Kathrine Frich
President Vladimir Putin personally checked the bones before they were send.
When a military campaign drags into a bitter standoff, commanders grasp at anything to gain an edge.
Sometimes they beg for heavier weapons. Now, frustrated generals are digging hundreds of years into the past to find a spark of hope.
A piece of history
Russian officials are sending the physical remains of a medieval prince straight to the trenches in Ukraine.
According to Hotnews, the Russian Orthodox Church dispatched a bone fragment belonging to Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy. The famous ruler crushed Mongol forces during a massive battle in 1380.
Workers unexpectedly uncovered his stone tomb this summer. They found the preserved coffin while repairing a cathedral deep inside the Kremlin.
President Vladimir Putin personally checked the bones. He praised the find as “an absolutely unique and wonderful discovery” anchoring the nation’s past.
Touring the combat zone
The church chose a piece of the prince’s right hand to send into the active combat theater.
Religious leaders placed the relic in a decorated glass case. They plan to parade it along the front line to inspire tired troops.
“A fragment of the grand duke’s right hand, the same right hand with which he wielded his sword on the Kulikovo field, was sent to the front to strengthen the morale of the soldiers,” the church explained in a public statement.
The artifact reached Donetsk on Tuesday. Kremlin officials and military bosses gathered to kiss the box and pray over the remains.
Seeking divine help
Local religious figures eagerly welcomed the arrival of the medieval bones.
“Both our servicemen and the people living in Donbas need strengthening from above, God’s help and the blessing of our saints,” said Metropolitan Vladimir, a senior cleric appointed by Moscow.
Not everyone views this unusual road trip as a purely spiritual mission. Skeptics argue the church is simply doing political favors for the government.
Political prayers
Alexander Zanemonets is an Orthodox priest living outside Russia. He noted that scholars have known exactly where these bones were for decades.
“In the fifth year of the war, the Moscow Church leadership began to wonder what else it could do to demonstrate its support for what Russia calls the ‘special military operation’,” Zanemonets wrote.
He argued the government corners religious groups into the fight. “A state involved in a war will try to force all institutions, including religious ones, to participate in it,” he noted.
Sources: Hotnews
