The arrest and conviction of Pussy Riot on charges of hooliganism fits into a broader context of Russian cultural history and political structure. Pussy Riot\u2019s conviction is yet another example of the collaboration between church and state typical of Russian history, aimed to increase Putin\u2019s power.<\/p>\n
Russian culture and political structure have always lagged behind the benchmarks set by the neighbors to the West (and sometimes by those in the East). For over a decade, the Putin regime has governed on one fundamental principal: divide and conquer. However, now Putin has a new and solid ally in the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).<\/p>\n
This is not the first time that the Russian Orthodox Church has partnered up with various Russian forms of government. The ROC was the official religious authority during the rule of the Romanov dynasty, it cooperated with the KGB under Communist rule, and it is following that well-established Soviet script once again in the interest of the Putin regime.<\/p>\n