With Prayers and Drones

According to the independent publication Replika, at least 30 Orthodox military-patriotic clubs operate in 15 Russian regions under local dioceses or with the blessing of metropolitans. In these clubs, priests and military instructors work with children, preparing a new generation for military service.

Many such clubs say their mission is to raise a “real man and warrior,” while others also work with girls to help them “grow up as real women who understand their unique and beautiful place.” Some clubs even admit “difficult” children and those with special needs.

Classes combine “spiritual development” with physical training. For instance, at “Bogatyrskaya Zastava” ("Knight's Outpost") in Omsk, a tent camp program includes morning prayer, hand-to-hand combat, horseback riding, traditional medicine, and handicrafts.

Since the start of Russia's War on Ukraine, several clubs have added instructors who have served at the front. In Samara, veterans at the “Spas” club teach combat tactics, army hand-to-hand combat, drill, and drone control. Club "ZOV," founded in 2023 in St. Petersburg, is headed by Dmitry Zubov, the rector of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in St. Petersburg. Zubov underwent training in drone control under the guidance of veterans and now passes on this experience to the students.

Notably, according to observations of experts interviewed by Replika, the church became interested in the militarized education of children long before the war in Ukraine, back in the 1990s. “As soon as the Pioneer movement ceased to exist, the Russian Orthodox Church tried to occupy this niche,” said religious scholar Konstantin Mikhailov. He said that the Church “is a completely non-pacifist organization, whose history is filled with military themes,” and some priests have served in the army.

Despite ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the military, the clubs remain largely grassroots efforts. Dioceses may provide funds, Mikhailov said, but “most often this is the work of individual enthusiasts.”

Club founders say they receive no steady financing from the church or the state. Most rely on donations, crowdfunding, and occasional government grants. In 2023, the “Voskrest” club in Gorokhovets received a presidential grant of about R500,000 ($6,000) to “increase the level of patriotism among teenagers.” In 2024, the “Peresvet” club in Kolomna got R2.8 million ($34,000) to “correct deviant behavior” in 60 teenagers and is seeking R3.7 million ($45,000) more for a project marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Elena Cheshegorova, director of “Bogatyrskaya Zastava,” said the war in Ukraine has not greatly changed state interest in such clubs, but some parents now hesitate to enroll their children for fear they will later volunteer for the front. According to club leaders and published obituaries, several alumni have indeed participated in the war.