Neo-Nazi Ties of the Russian Church

In September 2025, far-right leaders from Europe and Latin America met in St. Petersburg to launch a new extremist alliance, the International Sovereigntist League Paladins.

What made the meeting unusual was its religious backing, following a mass procession led by Russian Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill.

ISL Paladins promote a “white Christian” world, rejecting coexistence, praising violence, and portraying democracy, human rights, and pluralism as enemies.

The conference was opened by sanctioned Russian billionaire Konstantin Malofeev, often called the “Orthodox oligarch,” alongside Kremlin-aligned ideologue Alexander Dugin.

The story is not just about extremism. It is about how religion, state power, and far-right ideology are being fused to legitimize violence, inside Russia and far beyond it.