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Speaking · Exhibitions · Publications

Invite Sergei to speak

A journalist and scholar of the Russian Orthodox Church, Sergei Chapnin spent fifteen years working inside the Moscow Patriarchate in Moscow and now documents its collaboration with state power and the persecution of religious communities in Russia — as a member of the Orthodox Church, not an outside critic. He is Director of Communications at the Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University, and author of Religious Communities Under Pressure (foreword by Rowan Williams), cited by George Weigel in the Wall Street Journal. He speaks in English or Russian.

Invite Sergei to speak See past talks →

Topics

  • The Russian Orthodox Church and the war against Ukraine: the “theology of war” and its sources
  • “Traditional values” as state ideology — how Russia weaponizes religion at home and abroad
  • Documenting religious persecution in Russia since 2022: antiwar clergy and believers
  • Church and state: the alliance of the Kremlin and the Moscow Patriarchate
  • Martyrdom, memory, and the justification of violence in contemporary Orthodoxy
  • Icons, iconography, and propaganda — sacred imagery turned to political ends
  • The “Russian World” (Russkiy Mir) and the crisis of global Orthodoxy

Formats

KeynoteLecturePanelSeminarPublic interviewWebinar

In English or Russian · in person or remote.

Audiences

  • Universities & divinity schools
  • Policy institutions & think tanks
  • Religious-freedom & human-rights forums
  • Churches & parishes
  • Media & press

Selected venues

  • George Washington University
  • Duke Divinity School
  • Council on Foreign Relations
  • Atlantic Council
  • European Parliament
  • International Religious Freedom Summit

Support the work

Documenting religious persecution in Russia is independent, volunteer work, without a grant or institutional funding. See how your support is used and the ways to give.

Support the documentation

Other ways to work together

If you have exhibition space
I can bring curated exhibitions on contemporary iconography to your venue. Featured projects include Icons on Ammo Boxes (collaborating with Sofia Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymienko) and Saints of the Undivided Church. Exhibitions can be arranged either as short shows of 2–3 days or as longer installations of 3–6 months — the longer format is preferable. Discuss an exhibition →
Icons on Ammo Boxes exhibition
If you love icons
This is not about individual pieces but about producing a dedicated calendar of contemporary icons, in a print run of at least 300 copies. Each month presents the work of a living iconographer working in the Orthodox tradition — ideal for a parish, institution, or cultural organization. I keep a large archive of contemporary icons in high resolution, so a calendar can be built around almost any theme: icons of the Mother of God, the saints of ancient Ireland, or — if you want to stand with Orthodox Christians in Ukraine — icons from the Icons on Ammo Boxes project. On request, each calendar can also be given its own unique calligraphy. Commission a calendar →
Calendar with contemporary icons
If you collect exhibition catalogs
The catalog from the international exhibition Saints of the Undivided Church documents a unique collection without parallel, representing 100 iconographers from 15 countries — a scholarly and visual record of contemporary icon painting across cultures and Christian traditions. Limited copies. Request a copy →
Saints of the Undivided Church catalog
If you follow contemporary Christian culture
The Gifts (Дары) is a richly illustrated almanac of contemporary Christian culture, iconography, and theology, of interest even to those who do not read Russian. I serve as Chief Editor; each volume gathers a year of theological reflection, visual culture, and scholarly essays. Copies available. Contact for a copy →
Дары 2018 Дары 2019 Дары 2020
If you read Russian
My book Church Resurrection: A Balance Sheet (Церковное возрождение. Итоги), published in 2018, explores the trajectory of the Russian Orthodox Church from the 1990s to the present. Limited copies available. Contact for purchase →
Церковное возрождение. Итоги
If you want to stay connected
Subscribe to my Substack for essays, reflections, and analysis on the Russian Orthodox Church, religious freedom, and contemporary Christianity. Regular updates on my writing, exhibitions, and public work. Subscribe on Substack →
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Get in Touch

For lectures, exhibitions, calendars, catalogs, or publications — write to me directly and I will respond.

© 2026 Sergei Chapnin
Last updated: September 26, 2026