!
How many million upon million of displaced, lost people wander the earth, not only political refugees, but those without roots, who never had them, and whatever served to replace these, has eroded and fallen away with our cultural disintegration, loss ofreligion, of spirituality and meaning. I even dreamed someone came into our house, a tall, slim fair haired man with two daughters, who wandeed around without seeing as if it were there’s, I asked him what he was doing there with his girls, (aged about 9 and 11), he just looked vague, went into the kitchen, and put the kettle on. After a while the dream merged to his own home, but the mood was the same, empty somehow, Strange, not scary but real.
Go well Batiushka, and thanks for all the interesting articles..
I want to express a heartfelt goodbye to Batiushka, you have been dearly appreciated here. If you have not quite restored my faith in a divine afterlife, you have fully restored my respect for and hopes for humanity. I have spent the morning, while fiddling among several projects, printing off all of your articles here on this site. So there, I have made my own book to remember you by. I am looking forward to nights where I have energy to sit up late under a good desk lamp and read, and your stuff will definitely all get a fond 2nd going over. What a fabulous historian. Indeed were you the local pastor of a parish close to me, I would be brought back to participation. One site I hope you are aware of is The Greanville Post, they have picked a few of your pieces from The Vineyard, and should you post there it will be noticed, please leave whatever breadcrumbs you can to where else you can be found. I have been essentially a Russia lover since my college days majoring in Literature, pretty much forced to focus on English, as they offered very little regarding Russia, I was able to fit in several classes such as World literature which offered me opportunity to read Russian literature as assignment, and was simply deeply impressed by the seriousness of it all, loved it all, my favorite still sticks in my mind, Quiet Flows the Don by Sholokov. During the Cold War I always doubted the CIA narrative and gave the benefit of the doubt to the USSR. Had the Soviets been allowed to develop in peace and harmony, perhaps they could have done better for the people, but I still note the many people of former Warsaw pact countries such as Hungary who experienced those days and state openly that they would prefer that to the modern realities. Perhaps now the modern realities will improve, as Russia leads the way. Best wishes to you Batiushka, and of course The Saker and everybody who has posted here, what a wonderful wonderous group of People. Andrei has a lot to be proud of, what he has done to date with his life.