Paganism in the Russo-Ukraine war: between extremism and empowerment?

The Russo‑Ukrainian war has focused renewed attention on the role of religion, spirituality, and myth in modern conflict. Among the more contested and least understood of these dynamics is the emergence of Slavic neo‑paganism as a visible cultural, symbolic, and ideological force on both sides of the war. Once marginal and often clandestine, pagan traditions have become increasingly visible beyond the cultural periphery, and are implicated in the contested terrain of political and military mobilisation.

Paganism is understood here as the modern revivals and reinventions of pre‑Christian belief systems, identities, and spiritual mythologies, characterised by diversity of worldview, decentralised organisation, and an ambiguous relationship with nationalism and the extremist right. This webinar will examine how neo‑paganism may operate both as a source of meaning, empowerment, and collective identity, and as a resource that can facilitate radicalisation and justify violence, especially under conditions of existential conflict. Rather than casting paganism as either inherently extremist or benign, the webinar will examine how its meanings and effects may be shaped by political and social factors, particularly the pressures of war.

Drawing on cutting‑edge research on Ukraine and Russia, the speakers—leading scholars in the field—will analyse neo‑paganism both as a project of cultural renewal, and as an adaptive narrative resource within nationalist, militarised, and far‑right narratives. Particular attention will be paid to the mobilisation of pagan symbols, mythic imaginaries, warrior archetypes, and claims of autochthonous belonging, as well as to their resonance and utility within military and paramilitary settings.

The webinar will also explore how the states and other institutions respond to pagan movements through strategies of toleration, repression, and selective instrumentalisation. Through a comparative Russian‑Ukrainian lens, it will critically examine transnational networks, intersections with hybrid warfare, and the potential security implications of neo‑pagan milieus during the war, and beyond.

 Chair: 

Victoria Hudson, Lecturer in Defence Studies, King’s College London

Presenters:

Ross Downing: Introduction to the theme and the Pagan Extremism network

Ross Downing is the coordinator of the Pagan Extremism Network and an affiliate researcher of UK non-profit organisation Inform, and a registered subject matter expert with the EU knowledge hub on prevention of radicalisation, with a specialisation in extremist ideologies.

Adrian Nonjon: War, Identity and the Sacred: a Panorama of neo-Paganism in contemporary Ukraine

Adrien Nonjon is a researcher and Ph.D. candidate in History at the Centre de Recherche Europe-Eurasie (CREE) of the Paris National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations. His field of study includes 'imaginaries' and geographical doctrines; radical political movements and currents or cultures and counter-cultures.

Kaarina Aitamurto: The Selective Securitization of Slavic Paganism in Russia

Kaarina Aitamurto is a docent of the study of religion and a senior researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki.  Her research interests focus on the nexus of religion and nationalism in Russia, contemporary Slavic Paganism and Islam.

Denys Brylov: The evolution of neo-Paganism within Russian armed groups during theRussia–Ukraine conflict

Denys Brylov is a psychologist, anthropologist of religion and Head of the Modern Studies Department at the A. Krymsky Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv) and Associated Researcher at the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (Berlin). His main research interests include the role of religious movements in armed conflicts, the interaction of religion, politics and nationalism, political activism in Islam, and transnational Islamic movements.

Taras Tarasiuk: Across Borders: Neo-Paganism as a Transnational Mobilising Resource in the Russo-Ukrainian War

Taras Tarasiuk is a Ukrainian security analyst and researcher focusing on radicalisation, political violence, and far-right movements in Eastern Europe at the Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF) think tank in Kyiv. His current research examines the transformation of nationalist movements, far-right networks, and the role of social movements in wartime mobilisation, particularly in the Russian-Ukrainian war. He is currently serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Registration will close two hours before the event begins.